Random thoughts about clothing

The following occurred to me while riding into work this morning, now that it's getting a little chilly here:

1) Why do women's short sleeve jerseys have such short sleeves? They are great for minimizing tan lines, but not so great for keeping the upper end of your arm warmers covered. A bolero thingy might solve the problem, but I'm not coordinated enough to remove it while riding.

2) Why do all of my long-fingered gloves have such short fingers? I swear, they make my fingers go numb and my hand cramp... Any suggestions for longer full-finger gloves? I have some PI Pittards gloves now....but the Louis Garneau that I tried were the same way.

Anyone else have random cycling clothing thoughts?

My favorite:
Why do women's polyester jerseys come in prints that bring back 1960's70's Partridge Family nightmares? It's like- could anyone possibly dream up fabrics that look any tackier than this?

My other favorite:
Why do I usually wear size 12 pants but when I buy biking shorts I need to get the XL or even the XXL? Um, I'm just an average sized woman! What on earth do actual large women do when buying bike shorts?!

and....Why do they always make the elastic band on bike shorts 2" too tight, while the rest of the shorts fits just fine?

They could look like this :D

http://plaidstallions.blogspot.com/s...hion%20mockery

I can't stand shopping for clothes. I absolutely despise it. My Mom always says "I wonder if you got that from me", LOL... probably!!

For work, I buy a slew of Dockers and a slew of the same shirt (different colors), and that's what I wear to work... I absolutely hate shopping.

I'm clean, I smell good, and I'm a programmer... so not alot of people see me throughout the day... and those that do... know my attire and how boring it is, LOL!:D

oh and for bike jerseys... I buys mens:D.... because in women's, you need an x-large because a size medium is small enough to fix a 9yo!:eek::mad:

rant over...:p

My question is, why do winter clothes not have more reflective bits? Clothing designers use reflective bits as decoration, but for winter riding, most of us will be out in the dark 90% of the time. I want clothing COVERED in reflectors, not just sporting a stylish little logo on some edge.

Also where are the good, breathable waterproof pants? I've used GoreTex ones; they're like riding inside a rain fly. I've used quasi-waterproof ones with breathable backs, but they soak through in the end. I've heard the amfibs are good, but haven't gotten to try them out yet. Seriously, winter pants need some work.

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Originally Posted by lph

They could look like this :D

http://plaidstallions.blogspot.com/s...hion%20mockery

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Somewhere there's a picture of my little sister in that dress. There was a point in life where we were dressed out of the Sears catalogue. Including matching polyester outfits. :eek:

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that thinks that too!!! I never thought of buying men's jerseys, I'll have to check them out.

I wish that I could buy men's jerseys....better patterns, IMO, and longer sleeves....unfortunately, I'm petite, short-waisted, and the upper half is rather curvy....men's gear just isn't working here.

I agree with the comment about winter pants. I'm not sure what I'm going to wear on the lower half when it gets cold, windy, and/or damp. Around here, wind is definitely the enemy. My office sits right on the Delaware River!

Kfergos, check out lightweights.org. They have some iron-on reflectors for clothing. I bought a package, but have yet to decide what garment is going to be my test case, so I have no idea how well they work.

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Originally Posted by kfergos

Also where are the good, breathable waterproof pants? I've used GoreTex ones; they're like riding inside a rain fly. I've used quasi-waterproof ones with breathable backs, but they soak through in the end. I've heard the amfibs are good, but haven't gotten to try them out yet. Seriously, winter pants need some work.

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I agree on the reflectors, and usually add a couple of wide reflector bands around my wrists and ankles in winter. One more thing to put on, no wonder it takes me 20 mins to get out the door...

The amfibs are good but are not waterproof. They're excellent for most winter weather I get, though, which is chilly-damp (light rain/drizzle) or dry-cold, but when it's really pouring I roll out the GoreTex pants. They're cycle-cut so fit ok, and they work reasonably well but I have to go slower and try not to build up a sweat.

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Originally Posted by lph

They could look like this :D

http://plaidstallions.blogspot.com/s...hion%20mockery

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I love it!! I went to a Halloween party once 70s style and we had a blast!! You should have seen the afro hair and blue eye shadow, it was hillarious. I'm with you on the tight waistband. I'm a size 7 and I need large to XL.

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Originally Posted by Becky

Why do all of my long-fingered gloves have such short fingers? I swear, they make my fingers go numb and my hand cramp... Any suggestions for longer full-finger gloves?

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My first reaction on reading that was to think we need to exchange gloves. All of my full-finger gloves have at least an inch of space at the end that gets in the way on my shifters and brakes, and make it impossible to turn on my lights.

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Originally Posted by lph

They could look like this :D

http://plaidstallions.blogspot.com/s...hion%20mockery

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I think we need a new thread sharing old photos of us wearing wonderful things like those ensembles. I have some pretty bad ones myself. My mom used to sew me little outfits that matched hers! :eek:

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Originally Posted by Becky

Kfergos, check out lightweights.org. They have some iron-on reflectors for clothing. I bought a package, but have yet to decide what garment is going to be my test case, so I have no idea how well they work.

