The "safety bicycle" was invented in the late 1880s. With the addition of pneumatic tyres in the early 1890s it turned cycling from a dangerous sport (think of the penny farthing!) into a pastime that could be enjoyed be almost everybody. It was an especially liberating recreation for women, who suddenly found themselves able to roam at will upon two wheels.
Of course there was also the problem of what to wear. Some women wore versions of their ordinary day dress (though there was always the danger of getting one's long skirt tangled in the bicycle chain). Some daring souls essayed bloomers—but there was always the danger of seeming immodest and inviting the ridicule of strangers. Then there are the bicycling outfits depicted below, which seem to be a compromise between mobility and decorum.
But at this point I think I'll just quote the Delineator at length on the topic of the "well-bred" cyclist, and let them have the last word on what she was wearing:
"Cycling has become more and more a universal pastime, and the approach of Autumn heralds many new devotees who will enjoy its delights. In order to appreciate to the full the pleasures of cycling it is essential to be properly and becomingly gowned, and the well-bred woman will plan her costume upon neat, simple lines and choose serviceable materials and colors. Trimmings, when used, consist of braid and buttons, and in some instances velvet or silk is inlaid in the collar or cuffs. The tailor finish is always in good taste and most satisfactory. Cheviot, covert in plain and two-toned effects, homespun in various colorings, meltonette in serviceable colors, whipcords and suitings having plaid backs are among the materials suitable for making cycling costumes. The skirts are planned to look equally well whether the wearer walks or is mounted, and those which are in the best taste are about seven or eight inches shorter than the ordinary walking skirt. Low shoes are preferable to the high boots, since they afford greater freedom to the ankle. Golf stockings are worn with low shoes and also with three-quarter shoes, the fancy colored tops being turned over the shoes. Cycling gloves have kid fingers and palms and are of silk net at the back, though gloves of dogskin or heavy kid are quite appropriate."
"The corsets to be worn when cycling are short and do not compress the body. Hats suitable for this purpose are of soft felt in Alpine style having a soft trimming of silk wound about the crown, or with a simple band and quills at the left side. Tam-O'Shanter caps of the material used for the costume are worn, as are military caps. Thoroughly up to date are the modes shown in the following group of figures."
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