Cycle Style// London Fashion Week SS15

I put fashion into two boxes; things you can wear on a bike and things you can't wear on a bike (things you would break on a bike). 

Here are my London Fashion Week picks that could well translate into cycle friendly looks.

Commuter Style Stalk

People often ask me if I get bored cycling to work. NO WAY. This is London, it's amazing, constantly moving and changing. My journey to work is an adventure and every day I see something new.

Recently these guys have caught my eye. 

Bright bobble hats and Nikes are a thing.

See, totally a thing.

As are weathered tan leather back packs.

Even on guys in shorts.

Check out this Pashley dude rocking a fur trimmed serape and Gucci trainers.

Loving the autumnal tones.

And finally, fashion may be forward but some things are a blast from the past.
I would have missed all that if I got the tube.

Wearing a dress on a bike without showing your pants

Showing your pants on the beach is ok but for some reason if you do it on your bike it's completely different. 

To retain your modesty you can wear cycling shorts under your dress but as I'm allergic to them (just like I'm allergic to ice cream, Crocs and Uggs) I go for plan b. Plan c if you include riding side saddle.

GONE are the dangerous days of riding with one hand holding my skirt down. 

If you really want to see some pants on a bike, who am I to deny you? Here you go, feast your eyes on this:

YOU ARE WELCOME.

Carhartt x Vans Reflective Kicks

I can’t resist a guy who turns up the right leg of his jeans to reveal a reflective seam. I can, I have some self-control.

However, I do love clothes that are bikey without being all in your face about it. A perfect example of this is the new Carhartt x Vans collaboration. 

They’ve taken the classic Vans Era style, kept it sleek and simple and added 3M pack reflective material to the upper that illuminates when light hits them in the dark. 

So just walking around in the day they just look like sleek, simple classic Vans in the Era style with embossed Carhartt logo leather tabs and canvas heel pieces. Perfect for the undercover secret cyclist. And those guys, you know, the ones with the jeans with the seams.

Available online at carhartt-wip.com for £70.

Tweeeeed

Every now and then, we all need a bit of tweed.

For more tweed action, see my Time Out Blog post: In Pictures: the need for tweed! London's fifth annual tweed run.
ALSO,
Jacqui & Ted told me Tweed Run's Secret London Spots.

Batman Smells

Last year was Bat... Batman crazy. There was the film The Dark Knight Rises, the Lazy Oaf x Batman collection (one of my favourite fashion moments from 2012), and I got very jealous seeing loads of kids cruising around Mexico on this batmobile:

I once worked somewhere where the security guard used to call me Miss Brosman. I didn't correct him because I thought it sounded like a cool super hero name. Although in retrospect what would my power be? Making people listen to Bros? I did go to a superhero party a few years ago dressed as Cycle Superhighway Girl:

Yes I did make it myself and yes those are fairy lights in my helmet. What was my superpower? Magically disappearing at junctions.

Anyway back to Batman. When you ride a tandem the number one suggestion for fancy dress is Batman and Robin. So with that in mind, here are five cape free ways you can Batman up:

Batman Bottle  £7 from John Lewis

 You can even fill this with water if you want.

Batman 'Wham' Sweater £29 from Topshop

Brosman would LOVE this sweater. Wait, or did Bros hate Wham?

Batman Wall Sticker £14 from Abode Wall Art 

I'm a big fan of using wall stickers to hide bike scuffs.

Batman Retro Bag £27.99 from Truffle Shuffle.

I'd like to see more couriers carrying this around. Make it your uniform please.

Batman Cycling Jersey $29.99 by Eclipse Cycling

Custom made for you Lycra dudes. You can unzip it and reveal your true identity underneath. Probably more Lycra.

And lastly. Here is a picture of me with the actual Batman at Notting Hill Carnival. Batman loves carnival.

Next week, Robin.

Longchamp// Oh! my bike- Autumn 2012 Campaign

You know when you are in a boring meeting or being lectured by someone about how dangerous cycling is and your mind wonders off to a happy place? Well this Blanca Li treat from Longchamp is how my daydream sequences look. 

Tandems?

Check.

Dancing? 

Check.

Fashion? 

Check.

Paris?

Check.

Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection:

Veau Foulonnè Pouch Bag £150. This beautiful finely grained leather bag is available in three colour-ways. Perfect for hands free cycling.

Le Pliage Back Pack £62. This origami inspired lightweight foldable bag is available in 13 amazing colours. I want one to match each of my bikes.

Boxford Messenger Bag £150. I would totally be a courier if I could wear one of these.

You can see the making of the video here.

Happy O' Clock

 I have a think for over sized watches. That means I like men's watches. Men's watches tend to be more durable and bike/ Jude proof. I especially love this black matte plastic watch by MAY 28TH which is available at ASOS for £25 because of its beautiful bike illustrated face. 

