The last of my articles for clothing brand House of Foxy’s menswear line 20th Century Chap, published in October 2017 ready for the P&P World Cycling Revival.
This article is no longer online, so below is the original article in full.
Cycling Revival Style
What better way for a sporting chap to spend the day than to head out into the countryside on that most celebrated mode of transport – the bicycle.
Of course we are not all lucky enough to own a country pile or have the great English countryside on our doorstep so for those suburbanites with a passion for two wheels a favourite pastime was to head to the local velodrome to watch the ‘pros’ go head-to-head on the track.
The venue for this year’s P&P World Cycling Revival, Herne Hill Velodrome, was built in 1891 and is one of the oldest cycling tracks in the world. Most famously it hosted the cycling events of the 1948 Summer Olympics, so what better way to celebrate this heritage than to attend this years event in the vintage inspired fashions and style of the post-war period.
Here’s our little guide to help you dress the part …
Cycling Revival Look 1 – Sporting tweeds
The classic look for the well-to-do sporting chap with time on his hands, from the 1920s right through to post-WWII, was tweed.
Grab yourself a single-breasted tweed sports coat, a tattersall shirt, a v-neck tank-top, and a silk scarf or woollen neck or bow tie and pair it with some tweed plus fours, shooting socks (with garters naturally) and a pair of brown brogues. Don’t be afraid to mix your tweeds, but try and stay within the same colour palette.
Cycling Revival Look 2 – Sunday Best
Of course for the average suburbanite, still suffering from post-war shortages, the trackside uniform of ‘Sunday Best’ would be on show. From demob to an off-the-shelf from Burtons, men would want any excuse to “doll-up” and head to the track to sink a few whilst placing a cheeky bet on the side.
The key to this look is a wide-lapel single or double-breasted three-piece suit, in a dark shade, or pin/chalk-stripe with a crisp spear-point collar shirt, tie-pin and bold-look tie. Usually warn with a pair of plain oxford shoes, the more flamboyant fellow might choose a pair of correspondent shows instead!
Cycling Revival Look 3 – Club Casual
If you want to cause a bit of a stir at the track, what better way than to throw all caution to the wind and show what an up-and-coming free spirit you are by wearing your club uniform.
Grab your navy-blue boating blazer or club jacket; throw on a pair of cream or beige ‘slacks’, a crisp white spear-point shirt and your stripped club tie. Or for an alternative look, go for navy trousers and a cream or grey sports jacket. Show those ‘stiffs’ what you are made of.
Accessories and hats
Finally a word about accessories: without doubt, how you accessorise an outfit is what takes it from a fancy dress costume into an authentic vintage look. If you are wearing a tie, then add in a collar-bar or a tie-clip, a pair of interesting cufflinks for shirts with French cuffs, a jacket pocket needs a pocket square (never matched to your tie, but complimentary), and, if the outfit befits it, a hat.
Casual looks wouldn’t work with a hat, but a Sporting or Sunday best look can be ‘topped-off’ with a fine head covering. Fedoras, Bowlers or Homburgs work well with a three-piece suit, and the hat of choice for any discerning sportsman is without doubt the cap. A traditional cap, unlike the modern equivalent, is made of a single piece of fabric and wider at the sides than today’s ‘flat cap’, although the modern style will do at a push. Alternatively try for an American ‘News Boy’ cap, made from eight panels of fabric, which would work well with tweeds and plus fours.
If you aren’t a hat wearing man, don’t fear, a snappy short-back-and-sides is the ticket, finished off with pomade and a crisp neat parting!
