It’s the New Black
Time was, when you saw someone in hi-viz it meant one of three things:
- they were a garbage collector
- they worked in road construction
- it was a Fred on a commuter bike kitted out with fenders, lights, reflectors and a rack—or someone like me.
I have two hi-viz rain jackets, one hi-viz mesh vest, four wicking hi-viz t-shirts (two short sleeve, two long-sleeve) a 50/50 cotton hi-viz t-shirt and three hi-viz jerseys. And the requisite fenders, racks, lights and reflectors.
Things started changing last year. Actual recreational cyclists started wearing hi-viz. During the winter I noticed crossing guards and school bus drivers wearing their hi-viz around—to the bank, grocery shopping. Suddenly I began to feel normal doing those same things.
When encountering someone else in hi-viz, I greeted them with a hearty, “Nice shade! It looks good on you!” As this Fred rode by, they’d get the joke and laugh with me.
Although it’s not yet seen on the catwalks of New York, Paris or Milan, this season hi-viz has made a breakthrough in urban chic.
Everywhere you turn, someone’s wearing hi-viz. Last night I spotted a guy leaving The Spot, R-Town’s trendiest café, in a hi-viz shirt—layered over the droopy drawers still popular with the kids in the ‘hood.
Yikes!
And there wasn’t a garbage truck, construction vehicle, or commuter bike (excepting mine) in sight.
Just up the street, a bi-racial couple, walking hand-in-hand down the street—the brotha wearing hi-viz and droopy drawers.
I was commenting on this on the Monday Night Small Ring Ride last night, where I was decked in my most stylish hi-viz jersey. I joked that it was “the new black” and that pretty soon we’ll see it on Goth kids.
Just then we were passed by the stereotypical biker (of the other sort) on a Harley softtail—black, chrome, fat tires, straight pipes, leather chaps—wearing a hi-viz t-shirt with the arms ripped off.
Yep, it’s true. Hi-viz is the new black.
July 8th, 2008 at 8:36 pm EST
[...] It’s the new black (Scenic Route) [...]