Ooh Fashion!

Black leather jacket and bike jeans. For long journeys I might pack my Richa Rain Warrior waterproofs just in case and if I know it's going to rain constantly then textiles (can't stand them for anything other than persistent rain)

 

Agreed on the helstons ace jacket. It’s a brilliant jacket and soooo nice to wear.

 

Pretty much what littleade said, I've been running textiles for some years now although I had my first leather jacket, A Lewis Leathers Monza style' repaired with a new zip last year and I've been wearing in on the Scrambler in fine weather. As already mentioned in a few posts, with textiles you can wear and forget them without the worry of the weather turning bad and with the correct fit they're super comfortable and can come with body armour if required. I bought a new textile Alpine Stars jacket a few months back and it's the dogs.
It was a different story 30 years ago when pose value was high on the list! I may have posted this before but I'm thick skinned so here goes.....

 

Not a PR, more Superman in a onesy.

 

I remember chasing a bloke, who was wearing one of these (the belt that is), over the mountain when we were at the MGP one year. Must've been either '98 or '99 'cos I had the red and white R1 and he was on a blue one. I was right behind him up the mountain mile hitting just over 150 in places, then we got to the twisty bits after the Mountain Box and the fecker just cleared off. No idea who he was but we saw the bike parked up in the paddock a couple of days later. Hmmmmm?

 

........or so I thought!

 

Well I guess technically it was 'textiles' when I was younger...

 

(1999-2014) 15 years - the evolution of fashion?
I obviously had a thing for red bikes.

 

I had the bike to complete the ensemble...

 

Fashion... I’ve heard of that once!

Warm to hot - Blue jeans and black leather jacket (Scott, many years old but still going), big one piece waterproof from the 80s if I’m caught out.
Cold/wet - black textiles
Very cold/wet - black textiles and 80s one piece.

 

1st time I ventured abroad, I lasted a day before my leather race style trousers got bungeed to the topbox where they stayed for the next 2 weeks. You can always tell the Brits abroad, the Ribena kids cos their faces are purple in all their leather gear. Different now with textiles (and proper bike jeans.) A game changer.

 

Please tell me who makes these camo riding pants, they're really nice. Are they men's or women's, I'm small. I love all the pockets.

 

https://www.motolegends.com/trousers/halvarssons-zion-lady-trousers-in-camo.html

 

Halvarsson's as per the link that @Helmut Visor posted; got mine in a sale though. These are women's - I have about a 27 - 28 inch waist and got the 38. The waist is still generous, but I am a bit muscular of thigh so they fit me pretty well.

 

I have NO idea how I missed this thread as motorcycle fashion is near and dear to my heart and I've really enjoyed catching up with the posts here. @beerkat, you said you are "a total fashion victim". That made me laugh as I guess I'd have to describe myself that way, too. Yes, form follows function. But my perspective is--why not have both?!

Having three bikes give me a nice "excuse" to have a pretty big stash of riding gear since I like my gear to compliment my bike in style and color. That includes my helmets. I've given up open face helmets and only ride with full face these days, and I have a helmet for each bike. My matte black helmet matched my now-traded Low Rider S but does go ok with the new Fat Boy. I have helmets for the Street Glide and Speed Triple that look like they were custom painted to match the bikes. I've landed on Shoei's as the helmet that seems to work best for me.

As far as riding jackets, yes, I do have "a wardrobe full of jackets", beerkat! I mostly go for leather but in the summer in the Arizona heat, leather is not the best choice (understatement) so I have mesh jackets and often add a cooling vest underneath. The majority of my jackets are made by Harley-Davidson, who makes great motor clothes whether you like the brand or not, and Roland Sands with a Spidi and a Joe Rocket (both worn on my Speed Triple) thrown in. I'd buy a women's Triumph jacket but Triumph just doesn't seem to make much of an effort when it comes to women's gear unfortunately. Loving fashion, some jackets come and go--whether as a gift to a new woman riding friend or at a swap meet, etc. I have one Harley jacket that has wound up being reserved for a special occasion--Christmas season rides. It's bright red and I found it on eBay years ago. Across my jacket collection, I think there's only one that I paid full price for. I love a bargain and a good "treasure hunt". I have one waxed cotton Roland Sands jacket that retailed (ridiculously) for $400 and I paid $60 for it. Another Roland Sands (leather) retailed for $650 and I paid $150 for it.

Pants--I pretty much go with riding jeans. I really like Rokkers and have several pairs that have the double-layer in them. Again, all were purchased on sale and those things seem to last forever. I have one pair that I was looking at recently that is so faded as to be nearly white in some spots. But, like a Timex watch, they keep on ticking.

My riding boot collection contains several pair of Harley-Davidson boots which are very sturdy yet comfortable and, interestingly, are made by Wolverine. I also have a couple pair made by Rev It!, and two pair that I wearing riding my Speed Triple, a pair of Sidi's that have some mesh inserts and are great for summer and a pair of Alpinestars that are warmer for winter. Again, I can't look at any pair of boots and identify even one for which I paid full price.

As with many of you on this thread, I am a fan of armor. My current favorite thanks to @Dougie D is Ghost D3O, also recommended here by @TheBeardedPunk. Although I've always ridden with a jacket (and helmet and ATGATT) I didn't use armor for the first couple of years of riding but then realized that was just silly. Not I can't make myself go out the door without it. That said, I don't typically have armor in my riding jeans/pants and should probably rethink that choice. Especially with the Ghost D3O being so flexible and slim.

Though it doesn't rain much around here, I do keep a rain suit in the saddlebag of my Street Glide. Mr. Sandi and I always say that if you don't have rain gear, it'll rain and if you do, it probably won't. Either way, it's nice to know I have it if I need it. And even if it doesn't rain, if I'm cold I can add that as a layer.

As @Octoberon said to @Mrs Visor in a post, "it takes a lady to know that clothing fashion is a visual medium". I really enjoy the fashion aspect of riding gear...sort of like how I enjoy customizing my bikes aesthetically. And I have to say that even though I've only been riding 11 years now, the number of riding gear options and choices available to women has skyrocketed in just that short time. Back a dozen years ago or so, it seemed like most manufacturers just slapped some pink on a smaller men's jacket and called it good. Now there are almost too many options! Hmmm, nah......

 

I do find that a lot still, I wonder if there is much more choice in the US? I know that Harley certainly do lots of ladies' kit and assume other brands do too @Sandi T ?. It is either men's kit with pink slapped on (I dislike pink and flowery kit!!!) as you say OR aimed at pillion passengers (nothing wrong with that, but I don't want high heels and don't even get me started on why on earth it is assumed pillion passengers don't deserve to be as safe as riders with some of the "lady passenger" type options out there!!!). Often, it seems that you have the equivalent of what is available for men, designed for women, from the same manufacturer - but with a lower safety rating, why?????

After a lifetime pretty much of various competitive sports the kit choice for ladies is something that REALLY gets me frustrated. I don't want all (or any of!!) my sports or bike kit to be pink / purple / pastel coloured and / or inferior. I want the same quality, fit and functionality as is afforded to men.