Busty Bike Fashion

Posted by Dottie at 23:55 media, style Add comments
Jul 272009
Aug/Sept Bust

Aug/Sept Bust

Few magazines are both fun and intelligent: Bust, Bitch, Paste and Lula are my favorites. Sure, all magazines are selling something, but at least these are fresh, smart, fashionable and mostly free of body hate. Imagine my pleasure when I saw that the new issue of BUST has a photo spread of “Bike Fashion.” The particular fashions showcased don’t quite ring my bell – a bit too hip(ster) and young for me, but I appreciate anything that presents cycling as a normal activity. Hopefully this spread and others like it will inspire more people to rediscover the fun of riding a bike.

Bust-y Bike Fashion

Bust-y Bike Fashion

Sweet Ride - Batavus and Vintage

Sweet Ride - Batavus and Vintage

Bikes are kinda in the picture

Bikes are kinda in the picture

Obligatory Helmet Shot

Obligatory Helmet Shot

Let's all stand around with our bikes

Let's all stand around with our bikes

What do you all think: Is this trend more than a trend? Will it inspire cycling as a lifestyle or simply help advertisers sell more stuff for a bit? I’m inclined to believe this is a real societal shift, but that might be my rose-colored glasses.

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  • Tinker

    Didn’t Diablo Cody write the script for Juno a while back?

    She has/had a rather famous blog. I like her, on the basis of her writing, and the photos I have seen.

  • http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com Trisha

    Pretty pictures. I don’t think one mag layout means much but the fact that there have been several of them recently does reflect a societal change, however subtle. Confession: I kinda want a romper. Is that wrong??

    • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

      Don’t feel bad, I almost bought a pair of seersucker bloomers yesterday.

    • http://www.pedalandcoast.blogspot.com Sox

      Buy a romper Trisha. You only live once!

    • http://suburbanbikemama.blogspot.com/ MamaVee

      I do too. but seeing as I’m pushing 40- I think I’ll let that one pass. You- go for it! Now. for me.

    • Catherine

      Nah, I totally want a romper too (but sadly do NOT have the figure for it). But here’s why I want one:

      http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/6746f9048b4f8f6e_large

      As an aside, my current favorite female cyclist photo is from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs from 1899:

      http://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a50000/3a50800/3a50886u.tif

      “Sew on your own buttons, I’m going for a ride”. Perfect!)

      • http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com dottie

        I love those pictures! I’m a romper skeptic but it looks great on those girls, so I’ll add my voice to the “buy a romper, Trish” chorus. Any particular one in mind? ;)

      • http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com Trisha

        Great photos Catherine! Hm, I wonder if I could look half that good in a romper. I had a slightly looser one in mind than the ones in the 40s photos.

  • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

    Nice photos! As I get older, I’ve become almost unable to read standard fashion magazines, but I do flip through the ones you mentioned.

    It’s funny how industry knowledge spoils the romance of some of these. Looking at the “Bust-y bike fashion” spread, I caught myself thinking, “Two roadbikes with drop bars, a Dutch bike, and a vintage Raleigh on the same ride? No way they’d be comfortable riding those bikes together; and what a stylistic disparity!”

    Regarding your question of whether the bicycle thing is a trend or a real societal shift… It is so hard to say. There is definitely a fad feeling to it right now. But it can be a societal shift that starts out as a trend — especially if the trend is strong enough, that it brings on permanent infrastructure and legislative changes. If you look at blogs like BikeSnobNYC, they attack the whole “cycle chic” idea pretty fiercely and ridicule Dutch-style transport bikes as being “the SUVs of bikes” — a fad encouraging impractical and irresponsible driving under the illusion of safety. I find it interesting that there is now a battle between cyclists who want cycling to be part of the mainstream, and cyclists who desperately want to keep it as a fringe/dissident activity.

    • http://www.bikebythesea.com/ Christa

      Really? They think Dutch-style bicycles are impractical and irresponsible? How could that be! Any bicycle is good in my eye – to each their own.

  • http://www.bikecommuters.com Ghost Rider

    Bikes are hot right now…a casual count of bikes on magazine covers at my library last month landed at 14 –stuff ranging from Sunset Magazine all the way to the American Journal of Public Health. I don’t know if this all indicates a true societal shift, but it IS progress. We’ve still got a long way to go.

    Diablo Cody is developing a screenplay for one of the best books I’ve read this year: Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament. Her first book Candy Girl was quite fascinating, too…once you got past the initial hipster writing conventions and tuned into her style.

  • http://www.ritinco.com nita

    yup,, i am agree…
    in my country exist again ” bike to work ”
    every holiday we are community , and walking in the sport place together.

    nice topic….

  • Melissa Hope S

    I am kind of worried that it is a fad, like what your grandma said a few posts back: it was popular in the 60s but then it went out. So in 20 years, we’ll want an SUV because its SO convenient. Man…..that would suck. Promise to call me out on that if I ever say that.

  • http://thechaicyclist.blogspot.com spiderleggreen

    I think that if you don’t think big bike days are ahead, you’re a pessimist. Everytime someone new, hops on a bike, they go “Wow, this is fun! I’d like to do this again.” We all know that biking can be great fun. As more people hop on bikes this idea grows, reaching even more people. Exponential.