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Good to hear -- I'll let you be the test case, though :D Let me know if they work, cause I'd definitely go for it if they do.

For those of you who live in Seattle or other downright wet parts of the country, what do you do pants-wise in the winter? Do you just get soaked? Do you try to GoreTex it up? Are there other options?

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Originally Posted by kfergos

My question is, why do winter clothes not have more reflective bits? Clothing designers use reflective bits as decoration, but for winter riding, most of us will be out in the dark 90% of the time. I want clothing COVERED in reflectors, not just sporting a stylish little logo on some edge.

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On this same note, what's the deal with black jerseys, jackets and the like? TE has a number of new Shebeest items posted that only come in black. I generally like Shebeest clothes, but I won't buy a jersey or jacket in black-- certainly not for winter riding. Why would I want to wear something that makes me blend into the road? I like high vis colors for my upper body.

I listened to TE-Susan on that video clip she posted, and she had an interesting point: she pointed out that a lot of colours, not only black, are virtually black in the dark. So if you ride in true darkness you either want to go for very light colours, (white, pale yellow, which are pretty impractical and would get darn grimy in my winter weather) or better - festoon yourself with reflecting material. Just a thought.

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Originally Posted by newfsmith

My first reaction on reading that was to think we need to exchange gloves. All of my full-finger gloves have at least an inch of space at the end that gets in the way on my shifters and brakes, and make it impossible to turn on my lights.

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What kind of gloves are they? Maybe I need to be looking at other brands....

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Originally Posted by Becky

What kind of gloves are they? Maybe I need to be looking at other brands....

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I've given up on women's long-fingered gloves for that very reason - fingers too short. I don't understand....if they make broad assumptions about women in designing their clothing, can't they throw us a bone and assume we have long fingernails or something and make the fingers a longer length???

I wear men's long-fingered gloves now.

Illuminite makes some of the best reflective clothing in my opinion. I have a jacket and pant and almost the entire piece is reflective. :cool:

If you're chesty, women's tops are always snug. Blah!

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Originally Posted by kfergos

For those of you who live in Seattle or other downright wet parts of the country, what do you do pants-wise in the winter? Do you just get soaked? Do you try to GoreTex it up? Are there other options?

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I get too hot, even in cold weather, wearing real rain gear. I just try to wear things that are warm when wet. Wool socks and gloves, thin polar fleece tights (they are paddling pants.... I was having a hard time finding chamois-less tights when I came across a pair of paddling tights - they are very warm). I wear a soft shell jacket. It actually does keep me pretty dry - dryer I think than even a breathable, waterproof jacket - as I tend to sweat more in those. I don't do wool other than hands and feet.... even very soft wool makes me itch on the more sensitive skin of my torso...

another +1 for mens full fingered gloves...

I posted a whole thread about that once a long time ago. That was on the look out for winter gloves. Those I bought some Nike winter mens cycle gloves. I just bought more mens gloves for mtb. A size small usually does the trick on additional finger length. Look for mens gloves that have a wrist closure vs just pull ons. Eventhough my fingers are long, my palms are thin, not man beefy, and my wrist are very tiny. The wrist strap closure helps to snug things up in a mans glove.

Also... about the stupid French cut cap sleeves on jerseys...
I think the idea is that it's suppose to be more feminie fashion wise. Or, they assume we don't have broad shoulders to fill the jerseys out. I'm pretty developed there, and love that. What is really dumb is trying to get an arm warmer to go with that kind of jersey. The arm warmer is too short to reach the end of the jersey cap sleeeve. Grrrrr....

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Originally Posted by Miranda

Also... about the stupid French cut cap sleeves on jerseys...
I think the idea is that it's suppose to be more feminie fashion wise. Or, they assume we don't have broad shoulders to fill the jerseys out. I'm pretty developed there, and love that. What is really dumb is trying to get an arm warmer to go with that kind of jersey. The arm warmer is too short to reach the end of the jersey cap sleeeve. Grrrrr....

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Exactly the problem that I had this morning! I had this little strip of skin on each arm that was hanging out in the breeze, getting chilly... Thankfully, it's not cold here yet.

I like cap sleeves.
Short sleeved tees and jerseys sometimes come down to my elbows.

And the full fingered glove? When I tried mine on I thought they had left room for someone with long fingernails.

One size doesn't fit all, you just have to do the best you can.

People who don't like SHORT short sleeves -- look for the Gore Liquid jersey. The sleeves go nearly to your elbows. I wasn't expecting that much from this jersey but the fabric is actually quite nice, as is the fit. And full zip. I have two short sleeve and two sleeveless as I was able to get them for $20 a piece at Terry's 50% off sale last year (50% off sale prices is the best!).

