One of my great feats as a collector of vintage clothing, but more so a wearer of vintage clothing, I think, has been working jodhpurs into my regular routine. I think– nay, know – that there are very few women out there so willing to wear pants that make their hips look about twice the size that they really are. Why am I so willing? I’m not really sure, but when I see Katharine Hepburn or Gene Tierney on screen fresh from a horseback ride in their jodhpurs, suddenly I’m very convinced. Most men seem to be, too, at the sight of the classy lady with the classy style.
The jodhpur hits at the high waist, flairs through the hip, and comes back into a very slim leg that hits at the ankle, usually fashioned with patches on the inside of each knee. Mine are a heavy cotton khaki– perfect for the office with a blouse and flats, fun with a tee shirt and keds anywhere else. The most fun, unique, way to make your khakis work, if you ask me.
As ever, work it, ladies.
Check eBay’s inventory for vintage jodhpur.
Check out Indian Summer Vintage for more vintage delicacies.
Emilio Pucci (1914-1992) was born into a luxurious and leisurely life of Italian nobility – and we are enriched for it. He did everything from inventing capri pants to inadvertently designing Barbie clothes. His career in fashion design started modestly with ski team uniforms and soon blossomed into a trademark: kaleidoscopes of geometric designs on luxurious, wrinkle-free silks and plush velvets. The end result was clothing that had more complimentary angles than geometry itself. Marilyn Monroe was even laid to rest in one of his dresses; talk about going out in style.
