THE RIDING HABIT.
"Her dress, her shape, her matchless grace,
Were all observed, as well as heavenly face."
DRYDEN.
A riding habit should be distinguished by its perfect simplicity. All
attempts at display, such as feathers, ribbons, glaring gilt buttons,
and sparkling jet, should be carefully avoided, and the dress should be
noticeable only for the fineness of its material and the elegance of its
fit.
One of the first requirements in a riding dress is that it should fit
smoothly and easily. The sleeves should be rather loose, especially near
the arm-holes, so that the arms may move freely; but should fit closely
enough at the wrist to allow long gauntlet gloves to pass readily over
them. It is essential that ample room should be allowed across the
chest, as the shoulders are thrown somewhat back in riding, and the
chest is, consequently, expanded. The neck of the dress should fit very
easily, especially at the back part. Care must be taken not to make the
waist too long, for, owing to a lady's position in the saddle, the
movements of her horse will soon make a long waist wrinkle and look
inelegant. To secure ease, together with a perfect fit without crease or
fold, will be somewhat difficult, but not impossible. Some tailors,
particularly in New York, Philadelphia, London, and Paris, make a
specialty of ladies' riding costumes, and can generally be relied on to
supply comfortable and elegant habits.
The favorite and most appropriate style of =riding jacket= is the
"postilion basque;" this should be cut short over the hips, and is then
especially becoming to a plump person, as it diminishes the apparent
width of the back below the waist. The front should have two small
darts, and should extend about three inches below the waist; it should
then slope gradually up to the hips,--where it must be shortest,--and
then downward so as to form a short, square coat-flap at the back, below
the waist. This flap must be made without gathers or plaits, and lined
with silk, between which and the cloth some stiffening material should
be inserted. The middle seam of the coat-flap should be left open as far
as the waist, where about one inch of it must be lapped over from left
to right; the short side-form on each side must be lapped a little
toward the central unclosed seam. The arm-holes should be cut rather
high on the shoulders, so that the back may look less broad. If the lady
lacks plumpness and roundness, her jacket must be made double-breasted,
or else have padding placed across the bust, for a hollow chest mars all
the beauty of the figure in the saddle, and causes the rider to look
round-shouldered. The edge of the basque should be trimmed with
cord-braid, and the front fastened with crocheted bullet buttons;
similar buttons should be used to fasten the sleeves closely at the
wrist, and two more should be placed on the back of the basque just at
its waist line.
Great care must be taken to have the jacket well lined and its seams
strongly sewed. The coat-flaps on the back of the basque, below the
waist-line, should be held down by heavy metallic buttons, sewed
underneath each flap at its lower part, and covered with the same
material as that of the dress. Without these weights this part of the
dress will be apt to be blown out of position by every passing breeze,
and will bob up and down with every motion of the rider's body,
presenting a most ridiculous appearance.
For winter riding an extra jacket may be worn over the riding basque. It
should be made of some heavy, warm material, and fit half tightly. If
trimmed with good fur, this jacket makes a very handsome addition to the
riding habit.
Poets have expatiated upon the grace and beauty of the long, flowing
riding skirt, with its ample folds, but experience has taught that this
long skirt, though, perhaps, very poetical, is practically not only
inconvenient but positively dangerous. In the canter or gallop the horse
is very apt to entangle his hind-foot in it and be thrown, when the
rider may consider herself fortunate if she escapes with no worse
accident than a torn skirt. Another objection to this poetical skirt is,
that it gathers up the mud and dust of the road, and soon presents a
most untidy appearance; while if the day be fresh and breezy its ample
folds will stream out like a victorious banner; if made of some light
material the breeze will swell it out like an inflated balloon; and if
of heavy cloth its length will envelop the rider's feet, and make her
look as if tied in a bag.
To avoid all these dangers and inconveniences the =riding skirt= should
be cut rather short and narrow, and be made of some heavy material. Two
yards and a quarter will be quite wide enough for the bottom of the
skirt, while the length need be only about twelve inches more than the
rider's ordinary dress. The skirt should be so gored as to form no
gathers or plaits at the waist. Tailor-made skirts are so neatly gored
as to remain perfectly smooth when the rider is seated in the saddle. As
the pommels take up a good deal of room, the front part of the skirt,
which passes over them, should be made a little longer than the back, so
that, when the rider is seated in the saddle, her dress may hang evenly.
If made the same length all around it will, when the lady is mounted, be
entirely too short in front, and, besides presenting an uneven,
trail-like appearance, will be apt to work back, or to blow up and
expose the right foot of the wearer.
The bottom of the skirt should have a hem about three inches wide, but
should never be faced with leather, as this will give a stiff, bungling
effect, and if the rider should be thrown, and catch the hem of her
skirt on either pommel or stirrup, the strength of the leather lining
would prevent the cloth from tearing and thus releasing her. Shot,
pieces of lead, or other hard substances are also objectionable, because
by striking against the horse's side they often cause him to become
restless or even to run away. To keep the skirt down in its proper
position a loop of stout elastic, or tape, should be fastened
underneath, near the bottom, and through this loop the foot should be
passed before being put into the stirrup. The point where the loop
should be fastened must be determined by the position of the lady's foot
when she is correctly seated in the saddle. Some riders use a second
elastic for the right foot, to prevent the skirt from slipping back, but
this is not absolutely necessary.
