When: WEDNESDAY: MAY 10, 2020 9PM EAST / 6PM EAST
How: FACEBOOK.COM/GEARCHIC
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/255982739145116/
Riding Jeans are so hard and so popular. I thought this would be a good topic for my next Facebook Live event. Bring your questions, I’ll even answer a few from any of the men out there who need help with jeans as well.
A few of these things launched last Fall but I haven’t had a chance to share them until now. Enjoy!
This season is full of sporty new styles, ultimate mesh, curvy / plus size jeans and some casual, perforated leather. Lots of new gear to explore this season. Post your thoughts, opinions, questions, at the end!
Riding boots with substantial protection (in the forms of impact and lateral support) are few and far between when it comes to women’s motorcycle gear.
Only black for now…
Track / sport style riding boots have always been less popular and minimally designed as far as protection goes. I think pants and riding boots are the last two things that most riders think about, especially women. And that’s unfortunate because your hands and feet are vital to having precise, solid control of your motorcycle.
In my experience, most women buy casual, relaxed riding footwear like sneakers and cruiser style boots. Unless you ride a sportbike, you’ll likely never look at boots like these, although everyone needs this type of protection regardless of what they ride.
There has been a mens version of the SMX Plus for a while now. What makes these a step up from the popular SMX-6’s is the extra ankle protection that they offer. Also a much more secure calf adjustment with no velcro. If you have a track style pant or track suit, you’ll have a solid fit with no chance of the calf opening while riding.
The huge stretchy/accordion style panel over the ankles should also allow for more range of motion as you increase your body positioning work from dropping your knee to dragging your knee. Woo hoo!
Although Alpinestars has always offered Euro 36-37-38 in the men’s track boots, the women’s specific model should be a tighter fit around the heels/ankles and instep. If you do need more room in those areas but still have a foot at the length of a Euro 36-38, then I’d probably still recommend trying the men’s versions. $399 MSRP.
(just FYI, Stella just means womens, so whenever you see that it’s not a style name, it’s just acting as a pronoun)
When Tech Air was announced from Alpinestars, it was mainly focused on the men’s segment but now it’s our turn. Just like the men’s jackets, it has the ability to take in the Tech Air Race Vests which are sold separately.
In addition to this jacket, there’s also a Missile Tech-Air 1Pc Suit for women. $599 MSRP.
I have the older womens Torques which I was SO excited about when they came out. What makes Dainese boots stand out is that they offer lateral ankle protection and, a lower profile overall.
I don’t see any substantial changes from the previous model other than this eye catching white / fluo red! If you’re wondering why, it’s because it matches perfectly with a couple of their suits.
As Dainese is always Dainese, it’ll likely be a very narrow fit in the toes, instep and heels. So for comparable protection and a wider fit you’ll want to try a different brand.
Holy colorway Batman. Colorway is retailspeak for colors. :D
If you’re looking for a completely different color option that is unique on the track, I think this is it.
I’m thinking Captain Marvel? :) And check out that Black/Teal combo. Woooo. Also, absolutely no pink. I know how controversial the pink theme can be, but Teal is still a very beautiful color, in my opinion. And something that hasn’t been beaten to death with marketing over the past 20 years the way that pink has. MSRP $999.95
Let’s not forget matching teal gloves. I am really drawn to these colors for some reason.
Maybe it’s the asymmetric pattern? I don’t know. But I like it!
A little hard to wear unless you already wear all black or black/white. Of course there’s also black if that’s your color. MSRP $179.95
Rukka is one of those brands you’ve probably never heard of. But it’s a brand that you want to know because their mesh jackets are magical. That’s really the best word I can use to describe them.
This jacket is particularly wonderful at keeping you comfortable in ungodly hot weather. What really makes this brand unique is the application of Cordura AFT fabrics.
It’s a very unique application of mesh that you can only find with Rukka. As you can see, it can be cost-prohibitive and not very many people can spend $500 on a mesh jacket. Fitment for women’s Rukka can be challenging (fairly straight except for roomier shoulders and bust space, so slightly inverted triangle shaped) as well. The pants tend to run a bit slimmer in the hips with some extra room in the waist and then slimmer legs/calves. I’ve never ridden in one of these, but I hope to try one out this Summer to see if I like the fitment.
