costumereference:

Striped Victorian sporting dress

MetMuseum

Date:   1885-1888

Culture:   American

Medium:  cotton, silk

It gradually became more acceptable for women to participate in sporting activities throughout the second half of the 19th century. Clothing requirements for most sporting remained strict towards retaining foundation garments such as corsets and bustle, which were thought to stabilize women’s frail and weak forms. This example would have been worn for tennis, yachting or general seaside walking. Striped textiles were fashionable for such activities, probably due to the nautical theme and their jaunty air which inspires vigor. Although the silhouette remained the same, with the exception of the shorter, more maneuverable length, the trimmings were reduced. This is a striking example of this type of dress, which is fairly rare in museum collections. 

Frankly, this dress kind of confuses me.  If you look at the black and white photo, you will see that there is some sort of broad belt around the waist.  In the colour photos, the belt is not longer there; however, there is a narrow belt with a button hole smack dab in the front.  Why is there a button hole right there, and what happened to the broad belt?  Also, is the purple watered silk neckband part of the original dress, or added on later?  It seems a bit odd to have that colour in only one instance, and I don’t think it’s there in the black and white photo. Finally, I am pretty sure that the beige was an original white, but I’m not even 100% sure about that.

Does anyone know the answer to any of these questions?

PS  The idea that a corset and bustle would make sports easier is just hilarious.