Style of a 18th century riding habit, made by Mrs Grindley, Liverpool, late 1880s.

Red woollen fancy dress ensemble comprising bodice and skirt. Made in the style of an 18th century woman's riding habit. See part numbers for full-detailed description of each component and measurements

Given by Catherine Barne, Patricia Lombe Taylor and Marion Lloyd in memory of their mother Peggy Maxtone Graham.

This is a 19th century fancy dress version of an 18th century riding habit. Fancy dress balls were popular in the late 19th century and to some extent were a continuation of the 18th century masquerade. Guests enjoyed the experience of being able to change their identity or status for a short period of time. Dressing up as a character from history or as a foreigner created an aura of intrigue and romance for both the wearer and the spectator, offering a distinct experience not imparted by modern fashionable dress. The 18th century was a particularly popular period and there was nostalgic yearning for this age of elegance. Many people altered original garments adding new lace trimmings to make them even more flamboyant, although this costume was completely new-made for a fancy-dress ball given by Lord Derby at Knowsley.

This re-interpretation of an 18th century riding habit has been constructed using the same dressmaking techniques that would have been used for 19th century fashionable dress. The skirt is cut in the fashionable style of the late 1880s with internal tapes to create fullness at the back. The boned bodice and false waistcoat front were all features found in fashionable dress of the period. The reinforced stitched collar and machine-stitched borders were also common on men's and women's late 19th century tailored garments. The riding habit also bears the dressmaker's label, Mrs Grindley of Liverpool E. Although riding habits of woollen cloth had been made throughout the 19th century it was not until the 1880s that women started wearing heavier tailored garments as part of fashionable dress

T.772:2-2000