The present invention includes methods and apparatus for flexibly attaching a trailer skirt to a trailer. This can include attaching a trailer mounting bracket to a trailer and attaching a bi-modulus bending member to the trailer mounting bracket in a cantilevered configuration at a bracket end of the bi-modulus bending member. The bi-modulus bending member includes a bending element set configured to elastically buckle when a lateral force component exceeds a threshold force, and the bi-modulus bending member is configured to return to a straightened configuration after buckling and bending to a buckled configuration when the threshold force is removed.