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Friday, May 28, 2010

Keep it under your skirt

I've seen various recommendations for how to deal with riding in short or flowy skirts on breezy days. Here's my latest solution, via the Gap (note: I'm finding the longer I live around Harvard Square, the more my wardrobe ends up coming from the Gap, mostly because I am lazy about shopping and the Gap is always right there. I'm not sure how I feel about this):
These are the lace-trimmed modal shorts. They come in a few different solid colors and are super light and soft and breathable. Depending what size you get, I find they look sort of like vintage tap pants (i.e., totally cute), and they do a good job of lying nicely under a lot of different fabrics-- the modal is smooth and slippery, but without having that all-manmade materials feel to it. Plus, they're cute enough that if your skirt does fly all the way up, you can pedal on with confidence!

6 comments:

Velouria said...

I covet those shorts when I see them at the GAP (which I, too, visit almost compulsively when in Harvard Square!). In my experience, it almost doesn't matter what I wear under my skirt - if it flies up, men look with unbridled curiosity. Wearing leggings that visibly stick out below hem level seems to be the only way to make that area less interesting!

margonaute said...

Ha-- I was having a conversation with some lady friends a while ago about the relative shock value of female nudity, and we all agreed that in our own experiences, crotch was ultimately kind of anti-climactic. However, based upon repeated viewings of The Breakfast Club, I guess this is just never going to be the case where men are involved.

Sox said...

Those are cool. I wonder if the Gap in Canada sells them? I may have to look the next time I go shopping.
I have made myself some, for lack of a better term, bike slips (basically long tap pants), and have pretty much ditched all my conventional slips in favour of them.
And yes, those Y-chromosomes are adorable but easily distractable. I wonder why they let themselves be that way?

cycler said...

Nice to meet you and Frida today at the Tweed ride- sorry we didn't get to chat a bit more.
I have the same feeling as Velouria- unless you're wearing long shorts/ leggings, men will think of anything they see under your skirt as "underwear." I found some good "workout" shorts that are essentially unpadded bike shorts with 90% cotton and 10% lycra or something like that.

margonaute said...

I was wearing these under my dress today, and I must confess, I ended up feeling a little more naked than anticipated! The breeze was really blowing my skirt up basically to the waist at some points! However, I find that the more you look like you are confident nothing untoward is going on, the less likely people are to be scandalized. At least that's what I'm hoping... :)

MamaVee said...

I need those.

My skirts ( which are often full) fly up all the time. I sometimes don't care but then I think I'm getting a bit of a wacky rep int own so last thing I need is the preschool moms whispering that I'm showing my undies around town. although who cares...

Once I was riding two summers ago and my dress was up- not hugely so but I guess enough for perhaps a slash of color ( and yeah- I tend to like bright underwear which I should stop...) and a guy on a motorcycle was going the opposite way. He literally wooted as he went by. Honestly- at 20 I would have given him the finger but at pushing 40 I was kind of pleased. Living in the suburbs no one runs across the street toward you shouting "baby please, please give me your number." anymore... sigh.

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