The thing is, somehow I am able to pull armwarmers up underneath my cap sleeves... no strip of skin showing... is that unusual?

You can just call my Olive Oyl :eek:...

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Originally Posted by Zen

I like cap sleeves.
Short sleeved tees and jerseys sometimes come down to my elbows.

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Well, little missy, there you go. ;)

There ARE shorter, small-boned women who cycle...so we can't eliminate smaller sized cycling clothing designs.

Otherwise why do petite women's clothing shops or clothing lines, exist?

I wish I were petite, but alas, my german bone structure.....

I'm just ribbin' Zen. Didn't mean to offend the petite ladies here.

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Originally Posted by chicago

I can't stand shopping for clothes. I absolutely despise it. My Mom always says "I wonder if you got that from me", LOL... probably!!

For work, I buy a slew of Dockers and a slew of the same shirt (different colors), and that's what I wear to work... I absolutely hate shopping.

I'm clean, I smell good, and I'm a programmer... so not alot of people see me throughout the day... and those that do... know my attire and how boring it is, LOL!:D

oh and for bike jerseys... I buys mens:D.... because in women's, you need an x-large because a size medium is small enough to fix a 9yo!:eek::mad:

rant over...:p

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Where do you get Dockers??? I'm in a fix 'cause I've ducked into Kohl's three times for my supply (my sister and I call it "look and leave" shopping - I *can* summon up the forces to alter my being and do it, but it requires assistive technology and catalysts that aren't generally present in my world). Do you have an online source?

I have a few bike jerseys but mostly I just wear stuff I get from Sierra Trading POst. (By the way, I was accused of being fashionable today - but only with the usual 'don't look below the knees' rule, 'cause the shoes and socks...)

I am out in the public and... I help people with math. And people say "oh, her clothes? Well, she doesn't have a car. She rides her bike." And then it's okay. (The math stuff is part of it, too - kinda like being a programmer even tho' it's very basic math)

I wear men's gloves 'cause my hands and feet are manly shaped - on the small end for man's sizes but that means lots of closeout stuff.

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Originally Posted by Becky

The following occurred to me while riding into work this morning, now that it's getting a little chilly here:

1) Why do women's short sleeve jerseys have such short sleeves? They are great for minimizing tan lines, but not so great for keeping the upper end of your arm warmers covered. A bolero thingy might solve the problem, but I'm not coordinated enough to remove it while riding.

2) Why do all of my long-fingered gloves have such short fingers? I swear, they make my fingers go numb and my hand cramp... Any suggestions for longer full-finger gloves? I have some PI Pittards gloves now....but the Louis Garneau that I tried were the same way.

Anyone else have random cycling clothing thoughts?

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I usually wear men's jerseys, but stumbled onto a cute Pearl Izumi in turquoise on the clearance rack--so I bought it! BINGO--I got a burn on my upper arms because the sleeves were so much shorter than my usual jerseys.

I thought the short fingered gloves were what I got for being cheap last fall! My fingertips would go numb unless I constantly pulled on each glove with my teeth! (At least it kept me distracted from my hands being so COLD!)

I'm not what you'd call super curvy, but all men's jerseys ride up to my waist, do not stay down near my hips.
About gloves, sounds like you have long slender hands. I find most women's large fits me much better than men's smalls do.

See, and I have the opposite problem with my gloves. My hands are wide, but my fingers are short (just like the rest of me). Women's gloves are all too narrow and too long! I need men's gloves in extra smalls!

And the shorts thing. I'm apparently Lisa's opposite. I wear a 10 or a 12 in regular pants, but I need smalls in women's bike shorts or the chamois is too big and it bunches up. BUT, a small means that my leg circulation is basically cut off the by elastic. Seriously. Am I the only woman out there who has narrow hips but a big butt and legs?

And just a little technical FYI - there is no such thing as a fabric that can shed water and breathe at the same time. All 'breatheable' fabrics are only breathing when they are dry. They cannot breathe when wet - that would be impossible (you can't let out air at the same time that you are not letting in water!). Best bet, like Eden said...is something that keeps you warm when wet or something with lots of venting.

Well, I love my cycling clothes. It's getting easier to find clothing for petite women, but still, a lot of jerseys I see don't come in x small. That's why almost all of my clothes are Terry or Shebeest.
What I don't like: elastic on the bottom. Again, another reason why I don't have other brands except Terry or Shebeest.
I can't wear men's jerseys. Maybe a boys' jersey?
I have had no problems with gloves. I found out that my hands are small, but not teeny. I wear a woman's small or medium glove.
I have 3 rain jackets, one cheap from REI, a medium priced one from Performance, with a hood and pit zips, and an expensive Gore jacket with pit zips and they all are sweaty, but keep the rain out. If I open the pit zips (the cheap jacket doesn't have them) it works. I would rather be dry than cool.