Final Term Paper A Comparison of Riding Habit Fashion from 1700 through Today by Victoria Vallis Art 445 By comparing current riding habit fashion with riding habit fashions of the past one notices a number of carry overs. Going through fashion magazines has made me realizes how much history repeats itself, and how designers are looking to the past for fresh ideas. Trends that carry on through long number of years, for instance the corset, lead one to believe that a reason exists for this recurring theme throughout history. Shoes and boots are another example. Capes, masks, hoods, purses and chemises are more clothing items that continue to reappear as a new trend. Jewelry never really ages and always is collectible no matter what the vintage. Even hairstyles and hats make come backs. So the saying goes, “What is old is new again!” Through examples of riding habit designs and designers, I will attempt to tie the past to current times and maybe even the future. Portrait of Lady Henrietta Cavendish, Lady Huntingtower, in riding habit with tricorn, by Kneller, 1715, at Ham. ©National Trust. 1856 French fashion plate from Journal des Demoiselles, shows a fair equestrienne riding with a very full skirt which reaches almost to the ground. Although cage crinolines were not worn for riding, the required fullness would have been acheived by wearing a starched petticoat. Breeches of wool or chamois leather would have also been worn underneath the skirt as well. | Riding Habits throughout History, Jane Austen. Published: June 17, 2011 by Laura Boyle Ladies’ clothing specifically for riding was not introduced until the second half of the sixteenth century, when protective overskirts or ‘safeguards’ were worn, together with cloaks, hats, boots, and masks to guard the complexion. Before that, women wore their everyday dresses on horseback. In the 1640s Queen Henrietta Maria was painted wearing a hunting dress and by the early eighteenth century the riding costume was established. The first habits followed the fashion of men’s attire, quite often adopting styles of military uniforms, and as equitation was considered an art and a courtly pastime, elaborate trimmings and materials were used, such as the brocades of the Restoration period and beyond. Designs were heavily influenced by the French court, but as the eighteenth century progressed, the English hunting country gentleman was a major inspiration, and habits became plainer cut and more functional. 1770 Colonial habit This eighteenth-century reproduction habit was made in red wool from the 1770 Colonial habit dressmaking pattern available from Side Saddle Lady (P8). Instead of the closure shown in the pattern, Side Saddle Lady cut 1 inch or so off the front, faced it, and folded it back from neck to waistline (top and bottom seams of the foldback were angled to match the line of the jacket), and added gold rope trimming and buttons, in a style similar to an original habit in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Hemlines at this time ranged from floor length to a few inches off the ground. This habit is displayed with a hoop petticoat. The dressmaking pattern also includes a false waistcoat and a neck frill (see pictures below – colour of red habit differs, as the pictures were taken at different times, in different light!). Our waistcoat was made in a gold/buff material with a damask round 1785, the riding coat (later redingote) appeared with its close-fitting bodice, double or triple cape-collar in the style of a coachman’s coat, and a buttoned skirt. At the end of the century styles changed again and by the early nineteenth century a less voluminous habit became fashionable, with a high waistline and often a pleated jacket back, using materials such as fine wools or nankeen in the summer (there is also some evidence for velvet). The style lasted through the Regency period but began changing dramatically after the 1820s, when skirts became fuller again, and sleeves puffed. By the 1830s, the large, dropped-shoulder ‘gigot’ sleeves were popular. These were fairly short-lived, but the bulbous skirts remained throughout the mid-nineteenth century, accompanied by jackets with large peplums. Regency riding habit c. 1818 was made from various pieces of the Regency Wardrobe dressmaking pattern, available from Side Saddle Lady (P10). Although made in this instance in honey-coloured velvet, the style would originally more likely have been made in a fine wool material, or cotton nankeen for summer use. The jacket lends itself to military-style trimming. Changes from the pattern in the Side Saddle Lady example were a shortening of the back peplem on the jacket