I’ll be honest, the only real reason I haven’t flipped a switch to Rukka for summer is simply styling and aesthetics. I much prefer how my Revit mesh looks. Vain, I know!
If I weren’t so vain, I’d spend a little extra on this suit in a heartbeat. MSRP $499 Jacket, $449 Pants.
The Lolo is one of the few leather jackets that I’ve found that fit really well for very curvy girls.
Not only does it (and all Cortech womens jackets) offer plus sizing, but also a roomy chest, shoulder, bust and waist with a slightly shorter sleeve length. The leather looks great in person, not too shiny and not too worn. Available in brown and black. MSRP $299.99.
This is a brand new style for FirstGear and I think it offers a tremendous amount of protection for the price point. As the brand goes, you’ll find these great for shorter, wider hands and shorter fingers.
Full wrist coverage and a palm slider. For $99, it makes for a great Spring/Fall/Mild Winter waterproof glove.
But if you don’t like longer cuff gloves, try the shorter versions, the Electra.
I haven’t found any pants (with the exception of Oxford Leggings) that fit as curvy as these do. I would call these a Plus Size Fit Jean because the rise is so high and because the waist fit is so generous.
They aren’t the highest protection or performance, but they do offer a fitment that simply doesn’t exist in women’s riding pants.
And for that reason I highly recommend them.
You can amp up the protection with D3O level 2 armor from Klim or Icon if you want a little more. MSRP $129.95.
I like this jacket because it’s super stylish for riding, but also perfect off the bike. The hoody is a removable, stand alone softshell jacket. Per usual Roland Sands fit, it still has a slimmer profile. But with the huge stretch panel that runs vertically from the shoulder to the waist along with the small hip gussets, it works well for lean, pear shape and some curvier body types. Not quite as curvy as the Lolo but not super slim like the Italians (Dainese, Alpinestars, Spidi). It’s been hugely popular in the Showroom and looks beautiful in person. I think you could make it work on any riding style, even sporty bikes (without the hood because if you ride extremely forward, and wear your full face helmet, it will definitely be in your way when you try to move your head back or check your blind spot.)
If you don’t love black, don’t worry there’s also a lovely light grey and dark brown. MSRP $599.
A casual styled leather that’s also perforated is really, really hard to come by. In fact, I want to say the Trinity is the first one I’ve seen. This is essentially the perforated version of the Mia. So what does that mean? It means when it’s 80F out, you’ll get to wear this pretty leather jacket if you’d rather not wear textile mesh!
The biggest difference is that there’s no removable liners. The Trinity has the same stretchy panels along the back from the shoulder down the sides of the torso. This makes a huge difference for fit, allowing for a more versatile fit that can be worn by multiple body types. It won’t have the slimmest fit like a European brand but it comes pretty close. And when a woman who does need a little more room around the bust or shoulders needs the space, it’ll allow for that as well. Kudos to Roland Sands for the smart design on this and the Mia. MSRP $450.
UPDATE JAN. 9, 2020: Blue SOLD
Both of these jeans are roughly a Dress Size 2-4, 30 Waist/XS/SM.
So I have two pairs of Worse for Wear Riding Jeans for sale, which unfortunately are no longer available.
The company shut down last year, but I have two pairs that I know someone else could use more than me right now.
Unfortunately, I broke my foot (walking down stairs) last week and I won’t be riding for 4-6 weeks anyhow. But I also grew out of one pair and am not riding enough to need the second pair.
I’ll revisit riding jeans next Spring, but for now I know someone else could really use an excellent pair of riding jeans.
One pair is blue and one pair is black. Full descriptions and photos below.
The photo on the right is of me wearing the blue pair when I first bought them. They fit so well, but then my waist decided to grow a few inches and they simply became too uncomfortable to wear.
Me wearing Blue Pair #1
Price: $150 (retail was ~$395) + shipping
Condition: Pre-owned, barely worn, never crashed
Worse For Wear Womens Riding Jeans 30x28
Gently Used.
Condition is Pre-owned, never Crashed
Size: ~US 2-4
Color: Black
Measured waist of the garment: 30". These are a little looser in the waist and hips than the blue ones, and should fit up to a 33” true belly/waist and 37.5” hip. These are also looser in the calves by a good inch.
