my style, cycle chic

outfit: cycle chic with papillionaire

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calivintage + papillionaire bikes

since i usually write about fashion and home decor, you may not know that i’m also totally into bikes! i don’t ride around nearly as much as i used to, but i still have a growing collection of bikes! once upon a time, i would go on long bicycle tours, and while i hope to do that again some day when the kids are a little older, these days i’m a lot more focused on city bikes. and by city bikes, i mean casual bikes to get around town. i have a really cute mixte frame with slightly more upright geometry, but i have been itching to get back on a road bike, too! so when papillionaire asked me if i’d like to try out a bike, i went straight for their new remi. i love it because it reminds me of some of the vintage road bikes i used to ride around on back in the day, but it’s shiny and new and not quite as clunky as some of those vintage bikes can be!

the really fun part is that you can completely customize your bike! this particular model comes in this wonderful shade of aloe, or you can choose from coffee, steel blue, or carmine red. you can also choose between whitewall tires for a more vintage look, or a classic gumwall. you can even pick a black or brown leather saddle and grips. it’s all those little details that get me really excited about a new bike!

but of course, if a road bike isn’t quite your style, they have a really nice selection of frames, from a dutch style to a mixte frame to a beach cruiser, a classic hybrid, and a racer. and none of them will come anywhere near breaking the bank, so they’re definitely a brand worth checking out if you’re on the hunt for a bike to ride around in this wonderful spring weather.

wearing:
only child vista linen jumpsuit
papillionaire remi bike
greek sandals
steven alan bryce sunglasses in peach crystal
sylvain le hen xs barrette

calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes

cycle chic

riding around town with columbia

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as you may already know, when it comes to bikes, i’m a bit of a fanatic. i’ve toured the california coast on a sporty touring bike, i’ve commuted to work on a cute little road bike. and i may have a bit of a habit of collecting vintage bikes…. so you know i was super excited to add a new columbia bike to my collection! if you’re not familiar with the brand, they’re basically the mother of american cycling companies. columbia has a long history, starting in 1877 when they were founded by alexander pope (who served as a mentor to henry ford himself). they invented the tandem bike, and i’m sure you’ve seen some of their classic styles from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, including those spectacular vintage cruisers decked out with banana seats and wild colors. i tend to be a little bit less flashy in my styling, so i went for the men’s westfield vintage city bike. i love the vintage styling, complete with a cute little led headlight and fender taillight. and the sturdy steel frame with internal 3 speed hub is just right for a smooth, easy ride around town.

and lately, a leisurely ride around town is exactly my speed.  i don’t commute to work or race on the weekends, i just like to hop on my city bike to get some fresh air and to clear my head. for me, it’s a luxury to get a few hours to myself so i can grab a market bag, swing by the farmers market to pick up some fresh fruits and veggies, and stop by the park for some relaxation. and i’m really excited to continue riding this bike around town in the months ahead.

the columbia westfield is available at dicks sporting goods. be sure to check out toys r us, target, amazon, and walmart where additional columbia bike models are sold.

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this post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with pollinate media group® and columbia bicycles, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ridecolumbia http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

my style, cycle chic

outfit: tomboy style with levi’s

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when it comes to life lately, it’s beginning to feel like all work and no play over here. so in between drying coats of paint in my house, i went for a quick bike ride around my neighborhood to get some fresh air, and to remember that my muscles can move in a direction other than that of a paint brush! and it was the perfect opportunity to swap out my paint-covered jeans to test out my new levi’s commuter skinny jeans. they’re part of their latest commuter collection, designed for cyclists, by cyclists. they’re basically a regular pair of high rise skinny jeans made with a super stretchy water-resistance performance fabric so that they are comfortable and practical to wear while cycling. they even have a little reflective strip along the inner side seam, which reveals itself when you roll up the cuffs. i really hate wearing “performance” gear unless i absolutely have to, but it’s nice to have the functionality when you’re riding around, so these are the perfect middle ground.

and as much as i love a good pair of dark denim, it was actually fun to play around with this lighter shade of cornflower blue. i’ve been experimenting a lot with mixing different shades of denim, so i tried them out with a cropped denim top and a simple pair of clogs for a tomboy vibe. it’s super casual, but i still feel like i’m retaining my sense of style, even when i’m spending more time focusing on paint colors than clothes!

wearing:
indigo jane top courtesy of loup
commuter skinny jeans courtesy of levi’s
vintage clogs
vintage linen baseball cap
willow three speed courtesy of brooklyn bicycle co.

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my style, cycle chic

outfit: riding around town

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since having adam and moving to a new home, i’m embarrassed to admit that it’s been quite a while since i’ve gone on a bike ride around town! riding a bike has been a big part of my lifestyle up until now, and it’s certainly not something that i want to give up. so when brooklyn bike co. got in touch and asked if i’d like to try out one of their bikes, it was just the kick in the butt that i needed to hop back on a bike. after a bit of consideration around my needs, i picked out the willow 3-speed in a sleek gloss black frame. it’s a nice lightweight, but sturdy chromoly frame that weighs in at about 28lbs. it’s got three speeds– nothing crazy– but just enough to help me get around town. it’s relatively flat in all of the places where i would be doing casual riding, so i don’t need a fancy road bike with a million different gears. and i like the classic black frame because it’s simple and chic and won’t clash with any of my outfits. of course i love that the step-through frame has a vintage vibe, but since it’s brand new, it’s much more comfortable to ride. i have a vintage raleigh which i love, but i swear to you, it’s like 50 pounds. super cute, but not always the most practical.

