For example, can safety be stylish?
A filmmaker friend of mine was telling me about this project he's prepping at the moment based on the fact that kids - well, 12-20 year olds, and especially girls in that age bracket - don't cycle. There are quite a few reasons for this, teenage can't-be-arsed syndrome to name one... but another, more interesting factor is fashion.
There's nothing to stop anyone of any age cycling whilst wearing whatever they like (as illustrated by The Sartorialist on occasion) but if safety is an issue what can people wear apart from hideous florescent waistcoaty things and belts etc with reflective strips in them?
Or, have any designers that anyone can think of produced any practical (everyday rather than spandex-sporty) garments and or footwear where useful reflective materials have been incorporated in a high stylish and desirably interesting way?
I'd be really grateful if anyone could give me a clue here, as I can't think of any examples.
Also, can anyone think of any sexy cycling role models? Because David Cameron and Boris Johnson really don't cut it in this respect...
Cheers!
i think this is such a great topic!you are so great lucy,i myself wear a royal blue tommy hilfiger athletics top-which is splattered with white paint-it has a beautifull-hooded top..which can be detached..my favorite feature is the stripe..one silver luminous on white..down the arms..ive just cycled to hilbre island over the sands at west kirby and it was well spiritual..and if nobodys told you they love you today..i love youx
Hello shaw, and thanks! What about a photo of the favoured Hilfiger top then - and what do you wear with it, given that it's a bit nippy at the moment? ;)
hey girl!its getting warmer but this was me doing my latest work I WOULDN`T START FROM HERE....
or how about this one...every striker i know wears one..
Hi shaw, I thought this thread had fizzled out already. Thanks for the pix!
And while I'm here, unrelated and complete coincidence but I found this image just tonight (for the whole article, link below :- http://www.kk.org/streetuse/archives/2008/05/wooden_bikes.php).
If nothing else it sort of blows away a few preconceived notions of cycle culture and style somewhat?
Cheers!
uhmm ? .... speaking from my own experience ... one of the reasons why I stopped cycling when I was a teenager while I was living in London was SAFETY simply because I was run down once at Kensingnton High Street and no ' safety ' gear was going to change that !..... that was the very moment when I realised how vulnerable I was but not due to the gear ! ... but mostly because motorist couldn't care less for people on bykes ... and add to that that cycling lanes aren't the norm on busy traffic roads like you have in cities like Amsterdam where cyclist have the preference ! .... So I'm not so sure what ' functional fashion ' would mean without cycling lanes everywhere and specially where traffic can be a total nightmare !
Hello. Well, of course there's more to it than just what people wear, but being visible is a safety issue and this is a fashion based website so I thought that here might be one place I could ask about that side of things.
Anyway, just this morning someone emailed me the link below, and though it's very London-centric doesn't it illustrate that cycling safely and stylishly is dans l'air du temps?
"London Cycle Chic - Fighting the war against lycra for women who want to cycle in style"
http://londoncyclechic.blogspot.com/
Some more examples would be good though.
Oh, and while I'm here, what about this?
"Wheels & Heels
The New Season’s Accessories
As part of London Fashion Week, East London’s Columbia Road will be transformed from Flower Market to High Fashion Catwalk on Thursday, 14 February, with wheels and heels predicted to be the new trend for the season.
The public event, the first of its kind by Hackney Council and Tower Hamlets Council, aims to achieve a greater uptake of cycling by women by demonstrating how cycling can influence a girl’s wardrobe. Models will glide down the catwalk on bicycles in a positively un-lycra but completely runway fashion."
http://www.hackney.gov.uk/wheelsandheels
Great idea ... and well tuned to modern times ! ....
