"94 THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 



and neckties of any colour suitable to the wearer's complexion, 

 arranged as a gentleman ties his neckcloth, and fastened with 

 gold horseshoe pins, jewelled or plain, are very effective. The 

 single-breasted tunic should be fastened with hooks and eyes, 

 ■covered by the braid ; the double-breasted jacket should fasten 

 with plain silk buttons. The advantage of these tunics is that, 

 while they afford plenty of room to the rider, and while they in 

 no way cramp her flexibihty in the saddle, they tend to diminish 

 to a degree scarcely conceivable the appearance of redundant 

 fulness or squareness of form, and give a very elegant tournure 

 to a figure that would look by no means well in a tight-fitting 

 jacket. 



Again, neckties of moderately large pattern, and ornaments in the 

 way of feathers and pins, or other fastenings for the cravat, all 

 tend to diminish to the eye the appearance of weight and size, and 

 as a rule, are as becoming on horseback to ladies of full figure as 

 rigid plainness in habits, collars, &c., are to those of spare and deli- 

 cate form. It should be borne in mind that it is on the off side that 

 the figure of a lady equestrian is most critically noticed by the 

 observer. On the near side the skirt has a great effect in increasing 

 or diminishing the apparent size and form of the rider. On the off 

 .side every defect in form or dress is patent, and it is on the off side 

 that the gentleman attendant rides. Close-fitting jackets, then, I 

 repeat ; plain gentleman's hats, with or without lace lappets, and 

 extreme simplicity of get up, will be most effective on the off side 

 in the case oi a lady of slight figure. The style of hat and tunic 

 I have attempted to describe is most suitable to those whose physique 

 is more developed. 



As regards skirts, a fair amount of fullness, according to the size 

 of the rider, for road or park, gives a very graceful appearance on 

 the near side, care of course being taken that the habit is not so 

 long as to admit of the horse treading on it. For hunting skirts 

 can scarcely be too circumscribed, as long as they afford the wearer 

 freedom of action, 



A word now about colours. I repeat that except in the 

 arbitrary dictmn of fashion there is no warranty for the all but 



