As always, the design process begins with accentuating the positive, or the functional aspects of a garment, and eliminating the negative ones: the ugly, the uncomfortable, or the non-functional.  This is also what we refer to as a sage approach to design.

Many of my early days of cycling were spent in my one and only pair of tolerable knickers.  There was just something really unappealing about shorts that squeezed my thighs 4" above the knee.  And on chilly days, the idea of donning knee warmers which segmented my legs into five parts was just......no.

Women do not want their thighs to be squeezed.  Full stop.  I thought, there has got to be a better way, a more comfortable way, a better looking way, and a more functional way.  Let's just put some more thought and design behind this.

Armed with fierce determination to create knee warmers which stay in place without squeezing our thighs, the first step was to find an alternative to the tried and true elastic band.  We sourced silicone backed fabric which eliminates the need for elastic bands.  Hooray!  Not only is this solution more visually appealing, but it is even more functional because it allows the warmers to stay in place with less bulk.  It's almost like it molds to your skin as you ride.  Sometimes, less is more.  A gentle hug will do, as opposed to a vice grip.  

We loved this  fabric so much that we decided to use it for our arm warmers as well.

We added our favorite scalloped reflective trim around the wrist of the arm warmer, and on the front of the knee warmers.  The hand-sewn elbow and knee patches add some visual interest as well as a little extra warmth for the joints.  A small reflective logo on the left arm and knee add visibility. 

Give them a try.  The Patchy Knee Warmer and The Patchy Arm Warmer (shown with our Wrapture Jersey) are in stock just in time for fall.  We're sure you'll never want to go back to gripper elastic!

xoxo Alexis