Brace yourself for a bajillion photos of this year’s Ballarat Tweed Ride because I also had a new outfit that has been in development for two years. The outfit was custom-designed and made by Clasch Design from Harris Tweed tartan which I had imported from Scotland. It took so long to have this outfit because I had to save all that time first to be able to order the fabric and then to have the outfit custom-made. The outfit design is inspired by original cycling outfits of the Victorian era with big shoulders and a small waist. The trousers allow for movement but also add style with the super high waistline. The tartan is Macleod tartan.
Design: Clasch Design
Fabric: Harris Tweed from Etsy
Blouse: Seamstress of Bloomsbury
Suspenders: Bowtie and Arrow
Socks: Shooting Socks UK
Hat feather: Etsy
Gloves: Etsy
Buttons: Etsy
Helmet: Bike Pretty
Tartan is an incredibly hard fabric to work with because there is significant work in getting the pattern to align. With this in mind when I purchased the fabric I got more than I thought I would need in order to allow for the extra fabric that would need to be taken up to make sure that the pattern aligned when it was made. Clare had just enough fabric to make the pattern match. I highly recommend as you look at these photos to pay attention to the pattern and the exceptional job of making it match and align across the outfit. The back pockets were intentionally contrasted in order to make them stand out and not get lost in the design.
The blouse I have owned for a few years and it is a much-loved piece from Seamstress of Bloomsbury made with a fabric appropriate of the era of the blouse design: Crepe de Chine. I steamed it beautifully before wearing and the sleeves were bunched into the jacket so aren’t hanging as elegantly as they normally would.
This year’s Ballarat Tweed Ride was my favourite so far. It’s the closest I feel I have gotten to getting the event to reflect what it’s all about. I had lots of help and some of the new elements that really seemed to pull it together included a vintage bike display (dating back to 1882) from collector Stewart Clissold, a vintage fashion parade from a collective of local collectors called Fashions In Time, vintage clothing stalls, award-winning milliners, local gin and sweet treats, a coffee van, and a pantomime of The Magic Pudding from a talented bunch of local performers. There was a photobooth of this year’s commemorative pin that people loved interacting with. We had a live performance from The Little Brass Band. We also handed out award rosettes.
The award categories for 2024 were:
Most Dapper Participant (sponsored by ReDiscovery)
Most Dapper Spectator (sponsored by Kank Wolverang Records)
Most Elegant Participant (sponsored by Known World Bookstore)
Most Elegant Spectator (sponsored by The Dressing Room Recycled)
Tweediest Tot (sponsored by Good Games)
Group of Distinction (sponsored by The Botanical House)
Most Steadfast Steed (sponsored by Cycle City)
Best e-Bike (sponsored by Perridak Arts)
Best Non-Bike
Penny Farthing of the Day (sponsored by Good Games)
Most Magnificent Millinery (sponsored by The Botanical House)
Spectacular Safety Gear (sponsored by Campana’s Deli)
2024 Tweed Style Icon