so here’s what i wore on my first day back in the saddle! it was a sunny day, but just cool enough that i opted to wear jeans and a long sleeve shirt. but the nice thing about an upright bike like this is that you can get away with wearing pretty much anything you’d like. i went for a but of a tomboy look, but once the weather is a little bit warmer, i’m sure i’ll be hopping on in a little sun dress.

wearing:
willow three speed courtesy of brooklyn bicycle co.
lake merced shirt courtesy of tradlands
mih halsy straight leg jeans
marais usa cowboy mules
jasper sunglasses courtesy of warby parker
the runwell courtesy of shinola
horseshoe ring courtesy of erica weiner





 

my style, cycle chic

outfit: easy rider

19 Comments

today i thought i’d share a couple of photos i snapped a few weeks ago for one of my latest posts on refinery29 my stylist! if you’re not familiar with the site, it’s a fashion hub on refinery29 featuring a selection of bloggers from all over the country. i have been representing the bay area, writing 3 posts per month on a variety of fashion topics like retro swimwear, overalls, and my latest cycle chic post. i pulled this look together for a very casual weekend ride around town, cruising past lake merritt and stopping by the farmer’s market for flowers and fruit on my trusty public bikes m8 (which just so happens to be on sale right now)!

see my full post on refinery29 right here.

wearing: ganni overalls, american apparel top, vintage jute tote, rachel comey mars boots, rayban clubmasters courtesy of sunglasses shop

fashion, cycle chic

loeffler randall girls on bikes

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yesterday i caught a glimpse of this cute video by loeffler randall dedicated to their new rider bag. i love the classic satchel style, perfectly suited for fall. throw on a few strategically placed straps, and it’s also perfectly suited for fastening to your handlebars. i’d like this chic attaché regardless, but those little details make all the difference when you’re getting ready to hop on your bike for a quick ride around town.

to see more of my cycle chic posts from the past, click here, or check out my bike blog, bikes + babes.



cycle chic, giveaways

enter to win a bike basket from public bikes!

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basket

continuing with my cycle chic theme this week, i thought it would only be fitting to celebrate by offering you a chance to win this cute bike basket from public bikes! if you aren’t already familiar with public, they’re a local bike shop based here in san francisco with an equally lovely online shop offering a number of different ready-to-ride bike models in very pretty colors. in addition to their beautiful bikes, they also have a shop stocked full of bike accessories like racks, saddles, helmets, lights, and more, all chosen for their sleek design and functionality.

to enter, simply visit public bikes and then leave a comment in the section below!

only one entry per person. giveaway ends on friday, march 16. winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email.

and if you haven’t seen the video yet, here it is!

public bikes would also like to offer you 10% off your entire order with the code “calivintage” now through march 16.

this code excludes sale items and cannot be combined with any other promotions. it is only valid on purchases made directly through public.com or at the public store in san francisco.

EDIT: THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. congratulations to our winner, elanor!

my style, cycle chic, press

calivintage in momentum magazine!

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calivintage in momentum magazine!

apparently it’s bike week here at calivintage because on the heels (or wheels?) of yesterday’s bike video, i thought i might share my most recent feature in momentum magazine! you can check it out in either the digital edition online or in newsstands across north america. there is also a short interview with me on the momentum bikestyle blog! thank you so much to the folks at momentum for including me in such a lovely feature including some truly talented bloggers!

and if you’re interested in what i’m wearing…
hat: vintage
sweater: chloe sevigny for opening ceremony
dress: vintage dress from we move vintage
blouse: equipment signature silk blouse
shoes: vintage salvatore ferragamo vara flats
bag: h.w. hulme mini legacy bag
lipstick: ysl rouge pur in le rouge

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calivintage in momentum magazine!
photos by kristin cofer.

my style, cycle chic

calivintage + public bikes video!

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today i am beyond excited to finally be able to share this exciting project that i’ve been working on! it was one of those things that started off as a tiny idea several months ago… i had just met with the incredible folks at public bikes to check out their local bike shop here in san francisco. at the same time, i was chatting with my videographer buddy jon who told me that he’s always wanted to create a bike video. fast forward a few months, and here you have it. a collaboration between a very cool local business built on the idea of getting more people on bikes, a very patient videographer who sat facing backwards on an xtracycle to get some awesome footage (you may remember this behind-the-scenes photo), and a silly blogger who had the pleasure of riding around oakland and san francisco with such a cool team behind me.

if you’re curious about the particular model that i’m riding, it’s the public m8 in powder blue. she’s my trusty girl. a classic, mixte frame with an 8-speed internal hub for riding up and down those treacherous san francisco hills. if you are in the market for a bike, i highly recommend them. check out the site at public bikes or follow them on twitter and facebook!

credits: video by jon brown, music by chrome sparks, bike by public.

cycle chic

bikes + babes

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bikes

i mentioned one of my side-projects the other day and realized that it had been quite a long while since i’ve done a bikes + babes post. so i flipped through the archives of my new(ish) blog, bikes + babes to pull out some of my favorite photos of– wait for it– bikes and babes. but honestly, i’ve been posting so many photos up there that i feel like you’ll need to head over to get the full scope. so consider this your teaser and then head on over to bikes + babes!

from the top left: tara lynn of good night, day, zoe of lion heart vintage, street style by the locals, marie photographed by stockholmstreetstyle, cindy photographed by bike fancy, and harriet henderson photographed by anne bernecker.