and narrowing of the sleeves towards to the cuffs. The hat (see picture below) was adapted from the one given in the Regency Wardrobe pattern, made smaller, and with a peak and tassels added. The pattern for the cream cotton chemisette with frilled collar is also given in the Regency Wardrobe dressmaking pattern (the cuffs were made separately and attached to the sleeves on the inside). The tall and slender elegance of equestriennes such as Empress Elizabeth of Austria, who was sewn into her riding costume every morning she hunted Nothing evokes such elegance as riding sidesaddle and part of the elegance lies within a finely tailored riding habit. The Victorian era saw a rise in the number of women taking up riding and so, many tailors and dressmakers started to specialize in making sidesaddle habits, the habits always following the whims of what was currently fashionable in mainstream clothing. This edition looks at the sidesaddle riding habits of the early part of the Victorian era, the 1850's and beginning of the 1860's, when CDV photographs were new and replacing expensive daguerreotypes and fashion magazines were becoming cheaper to buy making them available to a wider audence. A common feature of 1850's and very early 1860's sidesaddle riding habits is the jacket style bodice with a long basque and peplum. As shown in this 1855 French fashion plate from Le Follet magazine, the bodice of a habit could either be jacket style and worn over a blouse or a regular fitted high necked bodice with a long basque and peplum. Also typical with riding habits of this period and continuing all through the 1860's, was the extremely long full skirt. This 1856 French fashion plate from Journal des Demoiselles, shows a fair equestrienne riding with a very full skirt which reaches almost to the ground. Although cage crinolines were not worn for riding, the required fullness would have been acheived by wearing a starched petticoat. Breeches of wool or chamois leather would have also been worn underneath the skirt as well. 1855 illustration from Punch magazine parodies the growing width of skirts both in mainstream fashion and in riding habits. Hoops would have been too dangerous to ride in but unfortunately, there were still too many accidents occuring from women getting their full petticoat supported skirts tangled up in the horns of the sidesaddle (which could have up to 3 horns depending on the style of the saddle) when falling off. One assumes that women only wore top hats while riding sidesaddle. While top hats were certainly worn for formal occasions like hunting, most women wore whatever hat was currently in style for mainstream fashion although specifically designed fashionable "riding hats" were also available. This c. 1858 middle aged Scottish lady certainly followed the fashion magazines by wearing a riding hat with ear rosettes and long ribbon ties nearly identical to that show in the October 1858 issue of Frank Leslie's Magazine. The lady wears a long fitted jacket with lapels over a white blouse and a dome shaped cage crinoline underneath her skirt. She would not have ridden in the cage crinoline but it was common for women to wear them underneath their habits This would eventually lead to the creation of the safety apron during the late 19th century. 1870s Two-Piece Navy, Wool Riding Habit. Museum of Texas Tech University has a fitted bodice, pointed in the center front and has a bodice opening which fastens with brown leather, buckled straps in the front. The high-standing collar, sleeve cuffs and squared tails in the back are also trimmed and fastened with the buckled leather straps. The long-trained skirt has two gores; an unusual cut with an inset that cups to allow space for fitting over the saddle. saw fashions changing again to the slimline darker-coloured habits of the 1880s with their high-buttoned bodices and jacket tails and trousers rather than petticoats, and thence to the 1890s with longer jackets and ‘leg of mutton’ sleeves. early twentieth century saw habits with flared, long-line jackets and patented safety skirts. The first safety skirt had been introduced in about 1875, but the design by Alice Hayes at the turn of the nineteenth century, with the length of skirt unbuttoning, gradually evolved into the practical open-sided apron of 1930s aside riding, accompanied by a cutaway jacket, a design, albeit modified, still used today as the epitome of elegance of modern side-saddle equestrianism of the twenty-first century. Novevember 20, 2013 Riding habits come in different styles, colors, fabrics, and sizes. Knowing what style of riding or period that you are going to display will help when