Dashing Tweeds and Bespoke Tailors

I was given a cryptic txt by a friend in Oakland about some new bike clothing, something about 'bsppoke tailoring'. I googled the site- it's under construction- then just googled the phrase, and discovered an entire new world of bike clothing, and it's not all black, or womyns cut, or 8 way stretch lycra. It's Tweed. Hunting tweed. The original outdoor and active wear.

On friday, Velo Orange was visited by a CR List ride. 2 of the riders were in their best British sporting regalia. At first I thought it odd, but after they left, I came to understand the advantages of the clothing choice- snug fitting, warm wool, not a bunch of puffy stuff to get caught in the wind, wheel or chain. And you could hop off the bike and walk into any store without looking like an alien with garish jerseys and obscene 80's style sausage wear .

At Interbike I was checking out Showers Pass (6MB PDF- careful!) and Sheila Moons new clothing lines. Both are Americanized versions of a resurgence of tailored British tweeds. It's a younger(and Gary Fisher) generation discovering tailors like London based Dashing Tweeds line of caps, capes, and knickers. Dashing Tweeds updated the base fabric with 3m reflective yarn and teflon to make them a little more waterproof, but the classic style is not lost. They are not as restrictive as designs in the past, making them much more useful for todays style of riding. No matter how old shcool your riding style is, you are still much more active and physical on a bike than anyone ever was in 1910 London or NYC.

Showers Pass and Sheila Moon uses the fabric as a fashion statement, using cuts and styles already in their line. The bespoke tailoring style is borrowing from the equestrian and Bicycle Repairman past moreso than Showers Pass and Ms. Moon. Both are valid and both are really cool. With the fixxie crowd making cycling caps tres chic and ubiquitous there's room for another, more rational mode of clothing for urban and path cyclists.