Toward Autumn

September brings Atlanta a welcome change from the "dog days" of August. Temperatures a bit cooler, some afternoon showers and an earlier dusk spell the ending of summer. Her cardigan by Wet Seal is an old friend that picks up the hints of autumnal color in a sundress by Forever 21, but the Volatile shoes from Festivity in Virginia Highland leave no doubt to the season.

The Seersucker Social

It was a cool Saturday and a lovely crowd for the ride from
downtown, through Piedmont Park, Virginia-Highland and
Old Fourth Ward to Oakland Cemetery. These twelve
are highlights from a set of 100 images on flickr.
Click here for more coverage from I Dream of Bicycling.

Profile: LRW Designs

Colorful geometry and whimsey first encountered at the Gifted! market in Roswell promised a memorable meeting with the artist herself. Lynn Weinberg graciously invited me into her home studio to talk about these creations. What began with the carding and spinning of fibers evolved into hand-painting of silks for "the long, flowing dresses, 'wearable art'," she remembers. While the gutta French resist technique is now applied to her scarves alone, these delightful cotton jackets are hand-painted at the same batik workshop that she has employed from the beginning, when her husband's naval career took them to the Phillipines.

Such detail recalls a military campaign ribbon while her scarves pay homage to Alexander Calder and Piet Mondrian. It's easy to see this stilled flock taking flight on a breeze of one's own making in the wake of a bicycle or convertible sports car. Yes, these bits were the scraps. "We waste nothing," she is proud to say. More odds and ends coalesce into necklaces or earrings.

If all this creativity weren't enough for one, Weinberg has also run the business end of things since her partner retired from that role. "It's easy in this age of computers," she claims. To see for yourself how this multi-talented lady organizes the elements of her lifestyle, save the dates October 6-7 for Gifts Galore & More, an exposition of clothing, art, yoga and personal care.

In The Old Fourth Ward: A New Friend

"We're Facebook friends," he said at our introduction outside Danneman's. Blame blogging and city cycling. Someone thoughtful placed a lovely bit of crochet work overthe signpost to protect bicycles from scratches while his diamond point bow tie and argyle socks coordinate with a shade of vintage Fuji burgundy. Ride with us this Saturday from Woodruff Park to Oakland Cemetery in The Seersucker Social.

Shades of Blue In Virginia-Highland

Much has been said both here and elsewhere about the
stylish affinities that unite couples. Whether one co-opts
another's look or they share a vibe, it's there for all to see.
So what about people who may be just getting to know each
other? Such was my sense of what was happening at this
Virginia Avenue crossing. Everything here had been
carefully chosen, those tights artfully distressed.

Georgia Tech Style

Cindy Wang remembers her life before fashion. The Georgia
Tech sophomore was then 14 years old when she discovered
Dior and Chanel runway shows on television. "When I got
back to my closet I was mortified." Following that epiphany,
the self-described tomboy began modeling for her dad's
designer friends in China. The styles were "edgy with an
Asian influence, but tailored for Americans or Europeans."

European travel broadened her fashion sense when she
realized how both the natural and built environments can
influence sartorial choice. "I definitely noticed this in Sweden,
where it gets dark early and people wear lots of solid and dark
colors-wooly, comfy clothes." Parisians appeared "sweet and
polished" amid their romantic architecture.

Today Wang distinguishes herself in a ruffled neckline Ann
Taylor blouse, ruched Zara shorts, patterned tights and shoes
from Betsy Johnson and Banana Republic, respectively.
"It's a soft, feminine look that I can wear day and night," she
explains. That litany of labels needn't be a budget breaker.
Last year she discovered thrifting at places like Salvation Army
and Rag-O-Rama.

Her friend, Tech Junior Heidi Vreeland, grew up with the habit.
"Mom wouldn't buy new things very often, so I inherited her
thrifting ability." Vreeland shops with eye for mixing and
matching, which shows in these shades of grey. The H&M top
was tried first as the inner layer, but looked best outside the
silvery summer dress. Her choices are intuitive: "I know right
away whether something works," and she enjoys discovering
new combinations in her closet. "They might look bad, but they
might surprise you, too."

People do notice these efforts. A Chattanooga fashion blogger
admired her jacket and dress, both from Goodwill. The proprietors
of that city's Collective Clothing shop recruited her to work for
them. "I never pursue, it but I get opportunities for fashion modeling, perhaps because I'm tall," says she of appearances in a campus show of sustainable fashions and a Wes Anderson-themed, vintage celebration at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

While the ladies met in class and bonded over clothes, worldly
interests have deepened their friendship. Wang studies biology,
Vreeland Japanese and international affairs. They are living and
learning what Coco Chanel noted:
"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.
Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas,
the way we live, what is happening."

Save The Date: September 4

While Tweed Rides are popular in northern climes, down
south we favor fabrics like seersucker and linen for leisurely,
late summer cycling. The Seersucker Social begins at 4pm in
Woodruff Park. After a suitable interval, we shall ride to
Oakland Cemetery for a Victorian garden picnic on the lawn.
Please join us for a quaint celebration of style, city cycling and
historic preservation in the heart of Atlanta.