DRESS 233 



ballroom might once more be the thing of beauty that 

 it is nowadays only when a costume ball is in swing. 

 But modern life, with its hustle and bustle, has robbed 

 us of much of the picturesque side of life, and the hunt- 

 ing field is practically the only place left to us in which 

 to glimpse a bit of the picturesqueness of olden times. 

 There are few prettier sights in the world than a "pack 

 in full cry" and a field of riders dotting the country 

 with flashes of scarlet and black. Indeed, the farmers 

 over whose land the field is privileged to pass are much 

 more apt to get up an enthusiasm for the sport if they 

 are, as in England, in some measure rewarded for the 

 damage done to their crops by the sight of a field in 

 scarlet. 



But whether it be in the hunting field, or merely 

 in the park, we should consider it our duty to ourselves 

 and to our neighbor to be well turned out; beauty is 

 an end in itself. 



A smartly cut, well-fitting riding-habit is bound to 

 be more or less expensive, but I would not advise any 

 one to attempt to economize by getting cheap material, 

 going to an inferior tailor, or buying "a ready-made" 

 at some department store. In the end a good habit 

 will pay, for it will, with a moderate amount of care, 

 last for some time, and when it wears out at the knee 

 can be neatly patched with a piece of buckskin.* 



The best material for a winter habit is a heavy Mel- 

 ton cloth. Tailors are not apt to recommend it, how- 

 ever, not only because it wears so well that they realize 

 it will be a long time before the purchaser will need a 

 new habit, but also because it is a very hard, stiff tex- 



* As skirts get much more wear than coats, I would advise getting 

 two skirts to each coat, and wearing them alternately, so that both 

 skirts maintain the same degree of newness as the coat. 



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