#racing outfit

The eighth and penultimate ensemble of “Blood at the Wheel” (Season 2, Episode 7) is Phryne’s white driving jumpsuit, worn with a cream scarf, embroidered with an ‘H’ in honor of her friend Gertrude Haynes, crochet driving gloves, and a cap with driving goggles.

Her racing clothes are accurate for the time, designed primarily to protect the driver from dust and grit from the road. Open air automobiles often required scarves and special gloves to keep the motorists warm while their car was at speed, with advertisers specifically pushing car owners to have pairs of  “gloves for driving, gloves for wear when not driving, [and] gloves for working around the car.”

TheUltimate History Projectnotes: “Advertisers also recommended that women, who wore gloves on most occasions, adopt special driving gloves when riding in or driving a car. They were not, needless to say, told to buy gloves “for working around the car,” although many young women did know how to repair their own cars, simply because early automobiles were so unreliable.”

Caps and goggles with metal frames and glass lenses were used to protect the driver from flying pebbles, insects and other debris, with many racing caps designed with goggles built in. 

Although uncommon, women racers certainly did exist in the early age of automobiles. Violette Morris was a national champion boxer who often defeated men, competed in a multitude of sports, include cycling and auto racing in the 1920s, where she won the 1927 Bol d'Or 24 hour car race. Hellé Nice was a French model, dancer, and competed in multiple Grands Prix and other races, won the Grand Prix Féminin in 1929 and earned herself the nickname “the Queen of Speed” and a bright-blue Bugatti that she competed in.

In short, Phryne’s outfit and participation in the car racing is period accurate and a nod to several extraordinary female motorcar racers.

Season 2, Episode 7 - “Blood at the Wheel”

Screencaps from here, promotional photos from the official Facebook (x,x,x,x) and various sources, research photos from the Old Classic Car archives and Fast Women in History, with additional research from the Ultimate History ProjectandRacked.com.