springtime sexiness

As I've previously pointed out, nothing says sexy like cutoff jeans. What's even sexier is a bicycle butt in cutoffs! This woman sported them with silver leggings to protect her bare legs from the springtime nip in the air. The white belt added a bit of seasonal panache.

She waited just long enough at the intersection for her friend to finish pushing her bike up the hill, and with two seconds to spare she bolted off!

the old man and the fedora

Former Mayor Willie Brown knew it was a fashion statement, as does this senior gentleman, but the one thing he has on Willie is that he's riding his cruiser, and not making any unfulfilled promises to fix Muni. And he's looking GOOD, might I add. Who needs Muni anyway.

More men who can put themselves together like this might even make my mother ride her bike in SF.

(And while we're on the subject of mayors, you know who else would look good on a bike? Mayor Gavin Newsom. So would Vice Presidential candidate Matt Gonzalez, but I bet you he already rides.)

Little Brown Riding Hood Takes a Cigarette Break.

Little Brown Riding Hood, sporting her usual capri pants (perfect for biking), ballet flats, green pea coat and scarf, walked her baby blue basketed steed home. She'd been out to collect chips and salsa for her impromptu Mission apartment party but was now enjoying a moment to herself before zipping back. Meanwhile, the mural woman danced gracefully around her like a chubby 2-dimensional tinkerbell.

Big Wheel Race

The Big Wheel Race is a thing in itself that I am tempted to include in VV, but it doesn't promote the use of the bicycle as transportation in fashionable clothing. So, I resist. However, this lady rode up to the event all gold-beige and coordinated with her bike wearing sexy shoes. She qualified!

Hippie Hill

Who knew that Hippie Hill would be a regular bastion of Vélo Voguers on a Sunday afternoon.

On the Way to Potrero

I was biking down to Potrero Hill when I saw this woman, all in black except a hot pink miniskirt and gold-flecked leg warmers over her combat boots. Caz of London recommends leg warmers as the new bicycle clips. I also liked the gold glinting in the spring sun.

every girl's crazy about...

I had just about convinced the banker I met with for lunch yesterday to commute from Bayview to the Civic Center on a bicycle wearing a suit, when on my way home, I saw this very chic man riding through the Panhandle.So of course I had to speed up to talk to him. I mean, he was wearing what appeared to be a cappuccino silk blazer and striped button down shirt over pressed jeans. A fashion flurry like that would turn any girl's head! But what really caught my eye were the argyle socks.He told me his name was Mike. So Mike pulled off the rolled up pants look with noteworthy sophistication. If you're going to roll up your pants to avoid getting them caught in the chain, why not choose some stylish socks that match the rest of the ensemble! Bravo Vélo Vogue Homme!

Easter Best

This young lady rolled out of bed last Sunday morning and began working on her bike. I rode past and noticed her immediately, all pink and yellow, even her hair matched! She was relucant at first to have her photo take bc she'd just woken up, but I thought that was so part of her charm.

american beauties

On Sunday, I brought my accordion to the Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park to practice. I figured the drum circle would drown out my chords and scales, so it was an ideal way to enjoy the spring sunshine and practice my new instrument.

Upon arriving, I immediately noticed this group of brightly colored vintage Schwinns, with a family of four playing frisbee nearby. When I asked the dad about his bicycles, he informed me that a friend of his restored them and he and his family enjoy riding them around. The man's personal clothing style was nothing for me to take note of (old tie-dye with rolled up jeans), but his bikes were impeccable. Reminded me of the yellow Schwinn with the banana seat I had as a kid!



A family that rides together stays together!

designated runways!

