Bike Fashion Hits the Runway

If you've read our post on becoming a bike commuter or our tips for female cyclists, you're got plenty of practical knowledge about how to incorporate cycling into your daily life. But bikes can be more than just an ecofriendly form of transportation--the two-wheeled wonders are rapidly becoming a must-have fashion accessory and clothing designers have taken notice. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, cyclists need clothing that "moves with them when they ride, protects them from the elements, and doesn't get caught in any of their machine's moving parts."

Beyond those basic requirements, bike messengers and road bikers have always sported signature styles, but now the fashion industry is embracing bike culture too. In U.S. cites like New York, Portland, San Francisco, and even Salt Lake City, models are pedaling or pushing bikes onto the runway to compliment their hip, bike-centric clothing.

The New York Times recently gave bike fashion a nod with a slideshow of dapper cycling outfits and Shanghaiist countered the Times with a gallery of affordable cycling gear. Bike fashion blogs like Riding Pretty, Velo Vogue, and Chic Cyclists deliver regular doses of cycling style. While stylish clothing can easily be dismissed as a frivolity, we think the fashion industry's interest in bikes is a sign that the green lifestyle movement is gaining momentum, and we'd love to see a world where city streets are filled with stylish cyclists.

--Della Watson