From: dawn@pangea.Stanford.EDU (Dawn Burgess)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Biking Clothes (was Re: Lycra fabric outlet in SF??)
Date: 13 Nov 1992 00:53:58 GMT
Organization: Stanford Univ. Earth Sciences
NNTP-Posting-Host: pangea.stanford.edu

In article <1992Nov12.204453.13007@syscen.com> judiths@usisun.UUCP (Judith Speck) writes:
>
> Speaking of lycra,  I'm trying to find patterns for cycling shorts
>and racing jerseys, as well as a source for CoolMax and lycra fabrics.
>The only pattern I have seen is by Kwik Sew, and the sizes are completely
>off.  They had the usual C-cup model wearing it, with her Barbie doll
>figure.  Sorry folks, real athletes don't have Barbie boobies--they
>have a low body fat percentage, and that means the boobs are long gone.

If by "real" athletes, you mean "olympic" athletes, then perhaps you are 
right, but I am not so sure.  If so, this is just because women who are
*genetically* predisposed to have smaller breasts may have a competitive
advantage (less non-muscle mass).  However, some women just have 
large breasts, and unless they are anorexic, they will *always*
have large breasts. 

>Also, athletic women have broader shoulders, which from the picture
>and other body measurements are not going to be accounted for either.
>These were the body measurements for the shorts/jersey size small:
>Chest 34-35.5"
>Waist 24-26"
>Hips  35.5-37"


>These people need to watch the Olympics!  I doubt there were many
>female athletes who have a 10" difference between their chest and
>waist!  Most were pretty surf-board like!  
 
I am fairly athletic and quite flatchested (A cup).  Nonetheless, I have
a 10" difference between my chest and waist (In fact, the chest/waist
measurements above are just about perfect for me.)  Maybe I will 
never be an olympic swimmer, but I do wear athletic clothes often.

>
>If the pattern company is going to make patterns for athletic wear, 
>why don't they size it to fit athletes?  In altering the pattern, I 
>would need to broaden the shoulders (to allow for larger biceps), 
>and make a smaller hip/waist proportion  (they don't have fat on 
>their hips) 

While my waist is 24 inches, my hips are *38* inches.  I bike 
8 miles a day, and swim twice a week.  Hip measurement is determined
largely by bone structure, and no amount of exercise is gonna change
that. The same is largely true for shoulder width.  

The fact is, women come in all sizes, whether they are
athletes or couch potatoes.  

>and a smaller chest/waist proportion to allow for no
>chest fat, too.  I'm simply not that experienced!  My last project
>
>Any suggestions? (BTW, I didn't see any athletic wear in BURDA)
>Judith
>The self-appointed president of the newly-created Society For Realistic Women
>

Then please be realistic, don't stereotype.  You don't have to be 
shaped like a boy to be an athlete, just like you don't have to 
be shaped like an hourglass to be beautiful.

As for suggestions, maybe you should take the lead you found at 
Halloween:  check the measurements on mens sizes (if you can find
patterns for men's cycling clothes) and see if the adjustments you
need to make there are less severe.  If you can't find men's 
patterns in the fashion pattern books, I think there are patterns 
in some of the mail order fabric sources.  I haven't any
addresses, but I know the Rain Shed carries lycra fabrics.

Good luck.

Dawn


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