The basque and skirt should be made separate, although it is a very good
plan to have strong hooks and eyes to fasten them together at the sides
and back, as this will prevent the skirt from turning, or slipping down
below the waist, should the binding be a little too loose. The
placket-hole should be on the left side and should be buttoned over, to
prevent it from gaping open; it must be only just large enough to allow
the skirt to slip readily over the shoulders.
The best material for a riding habit is broadcloth, or any strong, soft
fabric that will adapt itself readily to the figure. The color is, of
course, a matter of taste. Black is always stylish, and is particularly
becoming to a stout person. Dark blue, hunter's green, and dark brown
are also becoming colors, especially for slender, youthful figures. In
the country, a linen jacket may be worn in warm weather, and will be
found a very agreeable substitute for the cloth basque, but the skirt
should never be made of so thin a material, as it will be too light to
hang well and too slippery to sit upon.
To secure ease and freedom in the saddle, a garment closely resembling a
pair of =pantaloons= will have to be worn under the riding skirt, and be
fastened down securely by means of strong leather or rubber straps,
which pass under the foot and are buttoned to the bottom of the
pantaloons. These pantaloons should be made of some soft cloth the color
of the dress, or else of chamois skin, faced up to the knee with cloth
like that of the skirt. Most people prefer the chamois skin for winter
use, as it is very warm and so soft that it prevents much of the chafing
usually occasioned by the rubbing of the right leg on the pommel.
No under =petticoats= are necessary where the pantaloons are used, but
if the rider wear one, it should be of some dark color that will not
attract attention if the riding skirt be blown back. Black silk will be
an excellent material for such a skirt in summer, something warmer being
used in winter. This skirt should have no folds or gathers in it, but if
the rider be very thin a little padding around the hips and over the
back will give her the desired effect of plumpness.
An important article of every-day wear will have to be discarded and a
=riding-habit shirt= used in its place. This shirt must be made short,
that the rider may not have to sit upon its folds and wrinkles, which
she would find very uncomfortable. The collar should be high and
standing, _à la militaire_, and made of the finest, whitest linen; it
should be sewed to the shirt for greater security, and should just be
seen above the high collar band of the basque.
The =drawers= must also be made very much like those of a gentleman, and
the lower parts be tucked under the hose. The garters should be rather
loose, or elastic.
Buttoned boots, or those with elastic sides, should not be worn when
riding. For summer use, the shoe laced at the side, and having a low,
broad heel, is liked by many. The ladies' Wellington boot, reaching
nearly to the knee, is also a favorite with some, and, when made without
any seam in front, prevents the stirrup-iron from chafing the instep. To
be comfortable, it should have a broad sole and be made a little longer
than the foot. This boot, however, gives the wearer rather an Amazonian
appearance, and has also the great disadvantage of being very difficult
to get off, the lady usually being obliged to appropriate the
gentleman's bootjack for the purpose. The =best boot= for riding
purposes, found to be the most comfortable, and one easy to get on and
off, is made of some light leather, or kid, for summer use, and of
heavier leather for winter; it extends half way to the knee, laces up in
front, has broad, low heels and wide soles, and is made a little longer
than the wearer's foot, so that it may be perfectly easy, as a tight
boot in riding is even more distressing than in walking.
The =corset= is indispensable to the elegant fit required in a riding
habit, but should never be laced tight. It should be short on the sides
and in the front and back. If long in front it will be almost impossible
for the rider to pass her knee over the second pommel when she attempts
to mount her horse, and will cause her, when riding, to incline her body
too far back; when long at the sides it will be even more inconvenient,
for, if at all tight, it will make the rider, when in the saddle, feel
as if her hips were compressed in a vise; when too long behind, it will
interfere with that curving or hollowing in of the back that is so
necessary to an erect position; it will also tend to throw the body too
far forward. If the rider have any tendency to stoutness all these
discomforts will be exaggerated. The C. P. or the Parisian _la Sirene_
is undoubtedly the best corset for riding purposes, for it is short,
light, and flexible, and not prejudicial to the ease and elegance of
good riding, as is the case with the stiff, long-bodied corset.
The =hair= should be so arranged that it cannot possibly come down
during the ride. To effect this, it must be made into one long braid,
which must be coiled upon the back of the head, and fastened firmly, but
not too tightly, by means of a few long hairpins. The coil may be put on
the top of the head, but this arrangement will be found very
inconvenient, especially where the hair is thick, for it will make the
hat sit very awkwardly on the head. The hair should never be worn in
ringlets, as these will be blown about by the wind, or by the movements
of the rider, and will soon become so tangled as to look like anything
but the "smooth flowing ringlets" of the poet. Nor should the hair be
allowed to stream down the back in long peasant-braids, a style
mistakenly adopted by some young misses, but which gives the rider a
wild and untidy appearance. When the horse is in motion these braids
will stream out on the breeze, and an observer at a short distance will
be puzzled to know what it is that seems to be in such an extraordinary
state of agitation. It is also a mistake to draw the hair back tightly
from the forehead, as this gives a constrained look to the features; it
should, on the contrary, be arranged in rather a loose, unstudied
manner, which will tend to soften the expression of the face. It is the
extreme of bad taste to bang or frizz the hair across the forehead, or
to wear the hat somewhat on the back of the head. These things are
sometimes done by very young girls, but give to the prettiest and most
modest face an air of boldness and vulgarity.
