On Dressing Your Best Week

Posted by Trisha at 18:14 style Add comments
May 162010

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.

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  • Deb

    Not sure it’s a “best”, just something I’ve noticed and enjoyed – my arms and shoulders have gotten very nicely toned from my bike commuting. I almost never hear cyclists mention arms…maybe it’s the hills I ride.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

      Interesting! I do think my arms are a little more toned from hills as well, but nothing too noticeable.

  • http://bobbinandsprocket.blogspot.com/ Amy

    For me, definitely NOT my nose! But I don’t think that cycling can make a broken nose look better. :) I’m glad to see my collar bones again!

  • http://knittinglemonade.blogspot.com Kara

    Ask me at the end of the summer, when I hope my body has changed a little more from bicycling…but being 6 feet tall, I have long legs. And I do love the definition bicycling gives me in my legs.

    And I too have recently fallen in love with my nose after years of dislike.

  • http://katiekim.yelp.com katie

    I think we can all agree to having better looking legs from biking. Maybe this is odd, but I like being able to feel my thigh muscles when I stretch my legs out :)

    Other than legs, can I vote for my lungs? I know that it’s not exactly an external body part, but (literally) sprint-riding to class everyday (I don’t take my time when riding because usually I leave my apartment at the last possible minute) has definitely increased my athleticism. I can tell because my endurance while running has increased ever since I started biking. Yay!

    • http://bobbinandsprocket.blogspot.com/ Amy

      I second the lungs. I have asthma, and with regular cycling I’ve noticed that I have fewer problems with it.

      • http://www.portlandize.com Dave

        Ditto – being active in different ways has definitely lessened my problems with Asthma as well.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

      Yep, that’s a great point. I have been running a little bit lately, something I have never been able to do before because of lack of lung capacity.

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

    Awesome! I too love my nose – which is prominent and chiseled, as years of experience have convinced me it makes my face more interesting and adorable than a conventional “Barbie” nose would.

    With regard to cycling, my legs and tummy are definitely looking good!

  • donna

    Biking to work has helped me to lose the 15 lbs I’d gained in the ten years since finishing uni. I feel like I have my old body back. It’s definitely keeping my waistline trim and I feel much stronger too. I may not have a six pack but my back and shoulders are ripped from all the uphill climbs I take.

  • http://www.portlandize.com Dave

    My hips and glutes are definitely much more well-toned than they were a couple of years ago, and riding a bike allowed me to shave off just enough general bulk to both fit comfortably in my two suits, as well as to feel pretty well about the little bit of extra upper body bulk I still have (a few push-ups and sit-ups a week probably wouldn’t hurt though) :)

    I would also say my arms are probably one of my favorite features, though I’m not sure if cycling has helped them, possibly a little bit.

  • http://bicyclingsd.blogspot.com Beany

    My ass. It used to be large and paddy. Now it is smaller (but still larger that most women’s asses) and I like it more now.

    • http://changeyourliferideabike.blogspot.com Adrienne

      It’s all about the ass! Mine is waaaaaaay better than it was 3 years ago.

    • http://katiekim.yelp.com Katie

      Hahaha!! Of course. I am also a big fan of my now extra firm butt!

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

      LOL. Yes, this as well.

  • http://bikinginheels-cycler.blogspot.com/ cycler

    What a fabulous pose!

    I wouldn’t say that I have a least or most favorite part, nor do I have a big body change from cycling- I was a distance runner before I started biking as rehab. I suppose that my quads are a bit bigger, and my hams a bit smaller. I’m overall pretty chunky, but in a healthy, muscular way, and I’m pretty comfortable with it..

    I DO love and covet those wedge heels- v. cute!

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

      Thank you! I am in awe of distance runners; I’m a 3-mile girl at most. :)

  • http://backbooth.thesane.net Eli

    Um…I’m no good at judging these things, but the Missus assures me that my ass has benefitted greatly from cycling.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

      Men who ride bikes do tend to stand out in that regard. ;)

      • http://www.portlandize.com Dave

        It’s starting to sound like we need a whole new advertising campaign here:

        “Give yourself the gift of a sexy ass – ride a bike!” :D

      • http://backbooth.thesane.net Eli

        Well, shoot. Now I’m almost sad to be a girl. I could’ve been part of a sexy-arsed elite. :D

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