Inseam: 32" (easily hemmable by a good tailor)
Materials: 100% Armalith. It's one of the most abrasion resistant jeans for women, same material as these Rokker Women’s Jeans.
SINGLE LAYER construction; that means the entire jean is constructed of Armalith, instead of cheap riding jeans with Denim + a Second Layer of Kevlar or similar material
Seam strength and construction is reinforced along the outseams on the knees and hip pockets
Hip and Knee Protector pockets: Knee and Hip armor included for FREE, I'll happily include whichever you prefer (thinner knees or thicker knees). You'll just have to add a strip of velcro to the back of whichever knee armor you want and then you can position it on the inside of the pocket as high or low as you need it! Brilliant, eh?
Waist is Medium to High Rise
Leg line is slim BELOW the knee, but just barely fit over a pair of Dainese Torque Out Women’s Boots. But they will go over sneakers and casual shoes
Please feel free to email me any other questions you may have
Worse for Wear Announces West Coast “Cover Your Assets” Tour
Richmond, Virginia-based motorcycle clothing brand Worse for Wear teams up with Stellar Moto Brand for a two week pop-up tour through California, Oregon, and Washington.
November 16, 2017 | Richmond, Virginia - Laura Smith and Jenna Stellar, founders of Worse for Wear and Stellar Moto Brand, have announced West Coast tour dates to showcase their popular collections of motorcycle riding gear for women in time for the holidays. From Worse for Wear’s custom-sized and fitted protective riding jeans to Stellar’s Los Angeles-inspired fashion-forward protective apparel, these collections are specifically designed for and by women riders. Both founders will be on-hand at each event to help attendees get geared up and “cover your assets”.
Starting December 1st, Laura and Jenna will host a series of “One Night Stands” starting in San Diego, California. This unique two-week event will give women riders an opportunity to try on some of the best women’s motorcycle gear on the market. Best of all—both independent brands are proudly made in the U.S.A. Event dates are below.
December 1: San Diego, CA at Cerberus Moto
December 2: Newport Beach, CA at Ducati Newport Beach
December 4: Castro Valley, CA at Cornerstone Coffee & Brewing
December 5: San Francisco, CA at Thee Parkside
December 6: Sacramento, CA at Vintage Monkey
December 8: Portland, OR at 2 Stroke Coffee Company
December 9: Seattle, WA at The Wick Motorcycles & Coffee
December 13: Los Angeles, CA at Goldmine
“Stellar Moto Brand was born from a desire for real protective moto wear that looks good on and off the bike and actually provides protection for the rider. Our apparel is a blend of space-age tech and old-school cool that meets the needs of the modern motorcyclist,” -Jenna Stellar, founder of Stellar Moto Brand.
With this pop-up tour, Laura and Jenna are hoping to reach a wide variety of women riders up and down the West Coast who are looking for fashionable, yet protective women’s motorcycle gear that they just can’t find anywhere else.
“One of the biggest challenges women riders face is finding real riding gear to try in person and getting properly fitted. Laura and Jenna are not only providing options to them, but showing them what’s happening in the world of motorcycle gear for women. Made for women riders, by women riders.” - Joanne Donn, founder of GearChic.com
“I started this brand in 2015 with the idea that every woman of every shape and size deserves protective riding gear that fits and looks good, every time I see the smile that lights up a woman’s face when she tries on a pair of our jeans, I know I’ve done the right thing.” - Laura Smith, coFounder of Worse for Wear
About Worse for Wear
Worse for Wear is a women-owned, locally-made motorcycle brand based in Richmond, Virginia. Their flagship Crosstown riding jeans are fully customizable and specifically designed for women riders. Worse for Wear strives to offer protective jeans with the perfect fit for every woman’s body, making them the ultimate choice in both protection, fit, and fashion. View the entire collection at worsewear.com or visit them on Facebook.
About Stellar Moto Brand
Style meets protection at Stellar Moto Brand. As a brand that’s hell-bent on getting motorcycle culture to gear up with technical apparel that won’t assault the eyes, Stellar focuses on style-conscious individuals who seek both protection and fashion. View the entire collection for men and women at stellarmotobrand.com or visit them on Facebook.
For more information about the Cover Your Assets tour, contact Laura Smith at laura@worsewear.com or by calling (804) 433-3855.
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Laura Smith
Co-Founder, Worse for Wear
Motorcycle Apparel for Women
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