Worst Kit Design Ever

tailwindhome

Lock the thread Mr Chasey - this one's done

frenchfighter

Check out 2015 Gear thread. It's definitely up there with the worst I've seen.

pinno

In the words of J McEnroe..."You cannot be serious".

Paul 8v

What were they thinking?

fleshtuxedo

TailWindHome wrote:

Lock the thread Mr Chasey - this one's done

dennisn

Porn star cycling team? :?

Art Vandelay

Brian Cookson

To the many who have raised the issue of a certain women's team kit, we are on the case. It is unacceptable by any standard of decency.

Those who've seen the kit say it's actually gold rather than skin coloured - it's just the lighting that makes it look as bad as it is. Still a crime against fashion but not sure if a UCI issue.

Mad_Malx

Sponsored by Veet?

(*joke stolen from another forum).

Pross

Art Vandelay wrote:

Brian Cookson

To the many who have raised the issue of a certain women's team kit, we are on the case. It is unacceptable by any standard of decency.

Those who've seen the kit say it's actually gold rather than skin coloured - it's just the lighting that makes it look as bad as it is. Still a crime against fashion but not sure if a UCI issue.

I think it's a UCI issue. If they are allowed to ride in that it reflects very badly on the sport. If the UCI are concerned about (male) riders with their tops unzipped then they certainly have to act against this. I suspect the team and their sponsors have already achieved what they wanted though in terms of exposure (no pun intended!!).

Paul 8v

I suppose at least we know they aren't a brazilian team...

I'll get me coat...

Art Vandelay

Pross wrote:

I think it's a UCI issue. If they are allowed to ride in that it reflects very badly on the sport. If the UCI are concerned about (male) riders with their tops unzipped then they certainly have to act against this. I suspect the team and their sponsors have already achieved what they wanted though in terms of exposure (no pun intended!!).

5 things you should know about that Colombian cycling kit
http://www.chasingwheels.com/road-racin ... ycling-kit

dolan_driver

The kit is poorly designed but it isn't pornographic or an affront to public decency. The girls aren't actually naked! If Brian Cookson wants to tackle something obscene in women's cycling, he could start with the derisory "wages" being paid to professional women cyclists.

Cookson, don't automatically jump on the politically-correct bandwagon. A little independent thinking goes a long way.

DD.

Pross

Art Vandelay wrote:

Pross wrote:

I think it's a UCI issue. If they are allowed to ride in that it reflects very badly on the sport. If the UCI are concerned about (male) riders with their tops unzipped then they certainly have to act against this. I suspect the team and their sponsors have already achieved what they wanted though in terms of exposure (no pun intended!!).

5 things you should know about that Colombian cycling kit
http://www.chasingwheels.com/road-racin ... ycling-kit

I'm not sure why anyone thinks any of those points makes the kit acceptable :?

1. I certainly never thought it was a national kit (although I can see the way the country keeps getting quoted could confuse that).

2. Whether it's gold or flesh coloured is irrelevant really. The design is obviously intended to give the impression of a naked midriff.

3. I don't understand the point. Just because they've been wearing it for 9 months it is somehow more acceptable? In fact, the kit the team are wearing on that Twitter photo looks different, maybe there is more flesh / gold area on the skinsuit? Also, is the man in the photo wearing a male version of the kit?

4. Oh, well that's OK then!

5. WTF has that got to do with anything? If women's cycling is to be taken seriously and generate the sort of financial backing that would enable a minimum wage to be introduced it could do without this sort of thing.

Art Vandelay

Pross wrote:

2. Whether it's gold or flesh coloured is irrelevant really. The design is obviously intended to give the impression of a naked midriff.

The woman who designed the kit and raced in it with her team in the Giro della Toscana disagrees with the above.

salsiccia1

Most importantly, what do those who actually wear it think?

Are they uncomfortable with it? If so, then change it. If not, leave them to it.

Edit: Art's post above might give an indication to the answer to this point.

The_Boy

This thread is one of the funniest things I've read in weeks!

"Oh noes! The gold look a little bit like the skin tone if a white person if you take a photo of it in certain light conditions! Someone call the UCI!"

The mind boggles .

Unless the references to indecency refer solely to the fact that the kit is a bit on the fugly side? That actually might explain the clusterfuck that was the 1990s, now that I think about it - Verbruggen was so busy dealing with ugly team kits that the whole blood-like-jam situation got completely missed. #justiceforHeinV

cougie

Storm in a teacup.

IF the kit was indecent - don't you think we'd have heard about it at the start of the year - not 9 months in ?
It's just a freak photo.

Was it that Polish National Team with the red cycling shorts that were a little too revealing ? Nobody banned coloured shorts did they ?

(although I'd vote for it)

Coach H

Its bad, but in terms of indecency, is that not the Boels Dolmans one that looks like an uplift corset?

sniper68

I've just heard an interview with a Columbian Journalist on BBC R2 news and apparently it was designed by one of the riders and they've been riding in it all season..ie 9 months!
So why the sudden interest/uproar?

dolan_driver

Coach H wrote:

Its bad, but in terms of indecency, is that not the Boels Dolmans one that looks like an uplift corset?

