There should be no seam down the middle of the back; the front, side-body and back are cut one inch below the natural waist.
The skirt and back form a pleat like the skirt-pleat of a coat.
The buttons should be small and round. The sleeves are tightly buttoned up at wrist.
The inside of jacket should be lined with silk, carefully wadded and stitched in close rows. It should have a belt inside, stitched to each seam at waist, which is to close it tight to the form.
The Figures we give show to advantage some of these peculiarities. The draft is a good model of such a habit, and is universally adopted, being both suitable and elegant. It “looks quite English” and very pretty. A plain standing collar of white linen should be worn with it and a gentleman’s cravat of black silk, or if the jacket is made with the lapels turning down a flat scarf is more appropriate.
We add to this an article published in “Munster’s Gazette of Fashion” on riding-habits. This will enable our readers to be more fully posted, not only on what is worn here but what is in keeping with London styles:
“We have devoted one of the plates issued with the current number of our publication to the representation of the newest and most fashionable style of a lady’s riding-habit in wear. The lengthening of the waist, which we reported last year, has been maintained, although it has not been increased; and the jacket-skirt is about the same in length. It is fastened up to the throat by buttons and holes, and with a small stand-collar rounded off at the front. The jacket-skirt is cut in one piece instead of two, as heretofore, and at front runs off at an angle from the bottom of the front edge of the fore-part, and is lined with cloth, or interlined with some article of substance, to give it a firmness. The edges of the back skirts terminate in a point at the bottom. A small square tab, with two holes in it, is sewn across under the bottom of the back, and is fastened on to two buttons sewn on the top of the back part of train. The edges are usually trimmed with a narrow silk braid, sewn on flat, and the body and the sleeves lined with light colored silk. Ball buttons and fancy silk buttons are generally used. Five or six buttons are sewn on at the hind-arm; the two lower holes only are worked open.
Some ladies affect a certain tone of severity in their riding-habits, and eschewing all fictitious aids by way of adornment to the bodies have made them perfectly plain, with the edges turned in and stitched, and smoked pearl or vegetable ivory shank buttons.
Veils are no longer considered correct, no doubt because they may be considered too effeminate in character and out of place with the “billy-cock” hat.