I started this thread in off course. I am not a troll. Why don’t women have tan tops. We can vote now. And be Secretary of State. . .
that’s a link to the whole off course forum. If you want to ask a question ask it. I hate chasing crap all over the board.
At our hunt female staff may wear brown tops.
Q. Why don’t women wear brown tops?
A. Because women don’t wear white breeches.
Or, in a longer explanation, when women get their colors, that does not then allow women to go out and buy a scarlet coat (if a hunt allows men to wear scarlet when they get their colors). Women add the colors to their black or navy jacket, but continue to wear canary/tan breeches. Only women staff or masters will wear scarlet coats, and hence white breeches.
White breeches = tan topped boots.
Canary/tan breeches = black boots with patent tops.
Men don’t wear patent, and women (field members) don’t wear tan.
Well, female staff at my hunt wear tan tops. If a woman from another hunt shows up with tan tops we don’t kick her off the fixture. 
Our female staff wear pink coats, white breeches, and tan tops. Ladies in the field do not they wear beige breeches with colors sewn to their collars.
title 9 trolls
I would be less concerned with the outward trappings rather than the function.
in our club, of the 10 board members, the ratio [this year] is 2M/8F
all the staff have 'em
if those that don’t wanted brown tops etc., they would have them too.
there is no impediment
When we get our colors we get to wear patent tops which are way prettier.
Sadly, we all wear white with the beagle pack. I cannot tell you what a PITA it is to keep white breeches clean week to week. I feel bad for men. Or the women who have to keep those breeches clean for them.
Immediately after he changes, I soak Mr. SSR’s white breeches in a bucket with Oxyclean and hot water for 24 hours before washing. It’s the only way I’ve found, except for bleaching (which I think weakens the threads), to keep them looking bright white.
I have boots with tan tops
Because, when I whipped in in Virgina, Masters decreed that ‘all’ staff regardless of gender shall wear scarlet. With scarlet you must wear white breeches (unless you are Old Dominion). With white breeches you must wear tan tops. Even if you’re a girl. Every now and then I’m asked to whip in as a guest, and if they want me to schlepp the white breeches and boots, I do (gratefully they usually don’t, so less to pack!).
The history of how those tan tops came to be is nothing more than the evolution over time of gentlemens’ riding boots- they used to go way up above the knee, and gentlemen rolled them down after riding thus exposing the tan leather on the interior.
If you are female w/colors, you don’t ‘have’ to acquire the patent tops (I never have)- but the purpose of those is to keep ladies from getting boot polish on their breeches when they primly cross their legs at the breakfast. Don’t know who thunk that up, but way more recent as a ‘tradition’ than the evolution of the tan tops.
