I don't buy chest protectors for "how they look" - I buy them for how they protect me. I wore a ribbed REACH from the time I got out of umpire school in 1985 until about 1992, when I started working a lot of D1 games. Then I went to the Wilson knock-off West Vest. I've been wearing it ever since, taken many shots off of it and have never had ANY problems.
Now, ask me how my shoes look...
JJ