I'll see your Lizzie and raise you a Liz!


(Any excuse to squeeze in a photo of the beloved Liz.)

Mr. Cookson needs to reconcile himself with the fact that women look hot in cycling clothing. If he is that easily offended by the female form, he might as well ban women's racing altogether. Are there actually any regulations governing the appearance, indecent or otherwise, of team kits for both men and women? If there are, why has the the apparent bust-enhancing Boels-Dolmans not fallen foul of the UCI?

Wouldn't it be the case that the Colombian Cycling Federation would have assessed the design of the kit in question and signed off on it as being acceptable in every respect?

Where was the UCI when Footon-Servetto-Fuji came out with that awful kit a few years ago? They really dropped the ball on that one.

DD.

Ber Nard

ibbo68 wrote:

So why the sudden interest/uproar?

Because it's on Twitter: carte blanche to blow things out of all proportion.

awavey

Dolan Driver wrote:

Mr. Cookson needs to reconcile himself with the fact that women look hot in cycling clothing. If he is that easily offended by the female form, he might as well ban women's racing altogether. Are there actually any regulations governing the appearance, indecent or otherwise, of team kits for both men and women? If there are, why has the the apparent bust-enhancing Boels-Dolmans not fallen foul of the UCI?

Im not willing to be too harsh to criticise Mr Cookson on this so much, I mean the beeb have gone into paroxysm and even censored the "offending" photos, and it does certainly make you double take the first time you see it, but the reaction among alot of women riders has been fairly evenly split, some think its terrible, some wonder what the fuss is, so Im not surprised he erred on the side of its terrible without checking out more of the detail first, it one of those things where he probably doesnt mind getting it wrong, if he just shows he cares about it.

the only reg they are quoting is the kit has to be shown to the national federation at the start of the year, which presumably was done, and in the flesh (so to speak) it probably doesnt look anywhere near as bad, the gold bit actually looks to have some intricate detailing thats been completely blown by the camera. whilst Im certainly not rushing to buy a replica, Im not sure its quite the monstrous creation its been made out to be, but without better photos, none of us can really tell.

I think the Boels-Dolmans one was claimed to be accidental,it didnt look as obvious on paper or something as it was designed around the Boels logo, whether you believe them or not,at least they changed it this year.

and actually fwiw white is generally the worse colour lycra for pure modesty reasons as it tends to be seethrough when it gets wet or subject to strong lighting,like flash photography...neither of which are things you ever encounter in cycling right... :roll:

TheBigBean

The BBC has censored it which is completely ridiculous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/29203890

rick_chasey

TheBigBean wrote:

The BBC has censored it which is completely ridiculous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/29203890

I saw that. I thought it was a joke. FFS.

msmancunia

Women's cycling is never going to be as popular as men's, but I'm encouraged by the efforts people are making. It is a bit like swimming up a down-flowing stream and I know that things aren't going to change overnight, especially with all the other things the UCI has to sort out, and until sponsors and broadcasters engage more. But that kit doesn't do those of us who are trying to change things any favours. Women's cycling needs to be taken seriously, (salaries, races, not being seen as a bit of titilation) and that kit doesn't do it any favours to be honest.

pinno

They (The Beeb) must get around to exorcising Mary Whitehouse's ghost.

Pross

I have to admit having seen the photos quite a few times that the bit I initially thought was a bit too much is actually the shape of the pad in the short rather than part of the design. I suspect the BBC made the same mistake. It's still not exactly tasteful but it's not as bad as it had initially looked to me. It has certainly worked wonders for their sponsors though, they have gained far more coverage than the team will earn with their results.

thegibdog

The BBC censor the picture but are happy to show endless trailers for Jack Whitehall's 'comedy' show. Hilarious!

Paul 8v

thegibdog wrote:

The BBC censor the picture but are happy to show endless trailers for Jack Whitehall's 'comedy' show. Hilarious!

That guy is about as funny as a an outbreak of famine.

above_the_cows

This is revealing on so many levels.

I guess no one noticed before because its women's cycling and most people pay no attention to women's cycling until someone starts wearing what looks like a semi nude kit in a European race.

This tells us that many people do not pay attention to women's cycling unless there is some sort of titillation involved for people to be amused/outraged about and until that titillation/outrage occurs in Europe.

Bo Duke

I think you've got to look at the bigger picture guys. My colleague was telling me in northern Malaysia men and women sit on separate sides of the cinema isle and there are even separate check out queues in shops.

Not everyone is as casual in their views on sexuality as westerners and people do take offence. This story has been hyped all over the world and each region has a separate reaction. In asia, folks simply can't understand how the women can wear such clothes, they're quite shocked. As you can expect, muslim countries even more so.