choosing the fabric, pattern, and color of habit to wear.ElizabethanHere is an example of an Elizabethan hunting costume. It was about this time that women would ride alone (without a groom leading the horse) and join in on hunts. It is a safe bet to assume that fences and jumping would not have been a factor during these times. Riding Habits: Past and Present Riding habits come in different styles, colors, fabrics, and sizes. Knowing what style of riding or period that you are going to display will help when choosing the fabric, pattern, and color of habit to wear.ElizabethanHere is an example of an Elizabethan hunting costume. It was about this time that women would ride alone (without a groom leading the horse) and join in on hunts. It is a safe bet to assume that fences and jumping would not have been a factor during these times. Colonial Era: 1740 - 1800"The Red Coats are Coming!" Well, not really. It's Mary Weeks & Molly turned out in a 1760s Black Watch habit, complete with brass buttons, black leather belt and period hat. Mary's habit won the Most Historically Correct Habit at Ride Aside 2002 and 4th out of 12 at the Sidesaddle at the USET 2005 show. Donna Huffman is wearing her 1760s reproduction of an Officer's wife's habit. The habit jacket is all one piece to reduce layers. Regency Era: 1800 - 1820 Jami Wormer's reproduction Regency era habit is made of tan and brown velvet complete with matching hat. Several examples of habits from the Civil War. Darlene Galloway, Jami Wormer and Jennifer Nickle. Margaret Carter and her Civil War look. Victorian - Edwardian Era: 1840 - 1910Susie Davis wearing her authentic 1880s Western habit. The dress is a pale yellow cotton twill with seersucker sleeves and was custom made by The Crossroads Mercantile. The hat was made by Recollections. Sandy Hoffman shows an Edwardian style habit (1910) complete with long coat, riding apron, pith helmet, and matching gloves. Notice the very masculine look to this habit. Joyce Howell shows an 1896 French style habit. She was inspired by the magazine cover shown. DRESSAGE Training through Fourth Level, the apron should match the rider's jacket, with breeches or jodhpurs of the same color. The recommended dress for those levels includes: short riding coat of conservative color; tie, choker or stock; breeches or jodhpurs; boots or jodhpur boots; hunt cap or riding hat with hard shell, derby or top hat. In conclusion, fashion is but a step from the past to the future. I will show the correlation between historic fashion trends and current or future clothes that we wear. As a visual artist, I instantly recognize the patterns duplicating themselves over time. HOME → Home Print Story Published: 10/7/2001 Jodhpurs, boots, and other equestrian looks are riding high this season BY VANESSA WINANS BLADE STAFF WRITER Share0 Tweet0 Share0 Reddit0 Email0 Heads up! Tall boots, fitted jackets, jodhpurs and breeches, and shirts with stock-type collars have all ridden into town, part of a runaway runway trend: equestrian chic. For every woman who had a childhood passion for horses, this season offers the chance to become a kid again. Equestrian-inspired clothes and accessories have appeared in collections by Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, and Michael Kors and in the pages of Vogue, Elle, and Glamour, among others. The horse fad apparently comes from a mixed bloodline: the cowboy craze of months past and the autumnal trend of traditional clothes. The equestrian look is relaxed but indulgent - riding boots and skirts and quilted jackets are prominent. However, Vogue.com advises people to use discretion when incorporating equestrian wear into their wardrobes. “Unless you live in the country and are a devoted polo enthusiast, approach this trend with caution,” the Web site states in its Trend section. “Avoid total looks at all cost ... For everyday life, mixing an equestrian accent or two into your regular wardrobe should suffice.” Here's the rundown on all things equestrian, and a few reasonable alternatives: Accent pieces include boots, often with straps. The flatter the heel, the closer the boot looks to an actual riding boot. High-heeled boots are popular elsewhere in fashion, so the budget-conscious boot buyer may want to consider a hybrid. A cotton shirt with a starched stand-up collar is a horse show must-have. If you're not an ironing fanatic (and who is?), a white turtleneck can substitute nicely. Elle's September issue shows a white cashmere turtleneck with a fitted taupe riding jacket, both by Ralph Lauren. A fitted wool jacket is one of the most recognizable equestrian fashion items. Riders use tailored, hip-length