Riding and Driving for Women

by Belle Beach

With regard to length, the fashion of the time must, of course, be followed. At present it is the fashion to have coats long, so as to come about five inches above the knee when the rider is standing. Some will find it becoming to their figure to have

coats even longer and some shorter, and we may hope that the days of the tight-fitting postilion coats, which make the rider look all hips, have passed forever. The collar may be of velvet of the same shade as the habit, of the material itself, or of gray, black, or tan leather, according to the color of the habit, but not of silk or satin. Personally, I do not care for leather collars and think they are too showy to be really smart. A left side breast pocket and two side pockets are permissible. It is a good plan to line the tails of the coat with rubber, so that the sweat from the horse’s back will not soak through the cloth.

The sleeves should be plain and finished at the cuffs like a man’s, or the cuffs may be turned back from two to three inches, according to the length of arm, but should never be of velvet or any material other than that of the coat itself.

Waistcoats are very smart, but not absolutely necessary. For use in the hunting field and in cold weather they are advisable, and should then be made of a rather heavy material, and, in particular, the back should be of flannel so as to protect the rider against a chill. Waistcoats may be made of various fancy or plaid materials, in heavy or light weights, which are manufactured especially for the purpose. Single-breasted waistcoats are smarter than double-breasted.

The pockets may be made with or without lapels. If the former, they should be real lapels or flaps coming over the pockets, as they are meant to wear in the hunting-field so as to prevent things in the pockets from escaping. These pockets in the waistcoat are very convenient for the watch, change, etc.

For the woman who does not ride much or is just taking it up and is not sure whether she will enjoy it, for summer use in the country and for beginners and growing children, ready-made habits of good style are to be found in the department stores.

For the woman who rides, however, it is most advisable to have a habit built by a smart tailor and made of the best materials. The cheaper materials do not give good service and lose their shape.

For winter use, some heavy material which does not stretch should be selected, such as melton, broadcloth, heavy cheviot, or heavy whip-cord, and for most women the best colors are black, black and gray, brown, dark blue, dark green, and any dark, quiet color which is becoming to the wearer. For park riding in the winter, checks, plaids, and other pronounced patterns are not suitable.

For medium weight habits for spring and fall use, there is more freedom of choice. The rider can always select something becoming in checks, medium weight gray and brown cloths, light whip-cords,

and invisible stripes. The great point is to be sure that the material selected is “tailor’s cloth,” for no other cloth will stand the hard wear of riding.