leathers

Alpinestars Stella GP Plus Leather Jacket

Alpinestars Stella GP Plus Jacket MSRP $399.95 Sizes: Euro 38-50 (I'm wearing a Euro 42 = US 4)

I haven't tried on every leather jacket on the market. But I've tried on more than my fair share.

The last time I tried on a sport leather jacket by Alpinestars was 2-3 years ago.  I wasn't very impressed by anything they had to offer women until now.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to meet with our local Alpinestars representative and the North American Sales Manager to see some pieces from their new 2011/2012 collection.  They only brought a few pieces from the Stella line, but fortunately this was one of them.

The first thing I noticed when I put that jacket on is how light and comfortable it felt. It doesn't have that usual "this is the most uncomfortable piece of clothing I've ever worn" feeling that you get when you try on a sporty leather jacket. The leather typically feels stiff, restrictive. You can't move your arms very much (except forward) and you don't want to spend much time in the jacket with it fully zipped.  A common shopping tip that I give is that your leathers are going to feel more comfortable on the bike vs. off.

It's definitely the opposite with the GP Plus. It could be the stretch panels that start at the inner wrist and extend all the way up to the armpits. Or maybe the feel of the lay flat collar. I don't know. All I know is that it felt incredibly comfortable and I would have no problem wearing this piece all day long.

If I'm lucky, I'll be able to provide a full review of this piece in the next couple of months. Fingers crossed!

 

REVIT Women's Zip, Marryl and Allure

It's common practice for manufacturers to cycle out and discontinue certain pieces of gear every 3-5 years, depending on how well that item is selling or how popular it is in the market.  Unfortunately 3 of my favorite women's gear from REV'IT is being discontinued, so you'll find these all on clearance if not completely gone from your local dealer.  I urge you to try and find them if you can!

1)Zip Pants. Unisex, waterproof overpants perfect for commuting. Especially fits a curvy figure up to a Size 16 (XXXL) and can be found in SHORT.  (I found these to fit women far better than men for some reason) Scuderia West has already sold most of them, if not all of them to make room for an updated version called The Axis WR pant. Last I saw there were two size XXL on the clearance rack. Revzilla only has a few sizes on clearance left as well.

2) Axis Pants (Replacement for the Zip). One major difference with the new Axis is that they start an XS, not XXS as before.  The XS will probably fit a women's US 4. I tried on a Small and it fit like a size 6. Another improvement is the addition of a 2-way side zipper, which does make it easier for you to take them on and off without taking off your boots. I have to do that for the Zips and was happy to do so, given how wonderfully they fit.

They also appear to have added additional elastic at the waist to make for a more adjustable fit.  I always thought that the Zip pants fit women better than men, and I still think that's the case, however not for petite women.  The Zips used to come in XXS, which fit down to a Size US 2, perfect for petite frames. But they've pushed the sizing up, and as a result they've made the cut a little more generous for a curvier body. I know that many plus sized women have issue finding gear, but so do super petite women. For many women who are a size 0-4, it can be difficult to find anything affordably priced to fit.  The "sweet spot" so to speak for sizing is size 4-12. If you fall within these numbers, it's pretty easy to find something in your size.

A couple other changes that they've made with the Axis:

  • Full Hip to Toe, 2-WAY zippers that allow the pants to Fully open up on the sides
  • Adjustable and stretchy snaps on each side of the waist for a better adjustment
  • No hip armor or pockets, since the pants are priced below $150

3) Allure Jacket and Marryl Pants.

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