Lapels

On a woman’s riding habit, the lapel traditionally fastens on the left side (left over right).

Why this matters:

• Women’s tailored garments historically button left over right, and riding habits followed women’s dress conventions—even though they were inspired by men’s coats.

• This remained standard for side-saddle and astride riding habits from the 18th–early 20th century.

A couple of nuances (because fashion history loves rules with footnotes):

• Very early or bespoke habits sometimes mirrored men’s coats (right over left), especially if made by a male tailor copying menswear patterns.

• Modern riding jackets (hunt coats, dressage coats) generally follow the left-over-right women’s standard unless explicitly designed as unisex or men’s.

So if you’re aiming for:

• Historical accuracy for women’s wear → left side

• Men’s coat or exact menswear replication → right side

For a modern-day riding habit, the lapel fastens left over right — so the lapel sits on the left side.

That’s the current standard across:

• Modern hunt coats

• Dressage and show jackets

• Contemporary women’s riding habits (astride or side-saddle

Only exceptions you’ll see today:

• Men’s or unisex jackets (right over left)

• Deliberate historical reproductions copying menswear exactly

Children — same rule.

For children’s riding habits (girls) in the modern day:

• The fastening is left over right

• It’s always described from the wearer’s perspective, just like adults

• Boys’ riding jackets follow men’s wear: right over left.

So:

• Girl / women / female-cut habit → left over right

• Boy / men / male-cut habit → right over left

So if this is for modern riding, competition, or correct contemporary tailoring: left side is correct ✅

If you’re having one made or altered and want it to pass the “quietly correct” test in the saddle and on the ground, you’re spot on sticking with that.

Another good question — this is where people get tripped up. Is it the wearer or the viewers perspective?

It’s the wearer’s left side (the person wearing the jacket), not the left side from the viewer’s perspective.

So for a modern women’s riding habit:

• The left front panel of the jacket overlaps

• It fastens over the right panel

• When you’re looking at the jacket face-on, the lapel will appear on your right, because you’re facing the wearer

Quick mental check:

👉 If you are wearing it and you are female, it’s your left lapel on top.

Tailors, costumers, and dress codes always mean the wearer’s left/right unless they explicitly say