The =riding hat= at present fashionable, and most suitable for city or
park, is made of black silk plush with a Stanley curved brim, and
bell-crown, and is trimmed with a narrow band around the crown, directly
above the brim. Another favorite is a jockey-cap, made of the same cloth
as that of the habit. Either of these may be obtained at the hat stores.
For riding in the country, where one does not care to be so dressy, the
English Derby, or some other fashionable style of young gentleman's felt
hat, may be used; with a short plume or bird's wing fastened at the
side, a hat of this description has a very charming and coquettish air.
There is another style of silk hat manufactured expressly for ladies,
which may also be obtained at any hatter's; it has a lower crown than a
gentleman's silk hat, and looks very pretty with a short black net-veil
fastened around the crown, as this relieves the stiff look it otherwise
presents. This style of hat is very appropriate for a middle-aged
person. Care must be taken to have the hat neither too loose nor too
tight; if too tight, it will be apt to occasion a headache, and if too
loose will be easily displaced.
Long veils, long plumes, hats with very broad brims, or very high
crowns, as well as those which are worn perched on the top of the head,
should be especially avoided. The hat must always be made secure on the
head by means of stout elastic sewn on strongly, and so adjusted that it
can pass below the braid or coil of hair at the back of the head. An
ordinary back-comb firmly fastened on the top of the head will prevent
the hat from gradually slipping backwards.
These apparently trifling details must be attended to, or some prankish
breeze will suddenly carry off the rider's hat, and she will be
subjected to the mortification of having it handed back to her, with an
ill-concealed smile, by some obliging pedestrian. Many little
particulars which seem insignificant when in the dressing-room will
become causes of much discomfort and suffering when in the saddle. The
pleasure of many a ride has been marred by a displaced pin, a lost
button, too tight a garter, a glove that cramped the hand, or a ring
that occasioned swelling and pain in the finger. These details,
unimportant as they may seem, must be carefully attended to before
starting for a ride. Pins should be used sparingly. If a watch is worn,
it should be well secured in its pocket, and the chain carefully
fastened to a button of the jacket.
The =riding gauntlets= should be made of thick, soft, undressed kid, or
chamois skin, be long wristed, and somewhat loose across the hands, so
that the reins may be firmly grasped. With the exception of the watch,
the chain of which should be as unostentatious as possible, it will not
be in good taste to wear jewelry. A cravat or small bow of ribbon will
be in much better taste than a breast-pin for fastening the collar, and
may be of any color that suits the fancy or complexion of the wearer.
The costume may be much brightened by a small _boutonnière_ of natural
flowers; these placed at the throat or waist in an apparently careless
manner give an air of daintiness and refinement to the whole costume.
There is one accomplishment often neglected, or overlooked, even by the
most skillful lady riders, and that is, expertness in =holding the
riding skirt= easily and gracefully when not in the saddle. In this
attainment the Parisian horsewoman far excels all others; her manner of
gathering up the folds of her riding skirt, while waiting for her horse,
forms a picture of such unaffected elegance, that it would be well for
other riders to study and imitate it. She does not grab her skirt with
one hand, twist it round to one side, allow it to trail upon the ground,
nor does she collect the folds in one unwieldy bunch and throw it
brusquely over her arm. Instead of any of these ungraceful acts, she
quietly extends her arms down to their full length at her sides,
inclines her body slightly forward, and gathers up the front of her
skirt, raising her hands just far enough to allow the long part in front
and at the sides to escape the ground; then by bringing her hands
slightly forward, one being held a little higher than the other, the
back part of the skirt is raised. While accomplishing these movements
her whip will be held carelessly in her right hand, at a very short
distance below the handle, the point being directed downwards, and
somewhat obliquely backwards. The whole of this graceful manoeuvring
will be effected readily and artlessly, in an apparently unstudied
manner. In reality, however, all the Parisian's ease and grace are the
results of careful training, but so perfect is the instruction that art
is made to appear like nature.
In selecting a =riding whip= care should be taken to secure one that is
straight and stiff; if it be curved, it may accidentally touch the horse
and make him restless; if flexible it will be of no use in managing him.
The handle of the whip may be very plain, or the lady may indulge her
taste for the ornamental by having it very elaborate and rich, but she
should be careful never to sacrifice strength to appearances. Any
projecting points that might catch on the dress and tear it must be
dispensed with. That the whip may not be lost if the hand should
unwittingly lose its hold upon it, a loop of silk cord should be
fastened firmly to the handle, and the hand passed through this loop.
When riding, the whip should always be held in the right hand with a
grasp sufficient to retain it, but not as if in a vise; the point should
be directed downward, or toward the hind-leg of the horse, care being
taken not to touch him with it except when necessary.