TE Jersey Design Contest

[SadieKate]

Voler - HUGE range of sizes and style choices. Best armwarmers on the planet. I've heard some positive feedback on their shorts but haven't tried them yet. Unfortunately, their vest and jackets are only unisex (which I hate as a term; it's a men's cut).

First, we chose the SQ Pro fabric which is their "team" fabric and a bit more expensive, silky and luxurious compared to the Aries Micro Plus which is commonly used for "event" jerseys (I've got MS150 and the Little Red Riding Hood jerseys in the Aries Micro Plus).

2nd, we chose set-in sleeves. While loads of people love raglan, those with large shoulders and large busts get a better fit with set-in and the sleeve style had to be universal. My knitting design books even talk about not putting large busted women in raglan sleeves. Since the TE crowd is a wider mix of body types compared to a race team, it seemed a reasonable choice.

3rd, 3/4 length zipper was also a universal decision but we could have gone with full length. Either is great for those of us who wear bibs or overheat, and for the guys (have you seen how many guys like the Velo Bella jerseys and the "Ride Like a Girl" socks)?

Because this was a full custom jersey order, we did have flexibility with the cut. Everyone was able to pick whether they wanted a "race cut" or a "club cut." Race cut means slightly tighter, slightly shorter (have to keep the sponsor logos across the butt on your shorts visible), and have elastic. Club cut means a slightly more relaxed fit and better for an hour glass or hippy figure, and no hem elastic.

A couple of extra notes about Voler, you can put a "secret" message inside the collar. I'm in the club cut jersey in these photos. You can also see the inside of the collar (credits to Veronica's creativity).
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...loci%20jersey/

Last, because Voler has their retail line (velowear.com) and the team wanted a red jersey, I picked a red that matched their standard armwarmers. When we first ordered we weren't sure if we could get enough people to buy armwarmers to get custom, so choosing a color that would coordinate with a standard color from their retail line seemed a good option. Fortunately, it was a great color red. I'm just mentioning this because I'm not sure how extensive your project is. I love having matching armwarmers. It's like having a longsleeve jersey without the expense and better temp-management options during the ride. If you wanted, you could stock plain warmers in a matching color.

The sleeveless jerseys in this photo are race cut (though I've removed the elastic from mine and Jo hasn't - we're on the far right). The rest I think are club cut. I wish I looked as good as aka_kim(far left) in mine.

[CycleTherapy]

Didn't have a picture of my AV jersey but for those wondering about the design....here's the jacket. The AV jersey's fit, material & design is by far my most favorite jersey. It gets a lot of comments.

[katluvr]

WOW!
I checked out the submissions--so when is the deadline? When will we know?
And will there also be a sleeveless version. I live in Florida and almost never wear sleeves.

I like a LOT of them. So it will be interesting to see what is choosen!

[jobob]

The sleeveless jerseys in this photo are race cut (though I've removed the elastic from mine and Jo hasn't* - we're on the far right).

*As evidenced by the fact that my jersey had crept up over my fat hips, bleah!

But happily, Voler nowadays makes sleeveless women's jerseys in club cut (no elastic, more relaxed fit)

[Biciclista]

*As evidenced by the fact that my jersey had crept up over my fat hips, bleah!

Give me a break, you do NOT have fat hips. you had a jersey that did not fit right.

[Ana]

*As evidenced by the fact that my jersey had crept up over my fat hips, bleah!

But happily, Voler nowadays makes sleeveless women's jerseys in club cut (no elastic, more relaxed fit)

Jersey creep-up if there's elastic means it's too short or you're shapely (or both!)

My hips are 37/38" and my waist is about 29" and my jerseys still creep up if the elastic is a little too tight and it is a bit short (I have a long torso) I suspect this is why some of us think that elastic is evil!

[Selkie]

I hope Velogirl chimes in because she has her jerseys made by Voler, too. These are similar to the AV jerseys in fit (club cut) but they are full zip. With the AV jerseys, my Velogirls jerseys are my favorites. It's a treat to wear them, so I have them for my long or "special" rides.

Who did the AV design? Whoever came up w/that design really should submit something (hinthint)---unless they already have and I haven't gotten to that thread yet.

[SadieKate]

Ha-ha! My life is not my own at the moment so creativity is hard to come by. Thanks for the compliment.

[tctrek]

Wow! There are so many cute ideas. I don't have a creative bone in my body, but I love, love, love the one by ttaylor508 that has the neon yellow, green and orange with the big gear graphic. I ride on busy roads where I want to be seen and the brighter, neon colors help me to stick out.

Also, no elastic and 3/4 zipper are my preferences. My elastic bottom jerseys all bunch up on my backside ...lovely.

Can't wait to see the winner!

[batsheva]

Wow! There are so many cute ideas. I don't have a creative bone in my body, but I love, love, love the one by ttaylor508 that has the neon yellow, green and orange with the big gear graphic. I ride on busy roads where I want to be seen and the brighter, neon colors help me to stick out.

Can't wait to see the winner!

I love this red gold and green jersey also with the big gear graphic- however the "she rides" I fear would get comments of an unwanted nature from passing motorists!!

I think the design stands by itself and does not need an words written on the upper back section where it currently says "she rides". The deisgn is strong enough that that is just an unwanted distraction for me. If those words were removed, I would be first in line to buy this jersey in both sleeved and sleeveless I think.

With elastic :-) doesnt have to have tight elastic - just enough so it doesnt hang lifelessly at the bottom

Amazing design ttaylor508! Fab colours--

batsheva

[Selkie]

Bat - you make a good point. I think the "she rides" doesn't enhance the design. Since I ride alone, I'd prefer not to be so easily identified as a female.

[tctrek]

Yep - I would agree with the "She Rides:... I didn't really think about it when I was first admiring the colors and the big graphic of the gears. I always ride with my DH and that sort of stuff doesn't cross my mind, although all of us should always remember that there are crazies out there that we don't want to focus on the fact that it's a woman on a bike. Great Point!

[Duck on Wheels]

How about "One less car" instead ...? Might have a positive effect on drivers' consideration.

[ny biker]

I'm pretty sure people can tell I'm female whether the word "she" is on my jersey or not. And, at least around here, people are far more likely to try to run me off the road than make sexist comments.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm pretty sure people can tell I'm female whether the word "she" is on my jersey or not.

Tell me about it. With my figure and my hips, there is no way I could ever possibly pass for a male cyclist!