Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-11
CLARA BELLE ON HORSEBACK.
The Wonderful Intricacies OF q wo-
MANS Riding Habit.


The Wonderful Intricacies OF q wo-
MANS Riding Habit.
COMBINED DRESS AND TROUSERS. WITH CURIOUS
GussETs FOR A PURPOSE RAGE FOR EoUEs-
TRIANISM.
CLARA Belle" in his her, or its last New
York letter to the Cincinnati Enq,tirer has the
following upon women's riding habits In con-
neetion with the current rage for horseback
riding:
"Equestrianism, let me tell you. is just raging
in this metropolis Central Park is full of it
every morning. The SWEETEST thing for woman
is to go out attended only by a groom. who rides
sedately ten feet to her rear. took a ten-mile
Joggety-jog on hard trotter and haven't
doubt that the milk had drank for breakfast
was churned into butter before got down.
am certain that the churn felt as though the
dasher was OVERRIDING it. The pretentious
riders nowadays scorn to ride galopng horses
the comfortable, see-saw brutes that carry you
like baby in cradle-but pride themselves on
being able to stand the jolt and bound of trot-
ting. They pretend it is easy. and that they
never meet the horses back half way, with a
chug that threatens to shake the very liver
from its fastenings, but l know better The
latest fashions in riding habits require that
they shall be fitted by tailor, though a clever
woman may do the work herself by attend
ing closely to this description of the peculiar
cut: On the left side, in front, is gore taken
across to make room for the knee. This gore is
not straight across, but forms curve. making a
kind of jacket for the knee to fit i'm. The side
breadth is like that of an ordinary skirt but the
back one is peculiar in many respects. First,
there is small gore on the upper part, which
terminates and commences again on the middle
of the skirt. These cores have the same object
as the one over the knee-that is to form
space for the bend Of the figure allowing for the
skirt to set properly without adding to its full
ness. otherwise the wearer might be boosted
out OF the saddle. on the principle of the boy
whose trousers were made with no fulness i'm
the seat. and therefore. pushed him off the door
steps every time he bent to get down decorously
Fashion dictates that the habit must fit snugiy
from neck to toes, and be made from heavy
cloth. This neceSsitates the
EASEMENTS
which have described. The skirt is perfectly
tight around the waist, and mounted on piece
OF silk galloon. On the right side, between the
front and back breadth, it opens. and is fastened
by buttons and button-holes; and on the inside
OF this open part is the pocket. In front is
band of elastic for the foot to pass through like
stlrrup, to keep the skirt down. Were it not
10r thls the dress would push up in riding.
Still. that would be no great disaster for under
meath are trOusers-half leather and half CLOTH
They are closed and buttoned on each side of
the hips, something like the old-fashioned flap
fronted breeches of our granddaddies. The
upper part is buckskin, and the legs are
cloth, like the dress. The waist has two cores
in front and small side piece. The style is
to be as flat-breasted as possible when on horse
back. The side piece in the back is very mar
row The back has no seam down the center.
and forms small basque with the side pieces
falling over it and fastened on the inside of the
plat. The side pieces of the back and the back
itself are thus joined by being placed one over
the other. The buttons should be very small
and round. The tight sleeves button over at
the wrist. The waist is wadded in case the
woman is slender, but not if she has much flesh
on her bones. Indeed, none but thin women
should ever display themselves on horseback
1t is difficult enough for a hundred FOUNDER to
appear light and graceful in saddle, and when
it comes to anything over a hundred and thirty
or forty-don't try it, Nothing is more conf
Cal than the equeStrianism of certain fat girl
OF Fifth avenue 1t is said that she has killed
four horses by the pile-driving kind of usage
which her weight subjects them to. They
COULDN'T STAND IT.
know liveryman who won't. let out a horse
to any woman weighing more than hundred
and thirty pounds. He has a scale in his office.
and when woman of any plumpness applies for
a horse he politely asks her to step on it, But
to return to the riding-dress. On the lower
part of the waist behind are three tongues with
Dutt0n-hOes, fastened to buttons placed little
below the belt Of the skirt. The same arrange
ment is on the seam under the arm. By this
means the waist remains in the same place. no
matter what movement there may be i'm riding
Many women use fancy styles for riding habits.
but such things do not last and the plain dress
is always elegant. Skirts have no more long
trains, as they formerly had. For a
moderately tall figure the long side of
the skirt is about a yard and half,
while the short one is rather more than yard.
Mems high silk hats are in more general use
than any other shape, and lace wells are twisted
around them; or gauze wells are arranged in
draperies around the crowns and fastened in
the back under large gauze rosette. long
piece Of yelling Is sometimes taken around the
neck and partly over the face. The plainest of
linen underclothes are worn. The gloves are
buckskin or kid, with coarse stitching. high
collar is Oftenest worm with mans white
crayat. From what / have written the unin-
itiated may comprehend how hide-bound a
woman feels when she is habited for ride If
the costume doesn't fit at every joint she is in
misery. The most accurate measurements are
necessary by the maker-so close, in fact that
tailOrs who make them have to employ woman
to do the measuring, in room safe from male
eyes,