I found a natural linen riding habit trimmed with green silk om the 18c woman list. There were no pictures, but I'm using it as the basis for my natural linen and blue silk riding habit that I hope to have for UTR.
I also found a white linen/cotton riding habit in the V&A. No pictures though.
I'm also going on in Williamsburg they have records of using lighter fabrics because of the heat.
I have links to the above habits in my LJ under the 18c habit tag. I'm on my phone or I'd get them for you :)
I forgot you were making one... I don't know how that is possible. I went back and found your referances - thanks to much! Glad to know it wasen't my imagination after all! :>
Looks like you have two sources above. :) But I was going to comment that as gowns were made of linen, it wouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibility that some habits were also made of linen especially in a warmer climate. I mean, I know wool wicks, but I can't imagine wearing it in Atlanta in the middle of the summer without keeling over!
Yeah, thanks to all the layers and the close fit riding habits are warm by nature, I really can't imagine wanting to wear a wool one in the heat and humidity of a Virginia or Carolina summer! Even the linen seems hot compared to my normal summer event gear.
Ah, good, you do already have a couple examples. This is something I've thought about for 1860s habits, since again, the very few surviving examples are wool, as are contemporary articles, while fashion plates seem to show some white fashionable ones. While Atlanta itself wasn't around in the 18th century, Williamsburg was, of course. And I also thought of other Crown possessions, say in the West Indies. Barbados, Antigua, the Bahamas - I suppose it would be hard to find the info, but that's certainly another place heavy wool habits would be completely inappropriate.
Yeah I don't know where to start to research that but it makes sense to me too. Virginia is hardly the warmest and most tropical English colony but it's warm enough! As Katherine mentioned I have heard of lighter fabrics being used here and I've seen examples of men's linen coats. Tailor's traditionally made riding habits so that works logically.
Yeah I know the one you are talking about. I think the website has it as a wool blend. Thanks for the other references! So glad to know it wasn’t my imagination!
I'm pretty convinced linen is an acceptable fabric, I'm just not sure about the color since most of these non-wool habits seem to be in the cream/neutral family. Red was very popular though (I've found lots of examples) so I'm trying to decide if it's too big a stretch or not. *ponder*
It's a tricky question, I agree. Linen is consistent with a warm-weather habit, but red is (and was seen as) such a warm color that it doesn't quite seem right in this case. Definitely something we want evidence for. :/
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I also found a white linen/cotton riding habit in the V&A. No pictures though.
I'm also going on in Williamsburg they have records of using lighter fabrics because of the heat.
I have links to the above habits in my LJ under the 18c habit tag. I'm on my phone or I'd get them for you :)
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I'm pretty convinced linen is an acceptable fabric, I'm just not sure about the color since most of these non-wool habits seem to be in the cream/neutral family. Red was very popular though (I've found lots of examples) so I'm trying to decide if it's too big a stretch or not. *ponder*
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