Riding Habit Apron Skirt
1900-1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This skirt forms part of a riding habit that also comprises a blue woollen jacket and breeches. This is the typical outfit a fashionable woman would have worn in the 1920s for riding. The habit is from an important collection of riding outfits and accessories previously in Castle Howard, Yorkshire.
The construction of riding habits was a highly specialised branch of the tailor's trade. The making of the apron skirts demanded particular skill. These were still worn over breeches for riding side-saddle, although breeches were becoming acceptable on their own for astride riding. Lady Howard's skirt is characteristic of the styles of the period, with its complex cut-away front and shaping at the right side to accommodate the knee. It was designed to hang straight and square from the knee when she was mounted and it fell back to make an incomplete skirt when she dismounted. The skirt is part-lined with denim, which is an interesting use of this hard-wearing fabric for sporting activities.
The construction of riding habits was a highly specialised branch of the tailor's trade. The making of the apron skirts demanded particular skill. These were still worn over breeches for riding side-saddle, although breeches were becoming acceptable on their own for astride riding. Lady Howard's skirt is characteristic of the styles of the period, with its complex cut-away front and shaping at the right side to accommodate the knee. It was designed to hang straight and square from the knee when she was mounted and it fell back to make an incomplete skirt when she dismounted. The skirt is part-lined with denim, which is an interesting use of this hard-wearing fabric for sporting activities.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Woven wool, part-lined with sateen and denim, machine-stitched and hand-finished |
| Brief description | Navy woollen apron-style riding skirt worn by Lady Cecilia Howard, Great Britain, 1900-20 |
| Physical description | Woman's riding skirt worn by Lady Cecilia Howard. It is made of navy blue wool and is part-lined with black sateen and blue denim. It is cut in the apron-style with darts and shaping to accommodate the knee for side-saddle riding. It fastens at the side with four black buttons and a hook and eye and has a tab and button fastening to secure the skirt in place while riding. There is a deep side pocket at the back and a small pocket at the centre back. |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support and assistance from the Friends of the V&A, and a number of private donors |
| Summary | This skirt forms part of a riding habit that also comprises a blue woollen jacket and breeches. This is the typical outfit a fashionable woman would have worn in the 1920s for riding. The habit is from an important collection of riding outfits and accessories previously in Castle Howard, Yorkshire. The construction of riding habits was a highly specialised branch of the tailor's trade. The making of the apron skirts demanded particular skill. These were still worn over breeches for riding side-saddle, although breeches were becoming acceptable on their own for astride riding. Lady Howard's skirt is characteristic of the styles of the period, with its complex cut-away front and shaping at the right side to accommodate the knee. It was designed to hang straight and square from the knee when she was mounted and it fell back to make an incomplete skirt when she dismounted. The skirt is part-lined with denim, which is an interesting use of this hard-wearing fabric for sporting activities. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.102:2-2003 |
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| Record created | March 11, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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