Wednesday, April 1, 2009

1740 Riding Habit



3 comments:

SmartAlex said...

Great color combo! Just the same as the Rosie's Coveralls I ordered yesterday!!!

sunvalleysally said...

What is also interesting is to learn about the way the antique habits are constructed -- and the types of construction devices applied to the female form so the garment would fit correctly. Aside from Elizabeth of Austria whose willowy form was frequently "sewn in" to her habit in a sort of extreme tailoring, most women opted for riding corsets - surely the most esoteric of historical tags added to costume history. If you look at corsets designed for sidesaddle riders, you'll note that the fronts were foreshortened or even wishboned to accommodate the position of the upper body in the saddle with the position of the thigh virtually right next to the abdomen. Those envied eighteen inch waists weren't always inherited but instead were developed by clever seamstresses!

Unknown said...

Great habit! Could you post a picture of the original? That would be most interesting.
About corsets: I'm a very 'well endowed' side saddle rider and I'm not riding without a real riding-corset. Otherwise riding would be too painful and even a quality sport BH proved insufficient. 19th century ladies had on average about 4" (10cm) more bust measurement than modern women. I suppose a riding corset was necessary for most 19th. century amazones.