A typical women's riding habit from the 1930s.
When you think of clothing in the 1930s, your mind probably conjures up an image of a tall slender woman wearing a slinky bias cut evening gown. Or maybe you picture her in a floral print tea dress made of a sheer cotton or rayon that floats over a slip. But sportswear was also an essential part of most women's wardrobes. Sweater knits were very popular, as were split skirts and ski pants. Here's a look at some sportswear outfits from 1936.
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For hunting and fishing, women wore menswear inspired wool suits with split skirts.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNkIyWuKlIK8ok8MN4m2b4OvuJTb2iJ1rnrvEqx3M7f_itn42q92yS0HSFcEP0jXRp9yGLG0OG-Mr2Xq9dO1x_YqM9BprVROk_UFvajI10Ia_5KxB0qeGa5ScalLe3jbiHpL_/s400/367.jpg)
Instead of boots, spats were worn over the shoes to protect the lower legs
when walking in the woods.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKBn7jN6QQdAdvpXP3uaIx-Ts0OaB25K84Z5ncligm6pdU5QDOXHxmRXxOGm5uyeeQvz0of4ZmpL1FH5cji5SLmLA1zynuQ_TUbOlhxLdCfn7N8xA787FiKia05GQQJMFfAU8/s400/365.jpg)
A typical ski jacket and pants in heavy wool loden cloth.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO2vjIT5ufmFq6gkrr79DlTpnFOcHZBZMdpDWhg-LIFLcTENooGy4jgdV_IvavwuHncgIzMEpr1t6iMuoM9lR8NW2xSjaHd1J5fJUF7fNf2rablKLbElClezxDuo2tR1-5alo/s400/361.jpg)
Heavy wools like this fell out of favor for skiwear by the 1940s,
as snow tended to clump and stick to the fabric.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHluNSNz0GC_7cmblTpaFgo3XCv10aks_Up5OQ12bq0MVGbK_FpnkAdybO4G3Igqund50xjsayx7RcaYWQnB6JDCzkXaWgqMuhxGltIrM-FH8h-rwRF0UhvPNBWjJVfWvl00My/s400/363.jpg)
That probably wasn't a concern if you could afford fur ski clothes!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRq_wPTLfb2nWI7DRlCXJs8FAI6Do0PQuz8StOtcRaeelj34B_RWFvPwHqImVBveYBcpYkObyiWU35DMRnj_1NWFt5-1zNWfb-EMA_ZRsA0_A1mKHhHaEx0ZPzGgn3VXFcvBp/s400/364.jpg)
Split skirts were also popular for skating, whether on the pavement or the ice.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0Ba5kHYK1q3BTKP2uBoYphWXB69XWWbyeAaQysmC5Ju_RWFUiFr1kLzfjPRs65B2BbpIt3XQoIO4wKMBO5OMYRIsyzQPbPAbwKTuUaXDCd_EfjjWR5t_DClZ6GaN5v2tvRHl/s400/366.jpg)
Here, a suggested outfit for roller skating in New York consisted of a turtleneck sweater, plaid culottes, a matching hat and belt, plaid socks, and suede oxford shoes. Sounds like fun to me!