The right place to ride in this suit? Anywhere a dandy pleases!
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It’s clear that the word “Dashing” in Dashing Tweeds is not only about the fashion, but a reflection of its fashion innovator, Guy Hills. He is dashing. His infectious ebullience is genuine. He loves biking and he loves to look smart.
When I arrive at Guy’s London home to choose fabric for my bespoke suit, Guy is every bit the marvelous British host. Cups of tea all around. We view all the Lumatwill fabrics, and I get to see pieces made by a variety of Savile Row tailors. Guy models the jackets and trousers and tells us stories of the tailors to Lord Mountbatten. I choose a tweed that is the color of wet pavement and red stoplights.
On the other side of town we meet tailor Russell Howarth in his shop. Let’s admit it: getting a custom fitted suit is a splurge. Being fussed over, measured, tucked and plucked, is a pampering of the highest order. During the final fitting, I can’t help feeling slightly sad the process is coming to an end. Collaborating with creative, skilled, friendly Brits has been a blast. The suit is perfect!
I feel completely at ease when riding. The suit is based on 1930s cycling designs and moves in all the right places. Worn with the vest, it does very well in the brisk San Francisco summer fog. It was made for the dampness.
Those people who ask, “Isn’t that suit uncomfortable?” have never had a suit custom tailored. People are built so differently from one another and we are not symmetrical. I can wear this suit all day, and I get noticed big time at night when the reflective threads in the suit really shine. When I arrive back in San Francisco, the San Francisco Bike Coalition has an action happening at City Hall. What better event to represent in a bespoke suit that lights up the night?
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Published in Momentum No. 35
The style issue shows the world just how sexy riding a bike in the city can be as we take a close up look at some of visionaries behind the upcoming urban friendly cycling fashion trends. Other topics in the issue include a cycling profile of Canada's capital city, Ottawa, as well as a look at cycling culture in Austin, Texas.
