Riding habit

Typical components

Riding habits varied by era and riding style, but commonly included:

• Jacket or coat: a close-fitting, tailored jacket often cut like men’s riding coats to allow arm movement.
• Skirt or apron: a long riding skirt or an apron-style overskirt designed for sidesaddle, sometimes replaced or modified for astride riding. See an example skirt styles.
• Shirt or blouse and neckwear: a high-collared shirt or blouse with a stock, tie or neckcloth; examples include the riding shirt linked here and a typical necktie.
• Hat: a structured hat or cap, from a low riding cap to a top hat for formal occasions (hat types).
• Accessories: riding boots, gloves and sometimes a waistcoat or protective apron.

History and development

Riding habits first appeared in the 18th century as women adopted tailored garments for equestrian pursuits. During the 19th century the habit evolved alongside changes in both fashion and riding practice: sidesaddle conventions produced long skirts and aprons, while later recreational and sporting riding encouraged divided skirts, split petticoats or even trousers. Tailoring borrowed elements from men’s riding coats, producing a distinctive, often military-influenced silhouette.

Uses and legacy

Beyond practicality, the riding habit signaled social status and propriety in many cultures. By the early 20th century, changing attitudes about women’s dress and the adoption of breeches and jodhpurs for riding reduced the habit’s everyday use. Today it survives in traditional hunts, historical reenactment and couture references, and its tailoring influenced wider women’s fashion.