Great film on separated bike lanes! Something like this would certainly have an impact on the normalization of cycling in U.S. cities. You can disagree with me, but I bet you'd see more people turning to cycling in urban places, wearing what they would, getting from point A to point B.

panhandle vogue

We all know about the Mission. Stylish cyclists cruising up and down Valencia Street all day long. BUT--there are other 'hoods in SF where you can spot someone vogue-ing on two wheels. The Panhandle bike lane is one of those places. It's one of my favorite bike lanes in SF, not only because it's close to chez moi, but more importantly because every time I cruise through it, I witness typical SF moments. There is always a game of medicine ball happening on Saturdays. Strange, but true. If there weren't, it wouldn't be SF.

Catching a whiff of eucalyptus is also quite a pleasant experience.

So this afternoon I chased down this lady in black heading east on her smashing green cruiser, proving that the Mission isn't the only place to find SF cycle-style.

new spin on skinny

We all know about skinny jeans. And boots to boot. But what about stripes with flats? I applaud the effort to diversify le look typique de SF.

Commuter Vogue

It feels like I've spent most of this week on Caltrain. Caltrain is pretty nice to be on. I bring my thermos of tea, a banana and maybe a muffin, and I don't mind being on the train at all. I would eat breakfast anyway, right?

Caltrain has some of the best intermodal facilities (geek-talk for accommodation of bicycles) I've used. One car is dedicated to bicyclists and their steeds, and I'm usually on it. Keeping an eye out for VV has been pretty frustating -- there are a lot of cyclists, but they must be changing out of their spandex when they get to work (I hope!). I see one cute girl every day (not sure if it is the same one) -- here is my attempt to capture her look:

VV Profile: Lydia White

Name: Lydia White
Occupation: Web Designer/Photographer/Record Label Owner
SF Neighborhood: Lower Haight
Where else would you live besides SF: Berlin
Favorite place to shop: Wasteland
Favorite color: Red
Type of bike: Holdsworth steel frame road bike
Likes most about her bike: Pearl and red coloring. Thicker tires for going over potholes.
Describe your style: A little bit hippie, a little bit rock and roll.
Describe the SF cycle-style: Skinny jeans and hoodies.
Wear helmet: Yes.
Fashion tip for other cyclists: Heels and inappropriate footwear are fun for special occasions and short trips, but stick to boots and sneakers.

red hoodie riding

Our Copenhagen counterparts recently blogged about Red Riding Hood, and so I thought it a propos to then post this shot I took of a girl riding in the infamous SF hipster neighborhood of the Mission. Lilia and I recently discussed what is the San Francisco cycle-style. Clearly we differ from the sophistication of the European cyclists we see riding in Copenhagen and London. However, SF has a style all its own. This hipster chick in her red hoodie sweatshirt, skinny jeans and Converse hi-tops, speeding down 16th Street on her orange fixie, chatting on her cellie, personifies that street style, and represents a major part of the SF cycling community.

Liberator

I found this image posted on flickr by taisau with accompanying essay. Wow!

Black Saturday

The girls and I went to brunch last weekend as we sometimes like to do. Sitting by the window next to Dolores Park, I was constantly checking for VV material. (I think my friends understand.) This lady, in black, black, black, with boots, a short skirt, leather jacket, hair tie around her red hair, was the best-dressed cyclist I saw. Her edgy urban look balanced nicely with her cruiser-with-wicker-basket bike.

Santa's Little Helper

I had a shift at my gallery yesterday, and KT agreed to swing by for a long-overdue Velo Vogue meeting. The gallery is on Valencia, one of the streets most heavily trafficked with cyclists in the City. So, we were beating ourselves up over and over as attractive cyclists whizzed by too fast for us to snap their pictures. You have to let some of them go, we agreed. And then we saw this one:
I was especially taken with her earmuffs, and the way her boots matched them and her hat. Her classic road bike also matches her ensemble, stark white, so chic. I jumped up and chased her down just barely capturing her image as she sped through the next intersection. (A customer at the gallery become concerned that I might react the same when when he left the gallery until I showed him her picture.)

sunday in the park

San Francisco experienced a bit of a heat wave on Sunday, so folks came out in droves, on bicycles and afoot in Golden Gate Park, at Ocean Beach, on the Bridge. In the late afternoon, I got on my bike to meet my date on the other side of the park, a short-ride that once again caused me to reflect on the eclectic style of cyclists in this city.

