My body is NOT built for jerseys!

[owlice]

It's not that I look bad in a jersey (though I do*), but that they are ... ah.... not loose. So what might be comparable, fabric-wise, that would be less clingy, looser?

*(I got a jersey and new shorts recently, so wore them tonight on my ride. Instead of "Bike on your left!," oh, how very tempting it was to call out, "Fashion disaster on your left!" or "What Not to Wear contestant coming through!" I refrained, but barely, barely.)

[salsabike]

Soccer jerseys. They're made of similar wicking material but they're more like long shirts than cycling jerseys. I wear cycling jerseys now but used to wear soccer jerseys all the time--in fact, I'm wearing a Ryan Giggs/Wales national team jersey in my avatar (on a tandem ride in Wales, actually. Go Dragons!).

[blackhillsbiker]

I just got 2 Adidas short-sleeved running shirts. They're "clima-cool" and cut longer in the back than the front. They fit wonderfully, are lightweight and wicking. Best of all, on sale at the sporting goods store they were about $14 each.

Deb

[Tuckervill]

You'll get used to what you look like in them and it won't bother you so much.

Karen

[Becky]

Mountain bike jerseys tend to be cut looser, and most will have at least a single pocket. Take a look at brands like Zoic or Fox, though I think most cycling attire companies offer some mountain style stuff.

[Crankin]

Cycling jerseys are not meant to be loose. Some, though, are looser than others, as noted above. Terry has some relaxed cut jerseys you might want to look at, along with mountain bike jerseys.
I bought some really cute plain v neck wicking t shirts from Terry a few years ago. I don't wear them cycling anymore, but they are great for other sports. If you find some wicking shirts you like, they will last for years and serve many purposes.
And, although it may seem counter intuitive, loose, flapping shirts actually are less flattering than fitted ones, no matter what your size. You should not be continually worrying about what you look like to others; cyclists wear cycling clothes (jerseys and lycra shorts) and if you are riding, you are a cyclist.

[Andrea]

I know it's gonna sound weird, but try a pair of bib shorts... the lack of a waistband means that there's nothing there to make random lumps around your waist. They have a bit of a "girdle effect," and the chamois never moves unless you move it yourself. I've sworn off plain shorts forever!

Edit: Oh yeah... if you go for bib shorts, get a jersey that zips all the way down, because you generally have to take your jersey off if you need to pee (only downfall, but totally worth it IMHO)

[KnottedYet]

Wool shirts make great cycling shirts for me. And they don't hold smells. They lie smoothly and don't flap in the wind. www.joneswares.com and www.ibexwear.com

No back pockets, but I usually wear pants with thigh pockets anyway (Kuhl, Pearl Izumi, and Portland Cyclist), so that's not an issue in my case.

[owlice]

Thanks, all! Some great ideas here on which I'll follow up; thank you!

Crankin and Tuckervill, I don't care what I look like when I bike; what I care about is how I feel, and clingy in a shirt doesn't feel good to me. (If I cared what I look like, I wouldn't wear lycra shorts at all, and definitely wouldn't have gone biking in what I went biking in last night!) Clingy bunches up in places where I don't want bunching when I ride (or just exist).

I definitely liked the airflow through the material as I rode, but having the fabric stick.to.my.skin :eek:, I didn't like at all!

[meganm]

I've had problems finding women's cycling jersey's that fit right. I'm tall (5'10") and they usually are too short for me.

[witeowl]

I suggest you try on a few more jerseys at a LBS, if possible. (This, sadly, wouldn't be possible for me, as the supposed XXL jersey I bought from them a while ago is just beginning to fit, even now that I'm down in XL territory. It's severely mislabeled in size.) I've found that various jerseys, even from the same brand, have completely different fits.

[Owlie]

Foska.com has looser-cut jerseys (they call them "Freeride" jerseys) on sale right now. The only problem is they're in the UK, so if you're elsewhere, shipping costs can be a little high...

[Cheryl SF]

Try a jersey without elastic at the bottom- a club cut as opposed to a racing cut. I like the fit of Twin Six jerseys. Plus their designs are cool :)