Improvements in Safety Riding Habits or Garments for Ladies.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Riding Habits or Garments for Ladies.
I, JOHN WHITTLE of 12 South Molton Street, London in the County of
Middlesex, Ladies Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:--
This invention for improvements in safety riding habits or garments for ladies,
has for its object to provide a habit in which it shall be impossible for the skirt to
catch in the pummel or other part of the saddle should the wearer be thrown from
a horse when riding and which shall present the appearance of an ordinary riding
skirt when the wearer is dismounted without the use of an additional piece carried
separately by the wearer and which shall not be open to the objections that may be
raised to the use of a skirt or apron attached to the riding breeches which prevents
the use of other breeches that those attached to the skirt or apron.
In a riding habit constructed according to this invention, the legs of the breeches
are arranged to button over the legs of the wearer so that they can be readily put
on over leather breeches or other leg coverings; and the skirt is sewn or otherwise
secured to the outside of the right leg down to the knee and the upper part of the
left side of the skirt is buttoned to the breeches and the right side of the back
part of the skirt is secured to the front part by a button so that when riding it can
be unbuttoned and turned back as a flap under the front of the skirt and secured by
another button. When riding the skirt thus presents the appearance of an ordinary
skirt but as the back flap is folded under the front it does not come in contact with
the saddle and cannot catch in the pummel or other part of the saddle if the rider
should be thrown and in addition it does not encumber the rider; the front of the
skirt passes from the outside of the right leg over both legs and completely covers
and hides them. When dismounted the wearer unbuttons the back flap of the skirt,
passes it round the back and buttons it onto the right side of the front of the main
part skirt when it will be similar to an ordinary skirt.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings
:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the riding habit constructed according to
this invention as it would appear when the wearer is mounted and supposing the
skirt to be transparent.
Figure 2 is a pattern of the left leg of the breeches.
Figure 3 is a pattern of the right leg.
Figure 4 is a pattern of the skirt.
The legs are cut out as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and provided with button
holes a and buttons 6 and gathered at the parts where the material has been cut
away. The two legs are then sewn together along the lines c c, d d thus forming a
front central seam. The breeches can then be secured round the waist of the
wearer and by buttoning the legs over the legs of the wearer. It will be seen that
the front of the breeches are open. The right edge of the skirt e is secured to the
right leg of the breeches along the line f and the other side is secured to the
breeches by the button holes h in the skirt and buttons g on the breeches.
loop is secured to the inside of the skirt and the right foot of the wearer when
mounted is placed in this loop and serves to keep the skirt in place. The flap m
is adapted to be folded inside the front of the skirt and be secured at n or it can be
opened out and passed round the back of the wearer and be secured at o to the
right leg of the breeches.
A
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A skirt for a riding habit in which the back of the skirt is adapted either to

page_text: pass round the back of the wearer and be secured in this position or to be secured
inside the front of the skirt substantially as described.
2. In a riding habit the arrangement of the breeches so that the legs can be
passed round the legs of the wearer and secured in this position by buttoning or
other equivalent fastening, substantially as described.
3. A riding habit constructed and arranged substantially as described with
reference to the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1893.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.