Hello from Prague

[rode_kater]

I enjoyed the blog as well. What I'd like to see is a good run down of what to do with the waist. Women (generally) have a visible waist whereas my waist is more a region. So, it is a good idea to define a waist, or better to just let a shirt hang over it? To tuck the shirt or not tuck the shirt? You have empire waists, and super-low waists. Personally I think dresses are actually easier than skirts here because they don't have to "hang on" to anything. Skirts for me sometimes end up having the waistband not horizontal, which I don't think is a good look (but maybe no-one notices).

My personal guideline is to make my waist about where my elbows end up and the bottom of the dress/skirt about where my fingertips end up. But I'd like some feedback as to whether that's a good idea. Also, for me, since I cycle everywhere, some of the short skirts I see here would be a bit too revealing

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

Whenever I wear a skirt and a shirt or blouse, it's tucked in. Unless my top is one that is obviously designed to be tucked in.

I too set the waist of my skirts about where my elbows come down to.

However, I find it hard to sit in skirts or dresses with the hemlength you describe so, I can't imagine how you ride your bicycle in them. But if you're happy, so am I.

[Jim]

However, I find it hard to sit in skirts or dresses with the hemlength you describe so, I can't imagine how you ride your bicycle in them.

Maybe it's getting too off topic of welcoming our new members, but I just wear a belt pack in front like a sporran when biking with a short skirt, and am careful about who might be able to see what when I get on and off the bike.

[rode_kater]

However, I find it hard to sit in skirts or dresses with the hemlength you describe so, I can't imagine how you ride your bicycle in them.

Actually, I lie. I went and checked and they are a little longer, a few cm, but not much.
To be honest, it depends a lot on the material. One of my dresses is almost a circle skirt and it's made of t-shirt material, there's so much that's there's no issue. I need to tuck it between my legs anyway. I don't do pencil skirts.

But I guess it's also cultural, in NL, cycling is normal and women sometimes wear very short skirts on bikes. The advice is generally: wear black underwear. In any case, it's not like you see any more than what a bathing suit would show. But I can imagine in the US this is viewed very differently.

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

But I can imagine in the US this is viewed very differently.

To say the least!

In many ways we Americans are an odd lot. Many women think nothing of letting their bra straps show in plain sight. In fact, many bralettes have lacy racerbacks so they look like something when they show around a sleeveless top or dress. And yet, some of my better dresses have a braided string of thread with a snap on the end so one's undergarment straps DON'T show.

But a woman displaying her underwear? NO WAY! In fact, it's more acceptable for a woman to show the lower portion of her butt under skimpy shorts than the underwear one hopes she's wearing under them.

BUT, if the panties are black and cut like bicycle shorts, then that is okay.

If all of this makes sense to you, then you're psychologically qualified to be a US citizen; you'll fit right in!

Considering the state of our nation, I'm not entirely sure why anyone with a viable option, such as continuing to live in Western Europe, would want to.

[FranTastic444]

Michaela & Vlasta - have you come across the shoemaker, Radek Zacharias?

[shadowfax]

But I can imagine in the US this is viewed very differently.

To say the least!

In many ways we Americans are an odd lot. Many women think nothing of letting their bra straps show in plain sight. In fact, many bralettes have lacy racerbacks so they look like something when they show around a sleeveless top or dress. And yet, some of my better dresses have a braided string of thread with a snap on the end so one's undergarment straps DON'T show.

But a woman displaying her underwear? NO WAY! In fact, it's more acceptable for a woman to show the lower portion of her butt under skimpy shorts than the underwear one hopes she's wearing under them.

BUT, if the panties are black and cut like bicycle shorts, then that is okay.

If all of this makes sense to you, then you're psychologically qualified to be a US citizen; you'll fit right in!

Considering the state of our nation, I'm not entirely sure why anyone with a viable option, such as continuing to live in Western Europe, would want to.

David, as rode_kater is in The Netherlands (some folk call the country, Holland), women in his country riding in skirts or dresses would mostly ride a bike like the one pictured below which have a low stepover height. So the flashing of underwear is less likely as there is no high crossbar as on a typical man's bike which you might see more often in the USA.

Dutch_Bike.jpg

[Fred in Skirts]

David, as rode_kater is in The Netherlands (some folk call the country, Holland), women in his country riding in skirts or dresses would mostly ride a bike like the one pictured below which have a low stepover height. So the flashing of underwear is less likely as there is no high crossbar as on a typical man's bike which you might see more often in the USA.

Dutch_Bike.jpg

We have such bikes in the US as well...

american girls bike.jpg

1964 Schwinn American A10-6 26" Girls Womens Bicycle ...

[shadowfax]

David, as rode_kater is in The Netherlands (some folk call the country, Holland), women in his country riding in skirts or dresses would mostly ride a bike like the one pictured below which have a low stepover height. So the flashing of underwear is less likely as there is no high crossbar as on a typical man's bike which you might see more often in the USA.
Dutch_Bike.jpg

We have such bikes in the US as well...

american girls bike.jpg
1964 Schwinn American A10-6 26" Girls Womens Bicycle ...

That Schwinn has no dress guard over the rear mudguard (fender)!
Sadly, an accident risk when wearing a long skirt or dress.

In addition there is nowhere to carry a passenger.

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

Even with those guards and the lower cross bar, in skirts as short as you were saying, one's crotch is going to be one display whenever the pedals are level. And, of course, the shorter the skirt, the longer in the pedal stroke that the underwear is going to be on display.

This phenomenon was put to use in one of the opening sequences of The Longest Day by an actress playing a member of the Resistance.

[GenderBlender]

Michaela & Vlasta - have you come across the shoemaker, Radek Zacharias?

Hi. No, we haven't. We might check his page.

[GenderBlender]

We've just lost in bikes...

[rode_kater]

Just an example of what I'm talking about, here is a fairly normal skirt length for on a bike, from an ad on TV:

From Amslod ad

This skirt needs no skirt guard and clearly has a very long hem and soft fabric so modesty is preserved. It's probably nearly a circle skirt

Try this in a tighter skirt and it will just ride up, but with a wide enough hem you can go very short indeed (and looking out my window, they do). Though as autumn approaches the leggings are coming out which solve the problem a different way.

[New-in-Skirts]

Welcome to the family from Illinois.

[Sinned]

It is actually quite surprising how short a skirt you can wear without exposing one's underwear. I know I have worn some mini skirts when cycling.