help me choose! body protector edition

Ok, confession time. Idk what it was about MDHT last weekend, but there was definitely some sorcery in the air.

Possibly induced by a day spent in the hot sun (but probably toooootally unrelated to all the day drinking, right?). Or the fact that a giant ass thunderstorm rolled through and we found ourselves cloistered up in the VTO tent, which happened to be running some killer sales....

fairly standard outfit. the shirt changes depending on my mood (and the heat, bleh), and obvi my boots have since been updated to something a little lighter in color (below), but typically we kinda ride the navy train

Regardless of the reason why, I ended up coming home with not one, but two Rodney Powell Beta3 certified body protector vests.

Which like, I already have a vest - my tried 'n true Harry Hall. And you might recall, the Harry Hall is also Beta3 certified. Beta3 being the extremely rigorous standard certification required for vests in the UK, and a higher degree of safety than we require here in the US.

Beta 3 Harry Hall

So it's a good vest. It's as comfortable and breathable as might reasonably be expected from body armor, and it's very safe.

My mom bought me the vest for my birthday the fall after I broke my leg. I was sad and depressed and not riding, and hungry for anything that made me feel like horse shows would again be in my future. And it's been a dutiful loyal soldier ever since. 

in action, also these are the color boots i wear now. oh and we've been doing the white saddle pad lately too, if that makes a difference

Plus, it matches my helmet cover perfectly, right? And Navy is kinda my jam. So it works out. I kinda wish the vest wasn't so bulky, but I don't know if such a thing exists with this level of safety certification haha!

But yea. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is now for some ungodly reason, I am the proud (?) owner of THREE vests. Each quite different from the others. I don't need three vests tho, I honestly don't even really need two... tho maybe it would be nice to have options?? Maybe? Idk.

So here's where I need your help. I probably should not keep at least one, but maybe two of these vests. Meaning the others will likely be offered for sale.

Beta 3 Rodney Powell in lavender

I'm terrible at making these types of decisions, to be honest. Mostly bc I tend to be a bit change resistant and am inclined to think my navy Harry Hall works quite nicely anyway, and that maybe the brand new Rodney Powells will be easier to sell anyway. But.... Sometimes I wonder if a zip closure up the front, like both the RPs, is more flattering than the buckle closure of the HH. 

And the idea of a paler color actually strikes me as a distinct advantage in hotter conditions, when I'll do literally anything to limit my risks of sunstroke. 

Also worth noting as you evaluate these images: in competitions (where we'll get the most photos, so obvi it matters haha) I wear a pinny that covers the majority of the front and back of the vest. See the pics above for examples. 

Beta 3 Rodney Powell - in black. sliiiightly different model than the lavender, too

I like the idea of the black bc perhaps of any color it's likeliest to be the most flattering and slimming fit, and this particular vest is also pretty streamlined. But that also means it's probably going to be the easiest to sell so.... Idk if I want to get that attached to it.

sorry the color isn't super balanced

It is a nice vest tho.... But do I really want to go any deeper into the Navy / Black depths than I've already gone??? (see the black half pad and girth in the pics above to see what I mean) It's hard to say, really.

So yea. I don't really know here. I can rationalize reasons to keep each of these vests, or, um, ALL of them haha. But that's not super practical haha. So I need to make a choice. What would you do? Or, conversely, if there's a vest here that you personally might be interested in, let me know that too (fraidycat.eventing at gmail). They're all more or less Women's Medium.

Any thoughts appreciated here haha!