Riding ensemble

Morin Blossier

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Representing a persistence of 1880s and 1890s revivals of the eighteenth-century in its incorporation of finely embroidered silk velvet and a lace jabot, this riding coat is specifically derived from menswear. Riding habits for women from the 17th century onward often took on the imagery of dress uniforms. In this instance, the disposition of the floral embroidery harks back to fashionable 18th century men's attire rather than the stylistic vocabulary of military dress. The function of riding partly justifies this gender switch, and historic distance may further invite menswear to influence women's apparel.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art