Behind the Seams - Developing Dakota Denim Breeches

You might remember the sneak peeks we shared back in January of a new denim breech concept in development, well progress is in full swing! We’ve been working hard behind the scenes in our development room to refine the tailoring, and we’re now adjusting the intricate details with a higher waist height than our Demi jeggings, which sit more mid-rise. We know our riders love having both options, so this one’s for the high-waist lovers … with a twist, a ribbed twist! It’s not a HH creation unless it offers a solution. 

One of the features I was most excited to trial was something born from real-life comfort needs. If you’ve ever sat in the saddle for long hours, you’ll know the waistline can feel tight in two main expansion points. So, we experimented with a partially structured waistband introducing rib-knit inserts on each side to allow just the right amount of give. I loved the concept in my mind but I was not sure the theory would work. After wear-testing, I can say: it works so well. Incredibly comfy without losing shape or polish!

We’ve finalized the test fit (just a small back pocket tweak to go!), and now we move into size grading across our full range to make sure it works for every body.

Personally, I live in slim fit non equestrian branded jeans during days out, so I wanted this new piece to transition effortlessly from daywear with trainers to functional riding wear, hence why we’re releasing both full grip and no grip versions. I have also taken away the Lycra ankle and structured them to finish at the ends like a true Jean and then added a boot cut version and also a longer leg version. This is taking some time to develop as we have so many products in development stage, but it’s my favourite part of the process. 

You might recall when I created the original Demi Jeans years ago, the ones that went viral on release (I still use the original sample pair! Albeit precious when I use), we used a cotton-denim base twill fabric mix. I wanted to explore with those a best of both worlds feel with silicone so developed a partial seat concept with a butterfly shaped silicone area, just on the buttocks. I thought it would be cool to add a ‘best of both worlds’ feel so hence the birth of the butterfly partial seat all those years ago; and the Demi’s have remained a strong favourite ever since. But we’ve known for a while there’s a space in our collection for something with a more structured finish, higher waist, and a newer exploration of waist features and that’s exactly what this new design aims to fill. I also like to keep designs fresh as once your products become best sellers they sadly get sent off to be monopolised and liquidated, so this helps keep the HH brand known what it’s for, leadership in product development and innovation for our lovely customers who deserve the very best unique concepts, developed by labours of love. 

Denim will always have that classic appeal, but cotton mix threads used in denim components aren’t as durable versus example a stretch spandex under saddle pressure. They are still beautiful to use but ones always going to be more durable than the other. It’s a challenge we’re tackling head-on to always grow and develop; and something anyone developing denim fabrics for riding will face, we’ve been working closely with our fabric developers to run durability tests, compare breakage data, and explore enhancements. (Side note: it breaks my heart when my Levi’s blow out!)

This new breech project has been a labour of love, but we truly believe it’s going to be worth every step. Stay tuned for more updates, we can’t wait to share these beauts with you! I am trying my best to keep you all up to date with a  ‘behind the seams’ series. 

With love, Stacey & Team x