long sleeves

3 Awesome Jackets for less than $200

Rev’it Tornado Women’s Jacket (v1); Slim Fit

Rev’it Tornado Women’s Jacket (v1); Slim Fit

These women’s motorcycle jackets are on crazy sale at RevZilla right now. I’ve added a few notes for you to see if they’ll fit you the woman rider in your life. If they do, then you’ve just scored a really great deal!

As always, drop me a line if you have questions about sizing or fitment.

1/ Rev’it Tornado Jacket, Euro 40 and 42, now $197.

This jacket is a great 3 season (spring, summer, warm) coat for your sportyish bike, your adv/touring bike and even your cruiser.

My Recommended sizing:

Euro 40 - Chest 42-43”, Waist 41-42”, Hips 43-44

Euro 42 - Chest 44-45”, Waist 42-43”, Hips 44-45

Keep in mind that these numbers are based on measuring your real waist. If you’re not sure how to do this, please watch this video. I know what you’re thinking, the Rev’it Size Chart says otherwise. Let’s just say it’s not perfect. But then again, what is? (okay, Cheesecake. Cheesecake is always perfect).

The Tornado is ideal for slimmer body types and those of you looking for a longer waist and sleeve length. Keep in mind that the liner is removable so always try your linered jackets on with and without the liners to see all the different combos and fitments you might be riding in.

If you’re not sure what to order, think about how snug you like your gear. If you want a very fitted fit and your Chest is 43.75, then order a Euro 42. If you have questions, just let me know!

My friend Sarah in a size small with a 43” Chest, 37.5” Waist, 43” hips. She’s also ~5’2”. Perfect Apple Fit.

My friend Sarah in a size small with a 43” Chest, 37.5” Waist, 43” hips. She’s also ~5’2”. Perfect Apple Fit.

2/ OLYMPIA SWITCHBACK 2 now $149

This is another great 2-3 season jacket, but without a thermal liner I’d say that it’s best as a Spring/Summer jacket. Keep in mind that with Olympia your rain liner can be worn outside or over the jacket when it’s raining.

Photo: wikihow.com

The fitment is very, very very generous and I would say that the alpha sizing is oversized. If you generally buy a small, you’ll find it to be a looser small. Especially in the bust, shoulders and hips.

The Switchback is ideal for a very short waist, and generous hips. Think Apple Shape.

For reference, a small fits a woman with a 38” Chest, 34” Waist and 43” Hip. It flares so much at the hips that anyone who needs a very large hip space will fit this jacket (assuming you don’t need a smaller waist as well).

Another great deal right now for the same body type: Cortech for $109. But upgrade the armor with D3O, please!

3/ REV’IT LEVANTE 42 $199.99

My gorgeous friend Alisa (~5’10”) in her Levante (46) Taller Fit.

My gorgeous friend Alisa (~5’10”) in her Levante (46) Taller Fit.

Another 3 season favorite, like the Tornado above. This one has a slightly different fit in that it has extra long sleeves and torso. Also more cinching and adjustments at the waist, forearms and bicep to make it fit tighter without the liner.

Since only 42 is available, you’ll need at least a 41” chest up to 44”. I’d recommend anywhere from a 42” - 45” waist given the adjustability that it has on each side.

The liner is thermal and waterproof so keep in mind that when it’s out the jacket will fit a half size larger. Given how long the sleeves run, this is ideal for someone who is taller and needs as much length as possible in the torso and sleeves.

I hope these help. If you need specific recommendations, please let me know!

Winter Is Coming, Rev'it Neptune GTX Women's Jacket

revit_neptune_goretex_womens_jacket.png

I'm super excited to update my old Legacy with a warmer, newer version. The new Neptune Jacket has a heavier outer shell, and some really nice updates that make wearing it more comfortable. 

With the Gore-Tex liner OVER the jacket!

With the Gore-Tex liner OVER the jacket!

I'm just happy that its keeping me warm without my heated jacket liner when it's 55F out. This time around, the Neptune unlike it's predecessory (Legacy) has two removable liners. One is Gore-Tex and one is a thermal, insulated liner. What this does is give the jacket a little more flexibility for summer riding. If it starts raining and it's hot and humid, the Gore-Tex jacket is wearable on the outside :) 

Hip gusset for alllll the hips

Hip gusset for alllll the hips

What I want to mention is the fitment. They've loosened up the chest, hips and arms on this model compared to previous versions. I have a 36" bust and a 37" hips. So I have absolutely no hips or butt. I need a really straight cut. When I have the hip gussets closed, there is still a good ~1-1.5 inches (with all the liners in) of room left that could fill it out. Not a dealbreaker for me, but I knew that going in. I'm wearing a Euro 36. I can't size down because of my shoulders. With the liners in, my shoulders are too tight in a 34 while in riding position so I need the 36. I really think a Euro 36 could fit someone with up to a 39" chest and up to a 40" hip for a snug fit with all the liners. I would say this is a curvier cut than Dainese or Alpinestars. The hips flare out even when they're zipped shut on me. Although I admit, I have NO hips/butt. 

The impact that this has on me is warmth. Because it's not fitting tight in the chest when I learn forward, I get a chilly draft. If I wore my windstopper North Face vest I could eliminate that. But then wearing that with the thermal liner is too much.

What I need is a bigger chest! :P This is where layering is crucial. If I wear a thick baselayer (smartwool or Polartec fleece shirt or something along those lines) then I think it would minimize the draft on my chest.  

I'm going to take this jacket on a chilly weekend ride in a couple weeks and then I'll do a full review. Stay tuned! 

For more details on the Neptune, find all the detailed specs on Revit's website

Women's Gear Success Story!

dainese_airframe_womens_mesh_jacket
dainese_airframe_womens_mesh_jacket

 

Today I had a really great success story with a woman who needed almost an impossible jacket with longer arms, and a very lean body. 

She also had broader shoulders too which made it even more difficult. Another hurdle was the fact that she was rather tall and long waisted (~5'8") with a very lean build; probably a US 0-2 in the body but US 4-6 for shoulders and sleeve/torso length.

So what to do? After trying on many options, she left happily with the above Dainese Air Frame Women's Jacket, perfect for summer riding weather.  Dainese is a fairly slim brand, but not slim enough when you have to size up 2 times to fit your sleeves and shoulders.

What you don't see in the photo are also 2 key button adjustments; one at the bicep and one at the forearm to taper the sleeves even more. The last piece was adding a heavier back protector to take up quite a bit of volume in the body of the jacket.  I chose the Dainese Manis G1 Back Protector. The result was a better fitting jacket and a perfect sleeve length! This means that she can pretty much go with any Dainese ladies jacket in the same size and have a fairly good result with fitment.

Dainese tends to run narrow and long in the sleeves, but when you're caught outside of even this fitment, sometimes a little creativity needs to be employed for an ideal outcome.

Women's Motorcycle Jackets with the Longest Sleeves

This is my second video for Revzilla.com!

In this vid, I give you all my recommendations for women's jackets with the longest sleeves.

But in case you missed my last Geek Speak video for Revzilla.com, you can watch that one here too: