FOR THE GIRL WHO RIDES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 6, 6 February 1892, Page 138

FOR THE GIRL WHO RIDES.

BY

MISS J.H. CHADWICK.

ERHAPS the cost of a riding-habit stands in the way when girls have opportunities to use a friend’s horse, or, to hire one on reasonable terms. Tailor’s prices are certainly prohibitory, and even in the large shops—where the fit and hang of the skirt are uncertain — they are dear : for the habit and trousers alone; leaving hat, , gloves and whip unprovided for.

Fortunately it is not absolutely necessary to go to a tailor, or even a shop, to get a very presentable habit at a moderate price. Any girl who does her own dressmaking, or has it done in the house, can achieve a very satisfactory dress. Of course, if you ride in the country any comfortably fitting skirt, a blouse waist, and a sailor hat will not only look very well, but prove comfortable and useful in summer ; while for autumn and winter a fleece-lined jersey, supplemented in cold weather by a neatly fitting covert coat—with a tarpaulin sailor—will do very well. But to ride in town, whether in park or ring, a girl should be so well dressed as to be entirely unconscious of any peculiarity of attire, or any inappropriate difference from those around. And, to begin with, let perfect simplicity be your rule. The only ladylike colours for a habit are rifle-green, dark blue, dark brown, and some of the very darkest slate-grays, scarcely to be distinguished from black. If you are fortunate enough to possess a second habit for summer, let it be a grey—not too light—or a dark raff-au lait, or snuffcolour. Make it as plainly as possible. The people who rejoice in showy waistcoats and cuff's, or open-breasted bodices with a mannish shirt bosom and scarf, or a V-shaped turnover collar, are not desirable models to copy. Some of the ultra-fashionables, it is true, indulge in eccentricities of tan or even scarlet waistcoats, but it is only for hunting and in the country. The real • swells,’ both here and in England, keep the habit severely plain, and therefore, incontestably more stylish than it could be made by possible addition of novel fashions or ornamentation. True ’style’ in anything demands appropriateness, and, for active exercise, which may under some circumstances involve a certain amount of risk, the whole attire should be

neat, trim, comfortable, convenient and workmanlike. To this end, first of all, discard your corsets, or, if you have become a slave to a habit as pernicious as the cigarette habit, leave off the ordinary instrument of torture and get a pair of riding-corsets, which are short, easy, flexible, and without the front steel or buckle, which in case of a fall may become a serious danger. But there are very few healthy girls in this sensible century, who could not soon accustom themselves to a simple waist, whether Equipose, Flint, Fletcher, Jenness-Miller, or any other make which fits ; and the chances are that having once adopted it for riding, she will stick to it for life, to the great benefit of her health and good looks. And note one thing, girls, you will never see a woman with a wasp-waist and disproportionately high, broad shoulders and putty bust who rides well. She can’t, and that is all there is about it.

The day has long gone by when it was necessary to argue in favour of trousers versus skirts. Everyone now realizes the superiority from every possible point of view—comfort, grace, safety, and decency—of the former For the homemade habit the best thing to do is to buy a pair of ridingtights, which are to be had in dark-coloured stockingette, at any large draper’s or ladies’ tailor. They fit perfectly, are warm in winter and cool in summer, and do not require boots. By putting a row of buttons at the ankle, and using a pair of elastic straps—also to be had at any tailor’s, and by far the most comfortable—they look like neat gaiters. Or in very cold weather they may be supplemented by fleecelined leather ‘ spats,’ reaching to the knees. The bodice should be, as before said, plain and well-fitting, and tailor finish ; simple stitching and one row of small buttons : linen cuffs and collar, or a mere edge of white sewed in at throat and wrists, with a small pin. The skirt, which is the most serious part of the whole, is fastened securely to the waist by ‘ gooseneck ’ hooks and strong eyelets placed around the waistband. It should be long enough to cover the right foot by fully six inches, and full enough for comfort. The absurdly short and tight habits have ‘ gone out,’ according te the best English authorities. The lower edge of the skirt should bang—when the wearer is in the saddle—in a perfectly straight line, and to this end it is made much longer on the right side of the front, and has a knee-piece, which fits accurately over the right knee and pummel. It is this knee-piece with the gores over the hips, which makes it so very difficult to fit.

However, if the habit is to be really home-made, and you are willing to take a great deal of pains, you can, with the help of a pattern, achieve a very good result. Try to fit it on a saddle—which you can no doubt borrow for the purpose—and be sure it sets perfectly over knee and hips ; that there are no wrinkles to sit on, and that it hangs straight and smooth, with no fulness and no drawing ; then mark with chalk the place for the heel and toe-straps ; when they are on there should be no drawing, pleatings or fullness except one long diagonal wrinkle from waist to hem. It is a good idea, besides lining the knee-piece with silesia, to re-inforce it outside with the material of the habit, which can be ripped off when worn ; but this is such a neat job it requires some dexterity. An excellent fashion much followed, is to make the skirt without a hem, allowing the selvedge to form the hem ; although in a good firm cloth even this is unnecessary. This lessens the risk of accidents in case of a tall, as it allows the skirt to tear more easily ; and although a good rider does not, or should not fall, she should always be prepared for the emergency. Now, as to materials: ladies’ cloth, tweed and English serge—smooth finish—are all good. The necessary quantity of fifty-four or tifty-six-inch goods is from four and-a-half to five yards. Line your waist with white always ; farmers’ satin, silk, or a very good silesia, or tine jeans would do. Buttons should be small and dark.

The hat may be a beaver or a Derby, well-fitting, and, preferably, with a black net veil, without ends. A good plan is to measure the veil over the hat, then gather the ends in to a button and elastic hoop, so that the veil is easy to put on or remove. Any gloves which are found most comfortable will do, but colour is limited to tans, greys, and white washleather, and the long gauntlets, which are beginning to creep in, are too military for a quiet taste. The whip is also a matter of taste ; so with one more counsel, the summing up may be made, and the cost of a home made habit computed.

That counsel is :—don’t wear diamond earrings on horseback.