    ~Lovely is onto something. The problem is some people have ideas of fun, that other people just think is dangerous. Our Cycle Warriors may draw a few thrill seekers, but that’s not what most people are looking for. And “most” is where a larger bike culture lies. Fun, safe, functional a words that describe big bike cultures.

    I’m an old Cycle Warrior that is trying to learn new ways.

    I think it’s great to see bikes in magazines, but I always think models look so strange. Like they’re not quite real. Maybe that’s why their models. ;)

  • http://www.pragmatik.org/blog Johnny

    ElRo on NBBB (my sweet wife) wrote an article that was in BITCH a year or so ago — it was about Third Way Feminism. :)

  • http://faechic.etsy.com Jen

    I’m living in Victoria BC, which is apparently the cycling capital of Canada (woot woot!) I hadn’t riden a bike in my adult life til moving here. And now, I loooove my retro Raleigh with wicker basket, and I ride it everywhere.

    I ride it because:
    1. It’s so flippin FUN and CUTE!
    2. Fun to be outside getting EXERCISE
    3. It’s too EXPENSIVE to have a car
    4. Most of my FRIENDS ride bikes.

    So for the above reasons, I think other people are catching onto bike riding as a viable alternative to a vehicle. What other mode of transportation combines all that awesomeness?

    I think it’s fine that something like this gets trendy — the more the merrier!

    Once you hop on the BIKE you CAN’T GO BACK!

    PS. Thanks for this rad blog.

  • Diana

    I love BUST magazine. They always come up with such amazing photoshoots. Usually the outfits are things that I would never wear, but I love it all the same.

  • cloudsofviolet

    always interesting when fashion mags display/talk about bikes. I think they are obviously trying to capitalize on the “trendiness” of bikes right now, but at the same time, that trendiness is a way that mainstream non-cyclists become aware of cycling as a way to get around. I think ultimately it really depends on whether that individual can move beyond the trend, but also whether gov. are willing to build infrastructure to encourage more cycling. But I like that BUST is showing more than 1 type of bike in this spread. Are they just showing pictures or are they also writing about it?

  • http://Lalipourie.blogspot.com Laurie

    thanks for sharing this. Interesting comments as well. I already asked some friends back home to get me a copy so I can see it better when I’m in the states…

  • Charlie

    If people get on bikes and enjoy it, and it makes them feel good, it won’t be a fad.

    If they get on bikes and feel unsafe, unwelcome, or afraid, it will be a fad. And the negative experiences grow exponentially too.

    I suspect the longevity will depend on whether these new cyclists are well informed on the rules of the road and their cities have enough tolerance for cyclists (in both infrastructure and mentality).

  • http://suburbanbikemama.blogspot.com/ MamaVee

    I was thinking about this too. Every catalogue I pick up has bikes in it.

    I was thinking how I see pretty bikes all over these days and thought in a few years I’ll be alone riding my bike. but then I remembered 10 years ago – no 11! doing Yoga and yoga was getting a big wave of Hottness and fad-ness etc. And I still do yoga and so do a lot of people. It’s still cool and vibrant and even quite mainstream and that was over 10 years ago so I don’t think we can call it a fad.

    I think there will be outliers that jump in and jump out. I think Ad ppl will use the image for all it’s got.But you’ve got to admit- it’s a nice image and it does make me pay attention to the image more when there is a bike there. Always has. But I think most ppl who try and become addicted to biking will keep it up years to come.

  • Stephen

    I’ll call the glass half-full. Most “club” cyclists in the US are older than I am (50) and they tend to go for the lycra, titanium, and racing wannabe accoutrements of the weekend warrior. Whatever. It’s the younger generations that are going to demand bicycle facilities and drive the market for more workaday bicycles and clothing. And that’s a good thing, even if it looks a bit silly in a fashion ‘zine.

  • http://sheridesabike.com Karen

    I don’t look like any of these women! Ha-ha. I like the clothes but too young for me. I am happy to see bikes used in media showing people wearing their normal clothes. These young women are wearing the clothes of their age group. Once again, I must admit I believe tha associating bike commuting with sex appeal is effective. God knows it has worked for cars.

  • http://none grambev

    Do I detect an old fashioned fifties type royal blue gym suit on one young lady ??? : )

    • http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com dottie

      Yes, Gram, you should have saved all your clothes from the 50′s and 60′s – and given them to me! ;)

  • http://mplsrad.wordpress.com Tad Salyards

    Trend or not, more biking is in our future. The converging trends of rising gas prices and expanding waistlines point to a natural growth of cycling. Seeing stuff like this is great. The more “normal” and “chic” we can make cycling the more attractive it will become. The other day I saw a cyclist wearing an orange construction vest, helmet, and surgical mask. Idiots like that are the absolute worst marketing for every day biking. Hot women are the best :)

  • Devil’s Lettuce

    As a recent convert to bike commuting (after a long 5-year exile following the theft of my old bike), I can say that casual riding is certainly more fun and rewarding than trying to get some insane exercise in.

    I’m no hipster, but I do feel pretty sharp riding to work on my Electra Amsterdam wearing a suit.

    • http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com dottie

      Sounds sharp!

  • http://www.balancebiketrainer.com Balance Bike

    I don’t know if all of these fashion items are functional to wear. Some look very restrictive.

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