| Brief Description |
This woman's cycling costume, made in the 1890s, is smart and practical clothing for the new late 19th century activity of cycling. The costume comprises a jacket and a divided cycling skirt, both made of dark charcoal wool twill.
The jacket has a reverse collar and a buttoned centre-front opening with a shaped hem edge. It has long sleeves with casein buttons at the wrist and a deep vent opening at centre back to the lower hem. It is fully lined with heavy black silk.
The skirt has a placket opening left of centre, with hook fastenings and a full-length flap opening at the front with casein buttons covering the leg division.
The costume was professionally fitted and sewn; there is no maker's mark in either the jacket or the skirt. The faint remains of gold lettering, possibly in Chinese characters, can be seen on the waistband of the skirt; now illegible, they may be a laundry mark.
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