that are comfortable while bicycling.
(Photos: Shola Lawson)
Local fashion designer Caitlin McCall is the owner of Quick Study, a women’s apparel company that focuses bike-friendly dresses made in Portland. To help with the launch of her website next month she wants to interview and photograph 16 local women who, “fearlessly adapt their wardrobes to the demands of going by bike.”
‘Dress to Ride’ is the name of the project and all the women who participate in the interviews will be featured in a permanent photo gallery on QuickStudyClothing.com (shot by photographer Shola Lawson) and will be used in McCall’s social media efforts.
This is the first we’ve heard of Quick Study and somehow we missed the profile on the company in the Portland Mercury’s Bike Issue back in May. Here’s more from Mercury fashion writer Marjorie Skinner:
“… The real field of innovation is going to be in bicycle-appropriate attire for the feminine set, who sometimes eschew that mode of transport simply because it involves too much luggage, too many wardrobe changes, or an outright exchange of style for practicality—to say nothing of trying to support local, independent design. Enter Caitlin McCall, who recently graduated from a program at Portland Sewing with her line Quick Study —designed to specifically addresses these issues.”
McCall’s designs look really good and they’ve got some great features that make them comfortable for bicycling. Skinner points out things like odor resistant wick fabrics, curved hem lines for increased mobility, easy packability, and wrinkle-resistance.
If you’d like to be considered for this project, check out the details below…
Project Description
To celebrate the online shop’s grand opening, Quick Study is proud to introduce “Dress to Ride,” an intimate portrait of Portland bike style and the women who shape it. Led by local photographer Shola Lawson, “Dress to Ride” profiles sixteen women who fearlessly adapt their wardrobes to the demands of going by bike. Some are persistent daily commuters, others mount their trusty steeds in fair weather only, a few just lug their ride out of the basement for occasional bar trips. Regardless of where they fall on the frequency continuum, these ladies have the chops to ride in style. Starting in 2014, they’ll open the door to their living spaces and show the rest of us how we can too.
Call for Entries
QUICK STUDY SEEKS STYLISH BIKE LADIES FOR “DRESS TO RIDE!”
Do you know someone with awesome bike style? Tell us about them! Or maybe it’s you?
Quick Study is currently looking for 10 more ladies who ride in style to round out a photo interview series showcasing Portland’s fashion on two wheels.
Requirements:
1.Female or female identified
2.Own a bike and use it *somewhat* regularly
3.Currently live in Portland
4.Creative approach to bike-friendly dressingTo enter, send a pic and 3-5 sentences to bike@quickstudyclothing.com about why you or your pal should be featured in “Dress to Ride” this winter! Deadline for submissions is Friday 12/13/13 at 5pm.
If chosen, we will contact them/you to schedule an interview date and time with the photographer. They/you must agree to be photographed in their/your living space and with their/your bike in an outfit or their/your choosing as well as one Quick Study piece. Participant will also agree to a short interview that will later be posted on Quick Study’s website along with selected photos.
Similar to the tech, beer, and food scenes, Portland’s booming fashion scene is yet another part of our local culture where there’s a lot of love for bicycling.