Bicycle Fashion Show.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Bike fashion in American is finally going way beyond spandex.
As biking takes off in big cities around the country, it’s not surprising that people want to look good doing it. They also want clothes that can stand up to the rigors of daily riding. At the Pedal Nation Bike Show, happening all this weekend at the Oregon Convention Center, there were several companies looking to fill that demand. There was also a fashion show where models on bikes showed how to put it all together.
Take Outlier for example, a company that makes “tailored performance clothing for cycling in the city.” Founder Abe Burmeister wanted a stylish pair of pants he could ride to work in, but he couldn’t find anything that did the job. So, with no fashion background whatsoever, he learned the ropes in Manhattan’s garment district. Now, he oversees a line of elegant, understated, and functional clothes. Burmeister told me he doesn’t think of Outlier as bike company: “We’re a clothing company for a world where people ride bikes. The way I see it, if you ride a bike everyday, your clothes should reflect that fact.”
Their new Workwear Pants are waterproof, have a bit of stretch, and are cut with biking in mind. They use a variety of fabrics, including cordura nylon in their pants and merino wool in t-shirts and polos.
In addition to Outlier, the show featured other up-and-coming bike fashion companies like GearPDX, Sheila Moon, Osloh Bicycle Jeans, Club Ride Apparel, and others.
At the Urban Bicycle Fashion Show, all the styles came together for an inspiring display of how to mix cycling with style. Check out the slideshow below for all the fresh looks and hot models:
— The Pedal Nation Bike Show is open from 10am – 5pm on Sunday (4/11). See more coverage of the show here.
We need more skinny jeans!
“Founder Abe Burmeister wanted a stylish pair of pants he could ride to work in, but he couldn’t find anything that did the job.”
Really?
“…if you ride a bike everyday, your clothes should reflect that fact.”
Why?
I just went to Outlier’s website to have a look at their pants for women. The size range was 0 to… 10. FAIL.
who made the black dress?
The bike show overall was great but, really, you can ride wearing just about anything. I don’t see how bike-specific clothes are a real necessity.
No-one mentioned swrve, my favorite pair of bikey pants.
Women’s knickers FWIW:
http://www.swrvestore.com/servlet/Detail?no=80
If you commute a considerable distance, some stretch, wicking and water resistance is lovely. I second the Swrve recommendation, and honestly would throw down for the Outlier pants for women if the waist wasn’t so high (tried a pair on). My commute has been 20 miles round trip for years, and if the weather is right, jeans work fine. The rest of the time dedicated bike clothes (preferably not spandex) are required.
As a pedestrian, walking coach, and sometimes bike rider (call me a free range commuter), I’ve always thought the over-emphasis on a particular type of clothing to be just that . . . an over-emphasis. When the weather is bad, it matters that you’re not in jeans, but there are plenty of clothes that are versatile enough to hike, walk, work, cycle, garden and anything else you can imagine doing at almost any time of the year.
Same goes for shoes. Why do we need a special shoe for every single thing we do. Throw away your high heels and go do what you want to do. I once did an 8-mile hike in Bosnia in a pair of Wolky walking sandals. It’s weird, almost like someone was making money off this big “push” to specialize.
unfortunately i had to miss _both_ fashion shows, so i’m just going off of jonathan’s pictures (and perhaps it’s not fair for me to say this, but): more ladies on bikes in dresses/skirts/non-sporty gear on bikes next time, please, and less ladies in dresses as acouterments to men pushing bikes. thanks! (that black dress is great, by the way.)
we totally would have ridden the tandem in our wedding apparel but they gave us a bike sans pedals. and the black dress is very bike-able, even on a roadbike. it’s by suzabelle and it’s available at clever cycles.