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.