Gentlemen’s and Lady’s Riding Attire – 1861

A woman and two men in riding attire stand in a wooded area. The gentleman on the left wears loosely-cut white trousers, a high-necked white waistcoat, a white stiff-collared shirt with a black cravat, and a black knee-length double-breasted frock coat with wide, notched lapels. He wears white spats over black heeled boots, yellow gloves, and a dark gray top hat. In one hand he carries a walking stick and in the other he holds a slim cigar. The ends of his long mustache are twisted and waxed and his side-burns are in the mutton-chop fashion.

A woman in riding dress stands between the two men. She wears a long full tan skirt, the hem of which she lifts to reveal her white, floral-edged petticoat. She wears a white blouse with full bloused sleeves and a tan and black Tattersall plaid jacket. The jacket has no lapels, but a moderate v neck, and all the edges and hem are bound with a narrow band of tan. On the skirts of the jacket there are two patch pockets set at an angle. The sleeves of the jacket are wide and full, and they have deep french cuffs with three buttons. She wears a narrow black cravat, gray gloves, and a shallow-brimmed straw hat trimmed with a gray feather and a black ribbon bow. She carries a riding crop.

Next to her stands a gentleman in loosely-cut black and white striped trousers over black heeled boots. He wears a white collared shirt and blue cravat, a white waistcoat, and a drop-waist frock coat in a gray and black speckled pattern. His frock coat has flap pockets at the hips and is single breasted with high narrow lapels. He wears gray gloves and carries a riding crop and black top hat. He has long full sideburns, in the mutton-chop style, and a mustache with twisted and waxed points.

Credit: The Claremont Colleges