Fashion Friday: Heels on Wheels

“Heels on Wheels” is a phrase that makes me cringe when used in the media to describe women riding bikes.  Since, you know, women should not be defined by a shoe type.   Yet here I go, using the phrase.  In my defense, this is only one post in a blog filled with varied topics about women and bicycling.  Also, the rhyming is irresistible.  :-)

Moving along to the point, a couple of Sundays ago the weather was unseasonably warm and as I headed out the door to a baby shower, I threw on an old pair of heels instead of my usual flats.  I rarely wear heals, preferring to tromp around the city with the steadiness of a mountain goat.  But I’m going through a wardrobe purge/overhaul of sorts and figured I should give these heels one more chance before throwing them in the ebay pile.

Turns out they are actually quite comfortable, provided I don’t stand for a long time.  And biking in them felt pretty bad ass.  The shoes created no logistical problems; as you can see in the photo below, there is plenty of contact between the pedal and the sole.  So these survive the purge, even though I probably won’t wear them often.

Now I’m drawn to the idea of stiletto heels in theory and what better way to play with this idea – sans wasted money and sore paw pads – than incorporating it into my Fashion Friday collage of imaginary outfits.  :-)  Now that the weather is straight-up cold, I winterized the concept.

{collage details}

I like this outfit because of the overall librarian feel (carried through to the Bowery Lane bike with its leather, cork, and wood), but with a kick of awesomeness from the heeled suede boots.  (Manolos are supposed to be the most comfortable heels, right?  Anyone have $600 I can borrow?  No?  Jerks.)  Of course, the stylish leather gloves would have to serve merely as the lining under my ski mittens with warmers.

So what say you: are you a heels on wheels type of person?

p.s. I really want that Everlane tote, made in Texas of Illinois canvas, priced at only $35!  (Everlane is my new style love, borne of a very cool concept.)

 

Fashion Friday: Rainy Day Biking

It’s been raining for a week here. After more than a month with no rain, and weeks of scorching heat, that’s no bad thing. But it does make for a change in my riding apparel. Here’s what I wish I had to wear this rainy morning: a neutral dress with bright accents, overshoes that work with heels and a rain cape. Whee, rain capes! There are a lot of options out there; the Iva Jean I chose is on the pricey side but Amazon has options from $11. And of course, you need a bright and cheery upright bike to wear it on. I chose Sara’s.

 

Rainy day cycling by trishap 

Jaeger maxi dress, $93 / Mango high heels, $46 / Coral jewelry / Rain on Photobucket / Bicycle Doctor – Womens Classic Bikes – Pashley Poppy / Iva Jean — Rain Cape / Swims Women’s City Slipper – Low Cut Shoe Cover – designer shoes,…

Fashion Friday: Nearly naked edition

It’s so steamy I can’t even think about real clothes this weekend, and since the hellish weather (aka pink blob of death) that’s enveloping Tennessee right now seems to be covering much of the country there’s a good chance many of you are feeling the same. So for this week’s fashion Friday, I’m dreaming of being on a boat with some Jeni’s ice cream. Pants optional. If you live somewhere that allows you to wear more than a bathing suit or underwear this weekend . . . can I come to visit?

Top, $23
J Crew underwire swimwear, $43
J Crew hipster bikini, $23
BCBG Max Azria nautical jewelry, $23
Dsquared summer scarf, £95

 

Not much on my plate this weekend other than the vain attempt to keep cool, but I am looking forward to fabric shopping with Lauren and a last-minute visit from my college roommate (yay K!). Also, to multiple cucumber-rosemary gin & tonics. And possibly frying an egg or toasting marshmallows on the sidewalk. Feel free to share your weekend plans or commiserate about the heat in the comments!

On Dressing Your Best Week

Last week, the women of Academichic hosted Dress Your Best Week, an event that encouraged readers to dress to highlight their best features in lieu of the usual dressing to minimize real or perceived “figure flaws.” This led to a lovely series of posts by bloggers of all stripes, discussing how and why they came to love various body parts. I kept this in mind all week, but it all came together in one outfit on Wednesday.

With my hairstyle, inspired by braidmaster S., I am drawing attention to my nose. I used to think it was big and wide, especially when I smiled, and a little too ski-jump. It was exactly like my great-grandmother’s, after all, and she had felt the need to sleep with a clothespin on her nose to make it narrower, according to my grandmother. Then a high school classmate of mine got a nose job. It was well done, and maybe it made her more conventionally beautiful, but I felt she had lost something. I decided my nose wasn’t so bad. Years later it became the subject of an ode by a drunken Frenchman in Mulhouse, and lord knows I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on that experience.

The dress, with a belt added by me, highlights my waist, something I keep no matter how my weight fluctuates (thanks, waist). Wedge heels, a 22nd birthday present, draw attention to my feet (small, and I actually like my toes) and my calves, which are toned from biking. Though I can’t say biking has made me lose weight, it has definitely made me stronger and I love that. If you had told me two years ago that my legs would be among my favorite body parts, I would have called you a liar. :) Has biking created any “best” parts of the body for you?

Check out the full list of Dress Your Best participants here.

The Best Skirts for Cycling

People are surprised that we cycle in skirts and dresses so often, but it’s not rocket science. Over the past year, we’ve learned that almost every type of outfit works fine on bikes. Skirts offer freedom of movement and are much cooler than pants or shorts, making them especially good for summer cycling. There are some skirts and dresses that are not ideal for cycling, but those are few and far between, easy to work around or avoid. If you find yourself in a problematic skirt, be prepared to either hitch it up or hold it down with one hand. Three factors determine whether a skirt or dress is easy for cycling: structure, fabric and length.

A good dress: short but not too short, narrow but stretchy