Style AND safety... DIY bike helmet cover

April 5, 2018 11:52 AM

I'm getting a new bike! Please help me style my helmet.

After a bad accident a few years ago, tonight I'm picking up a stylish little Schwinn cruiser. I need a new helmet, and am completely enamored of this straw hat-covered beauty. The price, not so much! Unless persuaded otherwise, I'm going for the Closca Fuga collapsible helmet.

There HAS to be a way to DIY this (and other cute covers!), but googling is not helpful. I"m not particularly crafty but am willing to invest some time and patience. Crafty MeFites, please help me get back on the road in style. Many thanks.

posted by 2soxy4mypuppet to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

I would simply buy a straw hat you like, in the biggest size possible, remove the liner, wet it, and fit it over the helmet. Let it dry, shaping as you go. Once it’s dry, remove, add glue, and replace.
posted by MountainDaisy at 12:32 PM on April 5, 2018

Is there a reason you're going with the Closca if you're going to cover it up with a straw hat? Seems like it would make more sense to go with a cheaper helmet, since you won't be able to collapse it and you will be covering up its beauty (probably with glue and stuff if you want the hat to actually stay on).

And really the Closca Fuga is only around $30 cheaper than the Yakkay with the straw hat - that's basically the cost one or two ruined hats or a few yards of millinery supplies. If you like the straw-hat Yakkay and you have $150 to spend on a helmet I think you should probably go for it!

(That said, I really hate the Yakkays in person, I think they give me a real "candy apple on a stick" look, but your head size may vary.)
posted by mskyle at 12:55 PM on April 5, 2018

It doesn't solve the straw hat look (unless you want to get fabric printed to look like that), but it sounds like what you want are helmet panties! You can sew them up reasonably easily if you're okay working with knit fabrics, or order custom-made ones. They're basically fabric sheaths made to fit helmets, so you can swap them around as needed. Derby helmets tend to have that same round profile as the Closca, so they should work on that just fine.
posted by kalimac at 7:52 PM on April 5, 2018

Thank you! I hadn't thought about having to carry around a hat + collapsible helmet, so I'm going for the Yakkay, and possibly getting the Closca later.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 9:55 AM on April 12, 2018