Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross…

I don’t know if her horse is white or what she might be wearing on her fingers and toes, but this is one fine lady in a Riding Dress from La Belle Assemblée, June 1816.

The original description reads

No. 2.—RIDING DRESS. Of fine blue Merino cloth, embroidered and ornamented round the bust and cuffs in a novel and unique style. This new equestrian costume, by fastening on the back of the shoulder, preserves all the contour of the form, which habits, in general, are apt to destroy. A full double ruff of fine Vandyke lace is separated from the shirt collar by a Chinese silk handkerchief of blue and white. Small round hat of fine beaver or of moss silk. Half boots of blue kid; with Limerick gloves worked and seamed with blue.”

A few points to discuss here…

• While the embroidery and ornamentation around the bust and cuffs are described as “novel and unique”, that doesn’t actually say much. So did the engraver decide what that meant? I mean, “novel and unique” could also mean bright orange ostrich tips sewn down with gold thread, or rows of black bugle-bead fringe, or…well, take your pick!

• Why is it that almost every riding habit I’ve seen in both La Belle Assemblée and Ackermann’s Repository is light blue?

• I would like to know precisely how the habit fastens on the back of the shoulder. Does the front of the bodice come up like a bib and get pinned somewhere near the shoulder blades? Inquiring minds need to know.

• The text refers to a “shirt collar” around which a silk kerchief is tied. I wonder if she is wearing a full shirt under the woolen habit, or just a collar? Seems a bit warm for June…but then again, this was 1816, the infamous Year without a Summer, so maybe a shirt was a good idea.

• The hat. It’s adorable. That’s all.

Overall, though, this habit doesn’t do it for me; I think it’s the floral embroidery and kinda goofy frill around the neck. Give me this deliciously over-the-top military-inspired habit from Ackermann's Repository any day... 

 

And though most Victorian fashions are off-putting, I have to admit that later Victorian ladies’ riding habits are about as elegant as they come.

Any thoughts?

A Good Habit to Emulate

I was so excited to acquire this La Belle Assemblée print! Riding habit prints aren’t all that uncommon (Ackermann did several, as did several of the French journals of the time) but this one is just so much fun: the saturation of the colors, the pose, and the fact that the person wearing the riding habit is, yanno, actually on horseback...!

Let’s look at the details.  The text at the bottom reads:

A French Lady on Horseback in the fashionable stile of Riding in the Long Champs & Elisée at Paris.

Engraven from an original drawing taken on the Spot for La Belle Assemblée.

Or Bell’s Court & Fashionable Magazine for March 1807

The text (from the April 1807 edition) reads Parisian Costume No. 3. Represents a Parisian lady, mounted in the most fashionable style, for the Long Champs and Elisées, at Paris.—An equestrian habit of fine seal-wool cloth, with elastic strap; the colour blue (but olive, or puce, are equally esteemed), with convex buttons of dead gold. The habit to sit high in the neck behind, lapelled in front, and buttoned twice at the small of the waist; a high plaited frill of cambric, uniting at the bosom where the habit closes. A jockey bonnet of the same materials as composes the habit, finished with a band and tuft in front. Hair in dishevelled crop. York tan gloves; and demi-boots of purple kid, laced with jonquil chord.

Isn’t it pretty? Note the long trained skirt (to keep the limbs modestly covered when riding side-saddle, the gold buttons detailing the back of the bodice and along what looks like decorative pockets to the side. The jaunty jockey cap decorated with a flower of the same fabric and the brim curling over the ears (excellent if one is wearing pretty earrings!) and the elegantly severe lapels—all wonderful. I’m also interested by the safety strap, to keep our stylish equestrienne safe in her (not illustrated, oddly enough) saddle. I’m only sorry we don’t get a glimpse of the purple kid demi-boots!

The one point I have to question is the “from an original drawing taken on the spot” part, as there is a basically identical print from an 1805 Journal des Dames et des Modes...but as we have seen before, copyright law as we know it was basically non-existent in the 19th century...

I hope you enjoyed today’s eye candy!