Riding Habit (Rear View)

This is the oldest riding habit in the Jacoba de Jonge collection. Horseback riding was the only sport that women had already been practicing for centuries - although indeed without the modified apparel that the men enjoyed. Since the 1700s, women riders had worn extra long skirts, required to completely conceal the legs, under a top adopted from riding costumes for men. This men's riding costume was based on English foxhunting apparel. Women borrowed the upper half of the ensemble along with simple, asymmetrical skirts that were extra long at the back and included an inset for the knee. This example includes a tightly tailored bodice and closed skirt with stitched-in knee.