The Regression of Chic

Two articles about Chic have been released recently.

http://www.urbanvelo.org/issue34/p28-29.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/13/living/bicycle-fashion-tweed-ride/ind...

One quote strikes me from the Urbanvelo article refering to Chicago's own "chic" blogs:

"...And the other one, Bike Fancy, isn’t a Cycle Chic blog simply because we have rules that if you want to start one we don’t want any helmets in the shots."

Mikael Colville-Andersen replies to one of John Greenfield's questions:

"...for every helmet you see here you’re scaring somebody off a bike..."

Maybe the problem is hiding the helmets, removing their image as something potentially Chic. Designers lose incentive to create a chic helmet if it is forbidden from a primary media outlet.

Promoting cycling for health is all good and well, but if you are going to take that step,  then actively preventing the promotion of protective imagery that can sustain a riders new found health is FUBAR.

Compulsory laws are not the answer, we should all have our choice, but outright preventing helmet images from the blogs seems regressive.

 

Both riders look pretty Chic to me...

 


Images: Urbanvelo c/o copenhagencyclechic.com and bikefancy.com

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on November 14, 2012 at 7:48am

It is regressive, and the idea that people wearing helmets scares away potential cyclists is idiotic and always will be.  This isn't your smoking gun, people. 

I can only speak from personal experience on my next point, but I know that the most attractive thing to see in this city is a woman riding a bike with a helmet.       

Permalink Reply by Tim S on November 14, 2012 at 8:23am

Your scaring away a bunch of potential dates there Zoe, I dig chic's on bikes... helmet or not.

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on November 14, 2012 at 8:40am

A fine example of game theory, right there.  

Tim S said:

Your scaring away a bunch of potential dates there Zoe, I dig chic's on bikes... helmet or not.

Permalink Reply by Michelle S on November 14, 2012 at 2:17pm

Great interview with M C-A by John. Interesting argument that the increase in bicycling in NYC and Chicago has been painfully slow because it’s been hampered by the existing messenger subculture. I think there might be some truth to that. 

Re: showing helmets or not: I like Momentum magazine's editorial policy on it, which is that they show people with or without helmets, and neither require them in the pictures, nor ban images that include them. 

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