..the American Sidesaddle Association says:Informal Habit - Leather gloves of harmonizing color.
Formal Habit - Black leather gloves.
Victorian Etiquette dictates though that black gloves should never be worn - unless a lady is in mourning.
Corsets and Crinolines quotes:
"Black gloves are never worn for sidesaddle riding, even today unless you are in mourning."
11 comments:
Julie, ASA is talking about modern habits, not historic costuming. You can e-mail me privately about some of the "laws" passed by certain modern SS organizations. ("Laws" such as having jods show under aprons when one is riding saddleseat sidesaddle. OH SO INCORRECT and it's just descended improperly from the old hidebound hunt seat sidesaddle attire "laws.") So, if you are going the historic costuming route you can of course honor the historic costuming laws pertaining to ladies' correct attire. Regarding gloves, black for mourning but also lavender for coming-out-of-but-not-completely-out of mourning. Interestingly ladies in the west borrowed two ideas from their male counterparts, one was deerhide (not dyed) or cowhide gloves to protect the hands, and one was the military "look" to riding habits, the military being the western cavalry jackets, mainly. FYI as far as the extensive and frothy white petticoats showing extravagantly under "skirts" as so beloved in the Arabian and Morgan showrings these were improper for two reasons: first, white was not worn because it would show dirt and secondly ladies NEVER showed their "under" attire. Ditto pantaloons which were adapted for bicycle riding but absolutely not used for riding horses.
Okay now....where in the world did you find the information about the lavender gloves? That is so interesting! I swear girl - you are an excyclopedia of sidesaddle information!
Julie SSG makes some very nice brown leather gloves or the knitted back ones which are light brown/offwhiteish. As with sidesaddle, black gloves are not to be worn in pleasure driving because they were 1) left for the mourning 2) would rub the black onto your good brown leather reins.
That's so interesting about the gloves!
Here's a question for you... I recently got a pair of dark brown paddock boots & half chaps. Would it be improper to wear those with the navy blue habit I just acquired as long as I pair them with dark brown gloves?
Michelle, not sure about the rules where you are but here in the UK, brown boots can only be worn with a tweed habit and a brown bowler hat with brown gloves. I've got a lovely pair of Ariat half chaps and paddock boots too that I'd love to wear for my dressage tests but would not be correct with my black habit :-(
Darn! That's what I thought the answer would be. Oh well! Orr.... maybe this justifies the need for another habit?? lol
We don't really have any sidesaddle specific shows or even classes in shows for that matter. I might have to do some asking around and see if it'd be ok in some of our lower level stuff.
Hi Michelle ~ It depends so much on so many different things.. I find that Hunt seat has the most strict attire rules. Saddleseat - which is what I am showing in..against..or with..?? There are hardly any rules in that division. Also - so far the shows I have been in have been non-rates...so I push the rules a bit because of that. ie - wearing the red Christmas plaid skirt with a cotton lace petticoat underneath...and a top hat (even though I was showing before 6pm) This was our Christmas show ...so my outfit would totally be classified as 'costume'.
Sidesaddlegirl in UK - I desperately miss my Caldene tweed ss habit which was a soft brownish grey, severely cut/tailored, which I wore as you note with brown boots and a brown bowler type derby. While I appreciated the tradition I looked so very horrid in an actual bowler that I gave the whole thing up as a bad job and sold the Caldene, the only part of the whole experiment I deeply regret to this day!
Oh! Michelle! NO half chaps EVER except for schooling! (Shudder....)
No worries SVS! I wouldn't do it at a show, my habit is navy blue so I'll be wearing black boots. (A tall one on the left and a paddock on the right! hehe) It's too bad though because the brown paddocks & chaps are great!
I always said that I looked like Laurel of Laurel and Hardy in my Saddleseat derby...Uggghhhhh!
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