The History & Heritage of The Habit
The Word ‘Habit’
The word Habit in this instance means “clothing” and not “something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way.” This is, in fact, the oldest meaning of habit in English, one that is preserved today only in “nun’s habit” or “monk’s habit” and “riding habit” (clothes worn for horseback riding). But these slightly unusual terms for costume for a particular profession or purpose were derived from the basic meaning of “clothing,” which is now archaic.
The word Habit was derived from the French word habit, which means clothes. In the 13th century CE, the word habit first just referred to clothing.
A Habit is a long, loose piece of Clothing.
A Brief History of The Riding Habit
A "riding habit" doesn't always refer to side saddle riding, although it historically and often is associated with it. The term "riding habit" generally refers to the specific clothing worn by a rider, whether riding side saddle or astride.
Protective overskirts, or ‘safeguards’, have been worn for riding since the 16th century and were worn by both men and women.
Then it was in the mid 17th century that the Riding habit was developed.
The Purpose -Riding habits were designed for practicality, allowing for ease of movement on horseback, and for expressing social standing and fashionable taste-
A habit normally consisted of- A tailored jacket,Long skirt,A hat (most commonly a top hat), Low heeled boots, Gloves And often a neck tie or stock.
Though this period the Riding Habit used details from male dress such as -Large turned cuffs, Gold trim, Gold Buttons (military style), Dark tones of fabric.
Too allow for astride riding the skirt would be split up the front.
In the early 18th century there style changed and became increasingly related to English hunting and the country gentleman- They started to use wools and velvets in bright colours plus becoming plainer, less adornments with the addition to high waists, and became more functional. They also started to be worn for traveling and as informal daywear (not just for following the hunt), and were soon an essential part of the fashionable middle and upper-middle class woman’s wardrobe.
According to the Side Saddle Association, after the death of George III in 1820, the nation went into mourning, and the tradition for sombre coloured black, navy and tweed riding habits began. From the 1880s, habits also became more slim-line. However, by the early 20th century, flared habits became the norm, and were worn with long-line jackets.
The first ‘safety skirt’, designed by Alice Hayes, and introduced around 1875, could be unbuttoned down the whole length of the skirt. This gradually evolved into the practical, open-sided apron of the 1930s, cleverly designed to look like a skirt when the rider dismounted.
Our Riding Habits are designed with the contemporary rider in mind, and are a modern twist on the old classic. Like the Original ‘Safety Skirt’ designed in 1875, our Riding Habits are cleverly designed to fit over you and your saddle when mounted and look like a skirt when dismounted offering you full protection form the elements.
In short, our Habit’s combine the history and provenance of a bygone era with the practicality required by outdoor enthusiasts of the 21st century.