Plus Size Jackets for Women

How do you find jackets that fit you when you don’t know where to begin?

Well, I’m here to give you some shortcuts. I wish this was easy. It’s impossible to know what’s going to fit me if I have a 45” chest, a 43” waist and a 48” hip?

I’ve been doing some research where I work lately, and fortunately I have the luxury of doing this for a living at RevZilla. We have a wonderful store in Philadelphia and if you’re a woman who needs help getting geared up I hope you’ll reach out and drop me a line so I can help.

Tourmaster Sonora Air - 3 Season Versatility!

Recently I’ve been looking at a series of plus size, larger jackets. Because I know that the majority of American women out there are larger. So I’ve made a list for you and I can tell you that these all have fitments and sizing that mean those of you looking for jackets to fit anywhere from a 40” to 55” chest have options.

There are European Brands that I know can fit larger women as well but I haven’t had a chance to research the sizing yet. For now, this is my list of recommendations but I promise to add and update it when I have enough information to add them to this list.

Olympia Airglide 5

multiseason, waterproof, mesh, summer, spring, fall, 3 season warm, mild winter

The Airglide is a 3 season (Spring, Summer, Fall and California/Florida winters) mesh jackt with 2 removable liners; one thermal and one waterproof. The waterproof liner is actually a standalone jacket which can be worn on the OUTSIDE of the jacket. Yes, OVER the jacket itself to keep you dry. Remember to deliner this one completely when you try it on so you can try it in hot weather and cold weather arrangements.

Wearing a size MEDIUM, Chest 46 / Waist 43.5 / Hips 48. She’s wearing it with ALL the liners zipped in. This is what I call Proper Fit.

I’ve personally fit hundreds of women in Olympia. I love the quality, fit and versatility that they offer. In a size Small, I can fit someone with up to a 43” hip because it has a perfect cutout over the hips. It’s also slightly shorter waisted so it allows the jacket to sit higher on the hips.

In a 3X, I’ve fit someone with a 53” Bust, 48” Waist and 58” Hip. This is with ALL liners inside the jacket.

Now imagine taking the liners out and how much more room you will have! Please keep in mind that since it’s not a Winter specific jacket, you will not likely wear all the liners inside. Since the rain jacket can be worn inside or out, you will likely wear one liner but not the other.

I also want to share this photo of how you might need to zip the jacket up because riding jackets are sewn and designed for you to wear them in the riding position.

My friend and coworker Chrissy is zipping up two different jackets below, one is the older Olympia Airglide 4 Jacket (as opposed to the 5th version above) and the Rev’it Ladies Ignition 2 Jacket. See? It just takes a little bend forward. :)

Granted, the Ignition is a much more relaxed fit across the chest, so depending on your personal comfort (and riding position) you may prefer the Olympia fit over the Rev’it and that’s totally up to you!

Rev’it Ignition 3 Jacket

leather, mesh, hybrid, sport, sport touring, summer, waterproof

In the 3 photos above, next to the Silver Airglide, she’s wearing a Rev’it Ignition 2 Jacket. The fitment has not changed from 2 to 3, and sizing is the same. I will say that the shoulders run tighter so this is ideal if you have a REALLY generous bust in relation to your shoulders. This also runs closer to the sport/sport touring fit too. Keep in mind the torso can run long so if you are really short waisted AND busty, then this may not work well for you because the sleeves and torso might run too long. When that happens, the collar tends to ride up towards the bottom of your helmet.

Here are a few more on the list that I want to recommend for the bustier gals out there:

Tourmaster Sonora Air Jacket

mesh, waterproof, 3season warm, spring, summer

This is a photo of my friend and coworker, Stephanie. She’s wearing a size MD Plus, and her measurements are: 50 Chest, 45 Waist, 45 Hips. The Sonora has a shorter waist and sleeve overall compared to Rev’it, but it tends to be slightly longer in both areas than the Olympia Airglide above.

Klim Artemis Jacket

goretex, waterproof, multiseason, adventure, dual sport, spring, summer, fall, winter

The same person wearing the Sonora above also fits this jacket in a 2XL. The Sonora runs even longer than the others in the sleeves and waist because it’s a true Adventure Jacket; meant for a woman riding dirtbikes or dual sports. So that when you’re standing on the pegs, getting through a water crossing you’ll have plenty of coverage.

I know there are more options than this, but I wanted to give you a sense of what might fit you depending on your riding lifestyle.

As always, I’m here to help if you need personalized help finding something that fits you regardless of your size.

Motorcycle gloves for wider hands and shorter fingers

 

This question came in from Glen who needs help with finding gloves. Let's see if I can help. 

I could use your help, even though I'm a guy ;-) 

I'm looking for a summer weight waterproof ADV glove and not finding much luck.The main issue is I have wide hands with short fingers.  I've tried Rukka, A-Star, Revit and Racer. 

The closest thing I have found is Klim in a size medium. I currently wear the Klim Caldera and Inversion pro. The mediums are very tight at first but once the leather breaks in, they are just about perfect. I really can't work with long fingers. 

Anything you can suggest? 

Thanks, Glen

Well Glen, my recommendation would then be for Held, Cortech or Tourmaster. For Held, I've had luck with the Steve Classics:

These are available in short, however, at the time of this post, it seems that certain sizes are out of stock :(. (Sidenote, these are are actually great for women too, because if you have really small hands or long fingers, they're available in a 6/XS) and 7 long). Protection wise, they may not be what you're looking for but they're a nice all around glove. What's also nice is that the wrists are elastic, so that makes it easier to get in and out.

Unfortunately not all of Held's gloves are available in short, just the Steve Classics.

Otherwise if you want more protection, then I have to recommend Cortech or Tourmaster. The fits are fairly wide and and the fingers tend to be shorter as well.

Motorcycle glove recommendations

Ok, from time to time I have to give advice to the men of this world too!

This email just came in from Bill K.:

Motorcycle Glove fitment by brand question.... I have fat hands with short fingers. My last two purchases of higher quality gloves went poorly. I got some alpinestars based on finger length, and they were so tight around the palm the actually burst a seam. So I got a set of Lee Parks gloves ($ouch) based on girth around the knuckles (where they fit perfectly), and they are too long for my fingers. I'm hoping after a few good rain rides, they will shrink shorter to fit, but who knows...can you recommend a brand that caters to the "fat hands and short fingers" market?

Actually, I have found a few brands to fit wider hands and shorter fingers.  My favorite quality glove with this kind of fit and shape is Held. (http://www.heldusa.com) 

And the fit is not as narrow in the wrists/palms as other brands that I've seen (for men and women).  For an all around glove, I'd recommend the Steve Classic:

Not only does it start in a size 6 (perfect for teeny tiny, XS hands. I'm a 6.5/7) but you can order this glove in short or long sizes! I havent' seen any other gloves on the market that offer this option. 

If you want a glove with more protection, Held has a great line of sport gloves with stronger gauntlets and more armor too. Unfortunately those aren't offered in short/long. 

Also check out Olympia Gloves (which is different from the Olympia Motosports Apparel line).  

 The Kangaroo Curve is a slightly shorter, but well ventilated glove for summer: 

They have over 80 types of motorcycle gloves, so hopefully they offer something that you need!

And I almost forgot,  2 more brands to consider, Cortech and Tourmaster. They tend to have a wider stance in the palms and shorter fingers.