blazers of navy, green, or tweed in shows, while fox hunters wear jackets of scarlet (also called pink in the horse world). Finally, breeches are close-fitting, stretchy slacks, usually a light beige. Jodhpurs are much tighter, with a cuff at the ankle and extra curves of fabric at the top of the thigh. (Old-time movie directors are often depicted wearing jodhpurs.) Since close-fitting slacks have been in for the last couple of seasons, breeches aren't difficult to replicate. However, Published: 10/7/2001 Jodhpurs, boots, and other equestrian looks are riding high this season BY VANESSA WINANS BLADE STAFF WRITER Share0 Tweet0 Share0 Reddit0 Email0 Heads up! Tall boots, fitted jackets, jodhpurs and breeches, and shirts with stock-type collars have all ridden into town, part of a runaway runway trend: equestrian chic. For every woman who had a childhood passion for horses, this season offers the chance to become a kid again. Equestrian-inspired clothes and accessories have appeared in collections by Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, and Michael Kors and in the pages of Vogue, Elle, and Glamour, among others. The horse fad apparently comes from a mixed bloodline: the cowboy craze of months past and the autumnal trend of traditional clothes. The equestrian look is relaxed but indulgent - riding boots and skirts and quilted jackets are prominent. However, Vogue.com advises people to use discretion when incorporating equestrian wear into their wardrobes. “Unless you live in the country and are a devoted polo enthusiast, approach this trend with caution,” the Web site states in its Trend section. “Avoid total looks at all cost ... For everyday life, mixing an equestrian accent or two into your regular wardrobe should suffice.” Here's the rundown on all things equestrian, and a few reasonable alternatives: Accent pieces include boots, often with straps. The flatter the heel, the closer the boot looks to an actual riding boot. High-heeled boots are popular elsewhere in fashion, so the budget-conscious boot buyer may want to consider a hybrid. A cotton shirt with a starched stand-up collar is a horse show must-have. If you're not an ironing fanatic (and who is?), a white turtleneck can substitute nicely. Elle's September issue shows a white cashmere turtleneck with a fitted taupe riding jacket, both by Ralph Lauren. A fitted wool jacket is one of the most recognizable equestrian fashion items. Riders use tailored, hip-length blazers of navy, green, or tweed in shows, while fox hunters wear jackets of scarlet (also called pink in the horse world). Finally, breeches are close-fitting, stretchy slacks, usually a light beige. Jodhpurs are much tighter, with a cuff at the ankle and extra curves of fabric at the top of the thigh. (Old-time movie directors are often depicted wearing jodhpurs.) Since close-fitting slacks have been in for the last couple of seasons, breeches aren't difficult to replicate. However, anyone with thick thighs probably should avoid jodhpurs. Depending on your tastes, area tack shops may provide a cheaper alternative on many of the above items. Synthetic-leather boots can cost less than $40, while leather boots can go for under $150. Top-of-the-line custom-made leather riding boots cost about $800, said Sally Dick, co-owner of Wyldewood Tack Shop in Lambertville, Mich. Mrs. Dick, a former riding instructor, said she's seen only a few non-riders buy riding clothes for the sake of fashion. “A layman doesn't necessarily know to look for a tack shop,” she explained. Most of the non-riders who buy equestrian-related items are historical re-enactors and theatrical departments, she added. Non-riders also make some mistakes when it comes to doing the look properly (assuming they want an authentic appearance). Flowing tresses may look great on the runway, but they're impractical in the horse world. In a show, long-haired female riders put their hair up. For everyday purposes, they usually tie it back to keep it out of the way. So how can you make it work? Try a tweed or scarlet jacket with a white or cream-colored turtleneck, beige slacks, and boots for an outfit that belongs in the winner's circle. Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2001/10/07/Jodhpurs-boots-and-other-equestrian-looks-are-riding-high-this-season.html#m6D6YyBZIauMmvmI.99 Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2001/10/07/Jodhpurs-boots-and-other-equestrian-looks-are-riding-high-this-season.html#DWyfPm33GckxcLSc.99 HOOSIER LADIES ASIDE Promoting and Preserving the Elegance, Beauty and Art of Sidesaddle Riding gin | Become a Member | Today's Front Page Wednesday, November 20, 2013