CHAPTER XVI

DRESS

While, except for four-in-hand, there is no prescribed formal costume required for driving, at the same time there are certain general principles which women should always observe, not only for formal occasions, such as the show ring or park, but whenever they take the ribbons.

For formal ladies’ traps, such as phaetons, it is perfectly permissible to wear a large hat of the prevailing fashion and an afternoon or calling gown. Where the owner is driving a trap of this kind on a formal occasion, the costume should not be tailor-made, and her costume should produce the effect that she is out for a pleasure drive. With sporting traps and carts of all kinds, on the other hand, the costume should be strictly tailor-made and the hat small and not inclined to blow off. This is particularly so for tandem driving, and in that case the general effect should be mannish, and particular care should be taken to have everything securely fastened so that undivided attention may be given to the horses and reins. For driving tandem, or for any kind of a sporting vehicle or cart in the country, a plain sailor is the most appropriate as well as one of the easiest to keep on, and veils, as well as other feminine adornments, look quite out of place. The hair, of course, should be neatly and securely done, and boots or low shoes are much more appropriate than high-heeled slippers with open-work stockings.

It is always correct, under any circumstances, to carry a lap robe, and while in the show ring it may remain on the seat on the left side of the driver. For other occasions it is better to spread it over the knees to keep off the dust. If it is spread, be sure that it is neatly tucked in about the feet, but to do this requires some knack, and the best way to arrange the robe is to have it come over the feet so that the heels will rest upon it, and then to have the right end placed under you so as to entirely cover the lower part of your knee. If you are driving alone both sides should be adjusted in the same way, but, of course, if you have a companion the robe should cover you both.

For tandem a driving apron is permissible, but is not required, instead of a robe, and for four-in-hand driving it is required.

The costume for four-in-hand driving, as worn by the members of the New York Ladies’ Coaching Club, is a rough gray beaver top hat with a double-breasted dark-blue melton driving coat. Under the coat is worn a plain tailor-made cloth suit of any smart material, such as a check or a stripe. Some members wear spats, which are very smart. Heavy tan driving gloves are worn, and the driving apron is laid across the knees and strapped around the waist over the driving coat.

For the show ring heavy white driving gloves or tan driving gloves are equally correct, as they are for other occasions. When driving ladies’ traps, if you are wearing a gown with short sleeves and therefore are wearing long gloves, they should be slipped off the hands and folded back so that only the arms are covered and then driving gloves should be slipped on the hands. When driving a George IV, where a card-case is part of the appointments, it is a good idea to fold a fresh pair of gloves in the card-case.

For all formal occasions, such as the show ring and park and town driving, the servant should wear a groom’s dress livery, consisting of a single-breasted long coat with six buttons in front and two rows of three buttons in the back. The coat should come to five inches above the knee and should always be kept buttoned. It should be of the color which the family may have adopted--black, dark blue, dark green, maroon, or gray, etc. The coat collar should be of the same material as the coat and the cuffs should be plain without buttons. Under the coat a waistcoat should always be worn, of some striped material, a small strip showing inside the collar. A plain white Ascot tie and standing collar should be worn, but no cuffs, and the coat sleeves should be very long, coming well down to the hand. The breeches must be white--of buckskin or breeches cloth. Stiff-legged top boots should be worn, with tops of tan or buff, or of some color which matches or goes well with the color of the coat. The boots must always be of calf and never of patent or varnished leather. A silk top hat should be worn, with a narrow silk band. In this country it is improper to use cockades except for officers of the army and navy and other officials. The gloves should be tan, but white buckskin gloves are correct for park or town driving.

For country wear, particularly in summer, this full-dress livery is too hot and looks out of place, so that an undress livery should be worn. The best style of undress livery is a morning or cutaway coat with three buttons in front and two in the back, cut like any morning coat, but a little higher in the neck, and breeches and leggings of the same material, or perhaps leather puttee leggings. This livery is made of covert cloth or whip-cord, and the color may be any shade of gray or any shade of tan. If the livery is gray, it is smarter to wear black leggings rather than tan, and when the leggings are black, black shoes should always be worn, and russet shoes with tan leggings. The hat to wear with this livery should be the same shape as a top hat, of black felt for a gray livery, or of brown felt to match the tan livery, or a straw hat of the same shape may be worn, black to go with the dark livery or straw color with any livery. Tan gloves are correct with undress livery. A sack coat is sometimes used instead of a cutaway, but I think the latter very much smarter, and if a sack coat is worn a top hat should not be worn, but rather a square derby.