DRESS 235 



Heat in riding is not felt below the waist, and the slight 

 additional weight of cloth in the skirt will not in any 

 way inconvenience the rider. Unfortunately American 

 tailors, although able to make excellent riding coats, 

 fail utterly to make a good skirt, because they insist 

 on using too light a material. 



Both for a winter or a summer habit, the apron skirt 

 is the only safe kind to use, as it practically eliminates 

 all danger of the material catching on the pommel 

 in case of an accident, and dragging the rider. If this 

 sort of skirt is quickly fastened after dismounting, it 

 is no more immodest — if as much so — as the average 

 modern bathing suit — or evening gown. 



A well-cut skirt should hang, when in the saddle, in 

 an absolutely straight line from the knee to the toe 

 (see illustrations facing pages 36 and 120), and it should 

 be only just long enough to show a tiny bit of the rid- 

 er's left foot and stirrup-iron. 



If a habit is well made it should have no unnecessary 

 elastics, loops, or buttons — an elastic to go over the 

 right foot to keep the skirt down, and a button to hold 

 back the extra flap that is necessary in order to close 

 the skirt when walking, is all that is needed. There 

 is absolutely no need, in a properly cut skirt, for but- 

 tons at the knee or elastics to place on the left foot. 



In fitting a skirt, care should be taken to see that 

 the cloth lies smoothly over the knee, so that it will 

 not be necessary to drag it constantly into shape. If 

 it is long enough from the hip to the knee, it will do 

 this naturally, and it is safer to have the skirt a little 

 on the long side in this respect, for if the knee is fitted 

 too snugly, the skirt will ride out of place when in mo- 

 tion. 



Another important precaution to take, when fitting 



