LADIES' RIDING DRESS. 147 



hats of young ladies, in my humble opinion, are highly 

 to be commended. 



As to the riding-habit, it may be of any colour and 

 material suitable to the wearer and the season of year, 

 but the sleeves must fit rather closely ; nothing can be 

 more out of place, inconvenient, and ridiculous, than the 

 wide, hanging sleeves which look so well in a drawing, 

 room. For country use the skirt of a habit may be 

 short, and bordered at the bottom a foot deep with 

 leather. The fashion of a waistcoat of light material for 

 summer, revived from the fashion of last century, is a 

 decided improvement, and so is the over-jacket of cloth, 

 or sealskin, for rough weather. There is no reason 

 why pretty young girls should not indulge in pictu- 

 resque riding costume so long as it is appropriate. 



Many ladies entirely spoil the sit of the skirts by re- 

 taining the usual impedimenta of petticoats*. The best- 

 dressed horsewomen wear nothing more than a flannel 

 chemise with long coloured sleeves, under their trousers. 



Ladies' trousers should be of the same material and 

 colour as the habit, and if full flowing like a Turk's, 

 and fastened with an elastic band round the ankle, they 

 will not be distinguished from the skirt. In this cos- 

 tume, which may be made amply warm by the folds of the 

 trousers, plaited like a Highlander's kilt (fastened with 

 an elastic band at the waist), a lady can sit down in a man- 

 ner impossible for one encumbered by two or three short 

 petticoats. It is the chest and back which require double 

 folds of protection during, and after, strong exercise. 



There is a prejudice against ladies wearing long 

 Wellington boots ; but it is quite absurd, for they need 



* At an inquest on a young lady killed at Totnes in September last, 

 it appeared that she lost her seat and hung by a crinoline, petticoat 

 from the right hand pommel 1 



