On any given day Kate Watters would rather be biking than stuck in her car in traffic. She and her husband collected several vintage one-speed bicycles on their honeymoon road trip from Flagstaff to Vermont, riding around small towns along the way. She writes about her field adventures, creative episodes, and the wonder of the natural world in her blog, oh sweet spontaneous life.
These ninety-eight dollar Betabrand red bike-to-work pants make me feel like I am in Amsterdam where I ride my bike in these fashionable red pants to the coffee shop to write poetry.
These pants make me wish I could place my two-wheeler in the collective bike rack of humanity to feel if only for a moment that unified culture of the bicycle.
That is what I feel like when I wear these. Pretty neat, eh? It helps to have a vivid imagination. But when you ride your bike you have time to think about what ever enters your mind. And these pants lend a kind of grandeur to your everyday.
The concept is simple and rather brilliant: a piece of functional and fashionable clothing designed to be sassy and safe on your bike commute.
They are made from pre-washed stretch red cotton, so they are both soft and stylish. The sweet part is the reflective power you can unleash at any time from the back left pocket or either cuff.
I especially appreciate the use of multiple coordinating fabrics for the pockets and the lining.
You are the only person who can see that detail, but it makes me happy every time I unbutton them to go to the bathroom. With a minimum inseam of 32 inches they are not made for short people, which is my only complaint.
The pants are well made which makes me wonder about the woman who sewed them in a factory in Bangladesh or maybe in San Francisco.
I imagine her stitching away, cataloging her dreams, thinking of who she wants to be in this world among so many others with their red thread. Does she want fancy red pants that make her feel dizzy with power as she bikes to work and strides confidently into a meeting? I am thinking probably not. But I am hopeful that they are made with love.
They are certainly designed with love and whimsy. The Betabrand Website is worth a visit. The designs, descriptions and photographs are goofy.
For example, there is the Disco Kimono, modeled by a man playing the piano and lifting weights simultaneously. The fabric for the Nauseating Holiday Pants depicts a scene at the North Pole of everyone vomiting from some bad eggnog.
You essentially see that this is the ultimate urban hipster clothing source.
It is hard for me to try to convince anyone they need to spend almost $100. (The good news is they are on sale right now for $78) on a pair of red pants. Especially after spending a couple days with a group of Colorado Plateau Native American elders (many without running water and heat) who were trying to figure out how to save the Grand Canyon from uranium mining and resort developers. I am lucky to have all that I do. I am so thankful, so incredibly thankful to have what I need.
It is up to you to decide if these red pants will make your life complete.