What To Wear - Darius Pearson

Vélo Vogue and Mind The Gap have teamed up to bring you some simple bike commuter tips. First up, What To Wear for men, featuring Darius Pearson, manager at Chrome SF who commutes by bike to work daily. He tells us what he typically wears when he bikes to work or play.

Let us know what YOU wear to work! Especially the guys this time!

she makes it look so easy

When I tell out of towners that I bike all over town, this is the image that usually comes to mind. I'm sure you've all heard it before ("You bike SF? What about all the HILLS?")

Piece of cake! ;-)

Don't Stop Til You Get Enough [Tweed] (pt. 4)

I ran into the lovely Patricia again on the ride, wearing a pretty houndstooth mini-skirt with red tights. Yowza! (I believe that's exactly what Sir Colin was thinking as he was caught sneaking a peek here.)


If his and hers awards were to be given that night by me, then this lovely bloomer-clad lady definitely would have earned it big time.


And if the bloomers were not enough, get a load of her shoes!


Adrienne's got the look and knows how to give one, too.


Equal time must be given to Adrienne's vested hubby James.


Double the Tweed on a tandem!


And I'll end this series with a woman who epitomized the Vélo Vogue/Cycle Chic trend for me that night. A class act, indeed.

The Tweed Will Go On (pt. 2)

By far my favorite pic of the evening, not just because my friends Adrienne and Joe are seen here looking fine, but more importantly for the snide smirks on both their faces.


Here's a nice angle on argyle.


Um... would someone roll out the red carpet for this chap on his Penny Farthing? In my opinion, the star of the show.


I think I should have been born a few decades ago, because I wouldn't mind seeing pipe-smoking, tweed-suited men on every corner of SF.


Another great outfit, and another great bike. The ride will go on...

of moms and dads

An SF supermum in her classic tie-dye leggings shows her girls how it's done!


And I must admit that I had my eye on this hot daddi-o with that cute smile, cap and Chucks...


until I saw him consoling/encouraging/congratulating his daughter who was apparently learning to ride on two wheels in the Panhandle.

Way to go Moms and Dads!

shorts, thigh high socks and cap

I caught the tail end of this woman pulling her thigh high tan stockings all the way up to the hem of her grey shorts before she blasted off onto the Embarcadero. There are so many alternatives to pants! Here's another great VV look, with her lime green bicycle, cute cap and turtleneck short sleeve sweater on a gorgeous fall afternoon.

les parisiens de Tièche

There's an exhibit called Les Parisiennes de Kiraz at the Musée Carnavalet about French illustrator Edmond Kiraz. It's dedicated to his images of chic Parisian women in a variety of situations--dating, shopping, vacationing, cycling--and captures that je ne sais quoi which is so enchanting about those often imitated females from one of the great fashion capitals of the world.

An appreciation for the cute boys on bikes we've captured here at Vélo Vogue has been called to our attention. We like seeing them, too. Indeed, what about the boys? So in response to Kiraz's show at the Carnavalet, I'm giving you my take on the coolness, the class, the beauty of les hommes de Paris.

Donning a cap and coat in the Marais:
On his cellie outside Place des Vosges:
Waiting for the stoplight, or the leaves, to change color on a bike lane along the Seine:
Ciggie break while picking up his Vélib'.
Who needs to break for a ciggie?

The vest with jeans look in St. Paul:
I was in a cabine de téléphone when this man in yellow shirt and pinstriped pants pulled up. Gentlemen take note: Parisian men know how to combine and take risks with color!
And all I could say was Hallelujah when this man rode by me in front of the Eglise Saint Sulpice. God bless les Parisiens.

missed connection

You were the handsome salt-and-pepper haired man in a tartan jacket, grey wool cap and folded up Levi's riding a black Raleigh 10-speed with double panniers, black fenders with pink polka dot stickers on them. I was following you all the way from North Beach on Montgomery all the way up Market Street about 10 pm on Friday night, until you turned left on Valencia, which was when you swung your head around and smiled at me. I told you I had been following you, and you said, "I know." But I didn't even get your name (damn!).
I shoulda yelled my phone number at you! Sometimes, regretfully, we all revert to nervous teenagers.

O Vélo Vogue, (at this point) you're my only hope!

intello-vélo

This guy has that French café intellectual look with the glasses and tweed cap, and I love the pant leg tucked into the knee high trouser sock. All that's missing, really, is a chainguard. He knows, as do we, that riding a bicycle is the most intelligent (and stylish) choice for transportation! I found it ironic that he's paused here smack dab in front of a Honda dealership that is promoting "Green" cars! He could very well be an advertisement unto himself for a more sustainable lifestyle!

Impeccable, mon ami!

boys with hats

This is Isaac:

I met him on the corner of 3rd and Folsom, and I stopped to compliment him on his short distressed denim coat (not just a jean jacket). Nice fashion choice, Isaac! His bicycle is also incredibly cute. Isaac also dons a matching blue cap.

I think the word for men in hats would be dapper (in my humble opinion). But it has to be the right hat for the man. For example:

This fellow in plaid shirt and black hat and matching black hi-tops on 16th and Guerrero, and...

this young chap dressing up his sporty look with a brown hat seen on Bryant and 16th.