This cyclist was reminiscent of a pastoral scene.

And how about this woman's fancy red leather boots.

And finally this woman selected some psychedelic shorts with purple socks for her bicycle date.

saturday morning vogue

Certain cafés in San Francisco attract cyclists, Velo Rouge on McAllister and Arguello being one of them. I spent the majority of the late morning/early afternoon there yesterday. The bike path that leads to the Golden Gate Bridge passes right in front of the café, and cyclists sporting all sorts of attire pass by. Here's a lovely blonde cyclist donning a green patterned dress on her green Bianchi, fit for springtime.

self-flattery

VV editor Lilia riding in to her art gallery opening party last night, looking smashing in her bicycle printed dress, black leggings and flats.

girls just wanna have fun!

The Mission is a great neighborhood to spot hipsters on two wheels, especially on a Friday night. These girls were having a great time last night rolling down Valencia on their one and only cruiser. I'm not sure how fashionable their attire is, but the blue cruiser is very cute, and the two chicks riding double was definitely turning heads.

orange from head to toe (almost)

This color-coordinated sneaker-coat-bicycle splash of orange is enough indication that this lovely lady takes a moment to plan her wardrobe before she leaves the house every morning on her daily commute. Here she is obviously calculating how much money she saves on gasoline by riding her bike to work! Love the backpack briefcase too. All she really needs to make this outfit pop is a fancy orange helmet from Nutcase.

city sparkle

I cruised by Café Revolution tonight to see about a boy, who wasn't there. Instead I saw this dazzlingly sparkly lady and her cute pooch poking out from her Swiss Army shoulder bag.


Here she is again contemplating how much better she looks outside of the taxi.

dress over pants look

I had pulled to the curb to answer a phone call from Lilia, my VV partner in crime, when I spotted this woman at the corner of Broderick and Oak. Lilia understood and quickly let me go chase this fashionable cyclist through what we SFers fondly call The Wiggle. I finally caught up with her in front of Duboce Park. Her choice of a red Vietnamese silk mini-dress over black velvet pants is a good one for San Francisco, because no matter what the season, the evenings get chilly as soon as the sun goes down. So I applaud her choice for keeping her legs cozy and warm for the imminent nightfall, while flaunting her personal style by day.

Peasant Blouse-Dress

You just never know when inspiration will strike. So, it helps to always be ready.
I was rushing to an appointment when this artful lady in peasant blouse-dress, vest, leggings, and half-boots pulled up along side me. Her bike was nothing special, but I loved the handlebars and front basket she'd added and the way she casually, yet gorgeously, placed her purse in it. I'm rarely quick enough to catch moments like these, but yesterday I did.

Critical-Mass Style

We sometimes feel a bit frustrated. Stylish cyclists must be everywhere, but we can't be everywhere all at once taking their pictures. To address this issue, we had the idea to go where cyclists congregate, in this case, Critical Mass. This is cheating, of course, bc the whole idea is to capture stylish cyclists in the natural habitat. People wear special clothes for Mass. At the same time, the very important Leap Year Mass Vogue was worth documenting.

I rode up with this guy (in green) and was so happy to have the opportunity to record his look once we arrived at Justin Herman Plaza.

When I asked if I could take her picture, the lady in the pink dress said "Yes, that's why I came!"
I replied: "We've been looking for each other."


Of course, there were lots of gorgeous cyclists at the ride, but I only had time to shoot photos of a few of them.

dogs in purses - not just for old ladies on the métro!

How about this man's San Francisco spin on carrying your French poodle in your Gucci handbag:

The chihuahua in his messenger bag, in addition to his smart look of the sportsjacket over faded black jeans, definitely caught my eye.

Tous les deux, très mignons!