Cycle chic

Cycle Chic Copenhagen

Today Cycle chic or bicycle chic refers to cycling in fashionable everyday clothes. The phrase Cycle Chic was coined by Mikael Colville-Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2007 ^{[1] [2]} as the name of a fashion blog featuring cyclists - Copenhagen Cycle Chic. The fashion concept developed in popular culture to include the bicycles themselves and bicycle accessories.^[3][4] The first usage of the phrase 'Cycle Chic' was in KBH Magazine in Copenhagen in January, 2007.^[5]

In describing his phrase, Cycle Chic, Colville-Andersen is quoted in The Guardian as saying, "So many people in other countries have been brainwashed into believing that cycling is just a sport or a hobby and haven't entertained the thought that it could be a daily transport activity. So many Copenhageners ride in style, on normal bikes and in normal clothes. Even those who are not chic ride with an ease and elegance that borders on poetry."^[6]

History

Cycle Chic is a modern phrase to describe something that has existed since the invention of the bicycle in the 1880s - regular citizens on bicycles. Cycling was fashionable from the late 1880s and through the 1940s. At the end of the 19th century, the height of cycle chic was to play polo on bicycles, using long-handled tennis rackets and rubber balls.^[7] Women's wear such as corsets and petticoats was impractical for cycling and so rational dress was required.^[8] Divided skirts, bloomers and knickerbockers were tried as fashionable women tried to resolve the matter without provoking hostility, ridicule or violence.^[9]

In the mid-90's, the rising number of bicycle messengers throughout late 80's and early 90's made bicycling very visible. The now-chairperson of Fashion Department at the Pratt Institute, Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, then described the source of the styles as "when you see bike messengers in the street and then you see them walking in the building and how they mix street clothing with bike things"^[10] and fashion-brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY and FILA would start making fashionable bikewear.^[10]

Today it is associated with utility cycling in everyday clothes rather than helmets or specialist clothes usually associated with sports cycling^[11] and is especially prominent in cities, with many bicycle-commuters such as Amsterdam (Netherlands), Basel (Switzerland), Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), Berne (Switzerland), Bristol (England) and, not least, Copenhagen (Denmark) and is promoted by news pictures of celebrities such as Agyness Deyn cycling in this way encourages others.^[12][13]

Bicycles and accessories

Models mentioned in various early 21st century media as chic include vintage Schwinns, three-speed Raleighs, and the Velorbis.^[3][4] Picking up on the Cycle Chic trend early on, various fashion houses like Chanel and Gucci designed their own bicycles.^[4] Vogue UK fashion editors mention Pashleys and Ridgebacks.^[14] Cargo-carrying accessories such as baskets and pet carriers have been re-designed.^[4] A journalist in The Australian writes that bicycle helmets are notably absent.^[4]

Cycle chic blog

The term cycle chic is also associated with a number of related blogs picturing men and women in stylish everyday-clothes on classic bicycles. There are over 100 Cycle Chic blogs and most of them are associated with the original blog, Copenhagen Cycle Chic,^[15] dubbed "The Sartorialist on two wheels" and selected as one of the 10 best fashion blogs^[16] by The Guardian. Today the company Cycle Chic / Copenhagenize^[17] in Copenhagen behind the Copenhagen Cycle Chic and Copenhagenize.com blogs holds the territorial trademark^[18] of Cycle Chic and only allows usage "for the idealistic purpose of non-commercial bicycle advocacy".^[19] The company has published a manifesto.^[20] A list of women's bike blogs worldwide^[21] includes links to many of the officially affiliated Cycle Chic blogs, as well as to others that also cover biking and fashion.

See also

• Utility cycling
• Tweed Run

References

1. ^ "The Guardian - Cycling is officially chic". http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/04/fashion. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
2. ^ "Babelgum - Mikael Colville-Andersen, Cycle Chic". http://www.babelgum.com/inframetv/channels/180750/clips/6000458. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Bicycle Chic Gains Speed". New York Times. 2010-09-29. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/fashion/30BICYCLE.html. Retrieved 2011-07-13. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Cycle chic". The Australian. August 6, 2010. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/cycle-chic/story-e6frg8h6-1225902227493. Retrieved 2011-07-13. 
5. ^ "Cykel Chic". http://www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/344520169/. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
6. ^ "The Guardian - Two Wheels - by Carlton Reid". http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jun/26/healthandwellbeing.fitness. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
7. ^ Ishbel Ross (1963), Crusades and crinolines, Harper & Row, pp. 272, http://books.google.com/?id=xE-GAAAAIAAJ 
8. ^ Elizabeth Salomons (1999), The 1900s, ISBN 9781896990705, http://books.google.com/?id=EgqkLrQEbfMC&pg=PA34 
9. ^ Diana Crane (2001), Fashion and Its Social Agendas, pp. 117, ISBN 9780226117997, http://books.google.com/?id=vphcHONAXmwC 
10. ^ ^{a b} "GEAR: Cycle chic". Vibe: 103. November 1995. http://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&tbo=1&q=vibe+november+1995&btnG=Search+Books. Retrieved 2011-06-30. 
11. ^ Carlton Reid (June 26, 2008), Two wheels, London: The Guardian, http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2287337,00.html 
12. ^ Alice-Azania Jarvis (2008-09-20), In The Red: I finally like bicycles... Maybe I'm just a wicker-basket case, London: The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/money/invest-save/in-the-red-i-finally-like-bicycles-maybe-im-just-a-wickerbasket-case-936108.html, retrieved 2010-04-30 
13. ^ David Saltonstall (Tuesday, June 10th2008), Barack Obama gets poor fashion marks after weekend bike ride, New York Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/06/09/2008-06-09_barack_obama_gets_poor_fashion_marks_aft.html 
14. ^ "Easy Rider". Vogue (British magazine). 6 August 2010. http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/08/06/what-to-wear-when-cycling. Retrieved 2011-07-13. 
15. ^ Cycle Chic - The Original from Copenhagen
16. ^ The Guardian/Observer
17. ^ "Cycle Chic / Copenhagenize Consulting". http://copenhagenize.eu. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
18. ^ "Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) record 85032525". http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4008:cptdb5.2.1. Retrieved 2011-06-30. 
19. ^ "Cycle Chic trademark guidelines". http://cyclechic.dk/cycle_chic_trademark_guidelines.htm. Retrieved 2011-06-30. 
20. ^ "The Cycle Chic Manifesto?". Grist (magazine). 6 May 2011. http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2008/04/cycle-chic-manifesto.html. Retrieved 2011-07-15. 
21. ^ "Comprehensive List of Women's Bike Blogs". http://bikestylespokane.com/womens-bike-blogs-the-comprehensive-list. Retrieved 2011-08-05. 

External links

• Cycle chic manifesto from Copenhagen Cycle Chic