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Monday, June 14, 2010

The wind beneath my wheels

Follow-up regarding the Gap shorts I mentioned earlier for riding in skirts.  I tried them out under my dress for the Tweed Ride (I promise to stop talking about this now), and they worked... kind of.
Here we are, riding along, with my lightweight skirt beginning to blow up and reveal the dress's lining.  Still, everything's basically where it should be.

Wheee!  Fun!  And then every so often, this would happen:
Photos from iamtonyang's flickr album
Wheee-oooaaa!  Can you read my internal monologue at this moment? 
"Feeling a little naked... but I know I'm wearing shorts... I'm going to continue on as if this is entirely what I intended.  Play it cool, play it cool!"  
I'm glad that from the photo it does look like those are shorts and not just underpants, because it kind of felt that way.  I mean, I don't think it would be Earth-shattering if my underpants were showing, but I was just a little thrown by how much less... substantial they felt in practice versus what I had imagined.  I like, too, how photos from the ride reveal that I spent much of the day pedaling a bit knock-kneed-- a valiant effort to preserve my modesty, as a lady ought.

Also, the shorts tie at the waist with a ribbon drawstring, which is very cute and everything, but it means the waist won't always lie as flat as one might like under thinner fabrics.  Again, not unworkable, but not ideal either. 

So there you have it: another idea that is perhaps better in theory than in practice.

8 comments:

Hayley Hutchin said...

Great post! I love your voice... several of your posts make me giggle out loud to myself. I found you thanks to the LGRAB summer games! I have the same problem successfully combining skirts and wheels, and here's how I cope with it:

http://via-velo.blogspot.com/2010/05/wardrobe-malfunction.html

love your blog!!

Amy said...

It would have been kinda cute though if instead of shorts they were some ruffed edged bloomers. The guy beside you looks like you just made his whole day. :)

margonaute said...

HH: Thanks for the compliment! That's so nice of you to say. I have heard the garter solution before and would like to try it one of these days. But where does one even buy a garter? I could always just sew up a jersey headband so it will fit my thigh, but that doesn't sound like as much fun as having an actual garter.

Amy: Ruffled bloomers are so cute, but in this dress, they definitely would've shown through and made my butt look... interesting. And that's my friend Yoel! He just always looks like that!

MandG said...

Nice! I did the garter thing for a bit, using a piece of stocking, but it pulled at my skirts causing some damage to a couple.

Anonymous said...

Regarding garters:

http://www.sockdreams.com/products/accessories/sock-garters/?p=2&sort=SortOrder&pp=15

(my wife works at Sock Dreams) :)

Velouria said...

In my experience, leggings are the only things that pre-emptively resolve the mystery and thus keep the male gaze at bay. I know that some women can cycle in just a skirt and underpants with dignity, but alas I am not one of them.

Anonymous said...

Take any excuse to talk about the Tweed Ride. I'm already planning my outfit for the fall one! :)

I wear cotton "bike shorts" under my skirts and dresses all the time. This dates back to my days at Catholic School, when the nuns encouraged us to wear shorts under the uniform skirts for modesty.

The "bike shorts" I wear don't have padding, they just are basically skintight cotton shorts. I get them at Target or a sporting goods store, and I look for at least a 7" or a 9" inseam, so they don't ride up. I go for the kind with an elastic waist, which lies flat and also helps with tummy tucking. I also have a few pairs of generic Spanx, also from Target, and they're great, too. I have them in black, grey and "skintone" so I can wear them under almost any dress.

Hayley Hutchin said...

do you all remember when "bike shorts" were a super hot fashion look?? wasn't that about the same time as rubber bracelets and neon colors? velcro sneakers? i read recently that they are totally coming back!

margo, yeah, when I can't find my garter I used a headband, but i sprung for a super posh one from Agent Provocateur. they used to have one like this but without the bow:
http://www.agentprovocateur.com/accessories/garters/info/marylin-garter~black

truly, about the only thing i can afford from them, but it made me feel quite the sophisticate when i picked it out. :D

and i agree with amy -- i think you made the chap's day on your side there!

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