Have you ever noticed that clocks or watches for sale are always set at ten to ten? This is because it looks like they are smiling (See) and everyone wants to buy smiley shaped things. Do you like bunting? It's because it's smile shaped.

I learnt how to tell the time on a Swatch Flick Flack watch which I wore until I went to secondary school and got laughed at for being so not cool. It recently occurred to me that I have been telling the time for ages and have only just questioned what the 'O' in o' clock means. Anyone? Well boys and girls I'll tell you.

Once upon a time people used to tell the time by looking at the sun and the moon. This wasn't always bang on accurate until one day someone invented a clock. Not everyone was convinced, some people wanted to remain old school. During this transitional period people who were flash would say "It's two of the clock" so everyone knew they weren't old fashioned sun and moon types. Over time we have shortened it to o' clock. Now we are ready for if that ever comes up in a pub quiz.

 

The new Mum-made crochet collar I'm currently sporting

Check out the 'happy o'clock' button

Bradley Wiggins; Sex God?

We all knew the Olympics was going to be a massive perve fest. Can we take a moment to appreciate Tom Daley's ab-ulousness (those diver guys sure can dance).

A number of my not particularly bikey friends have recently told me that they think Bradley Wiggins is hot (not mentioning any names Amy). This topic came up while I was watching the swimming. Ok, by watching the swimming I mean watching Mark Foster co-present the high-lights...... which I didn't really pay attention to because I was busy telling him through the screen to take his shirt off. WHAT? I'm only human. Don't even get me started on the rowers. I'm not going to go on too much as I'm aware that this is all a matter of personal taste and I'm slightly worried about being chased around town by people shouting 'SEXIST'.

As much as I think Wiggins is a God, I'm not sure I would ever call him a Sex God. Yet when I googled 'Team GB Hotties' (purely in the name of research, obviously) his image comes up tops. I've asked around as to why he's making so many people's 'To Do' lists, and in anticipation of him making centre fold in teenage girly magazines, you know the ones that come with a free glitter nail varnish, I've compiled a list of my own (teen magazines are welcome to publish these facts in a Bodoni MT Poster Compressed font):

1. His bling. 

He's got more gold than Mr T. Actually he hasn't, but 'more gold than Steve Redgrave' doesn't quite have the same ring to it does it? Actually winning stuff and having the medals to prove it is way more impressive. Take note guys on stag do I saw with my friends who were trying to chat up girls by showing off that one of them had an Olympic rings tattoo. I saw no evidence that he had ever entered a gym, let alone an Olympic stadium. Teen magazine, you might want to cut and paste his win statistics here, I'm not going to do all your work for you.

2. He speaks French.

There is nothing sexier than a London boy who randomly cracks out a second language. Cue lots of guys scraping up their GCSE French and saying 'Pâtisserie' in the same accent as the candlestick from Beauty and the Beast. Wiggins was born in Belgium but moved to London when he was two. Spending five years cycling for French teams is what made him fluent.

3. He's taken.

No one liked Beckham before he married Posh. Let me rephrase that. No one liked Beckham before Posh made him get rid of his curtains. Wiggins got married at 24 and has two children who probably skipped stabilisers and rode bikes before they could walk.

4.He's cool.

Don't you hate it when guys go on about protein shakes and the Dukan diet? Wiggins won't bore you with such things. He celebrated his recent gold medal by getting absolutely blind drunk. Get in. Also, he hasn't gone through a world of media training so often uses swears and is not afraid of throwing in  the 'C' word around. Everyone knows swearing is even cooler than smoking.

5. His Look.

With his mod style signature side burns and lanky frame (he is a foot taller than me and currently weighs only one stone more) he's is not your typical pin up. 

Ok, time to 'fess up. I'm having sleepless nights worrying that Wiggins will send the sales of Lycra soaring. I'm even more worried that it may stretch beyond the cycle lanes (where I have over the years trained myself not to look directly at it) and onto the streets, into pubs, into homes..... NOOOooooo. Just the other day someone stole Bradley's Lycras from a Surrey Hotel. Hopefully it was just a pervert and not someone who will actually try and squeeze them on and wear them out in public.

6. He's Clever.

I just accidentally spelt that 'Cleaver' before my spell check laughed at me, ironic huh?

Wiggins is a clever guy, he predicted my Lycra becoming main stream fears, collaborated with Fred Perry and released a collection of slim fit combed COTTON pique shirts inspired by  traditional cycling jerseys. Staying true to the classic Fred Perry shirt design but replacing buttons with a zip down funnel neck. They have feature a zip back pocket and have added multi-striped tipping to the cuffs.

Bradley Wiggins White Cycling Shirt £65

Bradley Wiggins Black Cycling Shirt £65

Bradley Wiggins 1964 Sky Blue Cycling Shirt £65

View the Fred Perry x Bradley Wiggins collaboration here.

www.fredperry.com