I'm happy with knickers, since my wife thinks they look good on me. I have two pairs from Swrve: a pair of winter softshell (whenever the temp's below 50 or so, all the way down to the single digits) and a pair of lightweight water/wind-repellent (at all other times, including the dog days of summer). They're the most comfortable non-chamois-endowed cycling pants I own, by a long shot. They do block the wind, and if they get wet, they dry out fast. (Though I'm lucky to have a private office in which I can lay them out.) If you want to do things on the cheap, avoid them: $100 a pop. But I've had both my pairs for three years and they look as good as new.