For the past year I’ve been looking into buying a new motorcycle jacket. To be honest, it’s probably been more than a year. You might be thinking, I’m too picky, or not very good at shopping. I assure you neither is the case in this situation. The truth is, shopping for motorcycle apparel is tough, especially for women.

In my opinion, there are a number of reasons for my inability to buy a new jacket. To start with, the selection of jackets for women aren’t great. The first eye sore for me is always the color selection. It’s like every designer for women insists on the color pink, or purple. Then, add the floral decor that seems to accompany almost every jacket I come across. Finally, you have the tricky sizing charts to battle with.

I should dive into my problems with the pastel colors women’s jackets tend to come in. It’s like the motorcycle companies assume customers won’t be able to identify the product as women’s jackets if they aren’t pink or decorated with an overtly feminine design. I’ve literally seen pink hearts on a jacket. What the hell is that? It’s insulting. Not every woman likes pastel colors and floral prints. I certainly don’t like either of these two things.

It’s hard enough for riders not to look like Power Rangers in their riding gear. When I first bought my current jacket I thought white would be a good idea. I’d be easy to spot on the road as it’s a light color. However, upon putting it on, I definitely felt like an action figure. Especially since my helmet is also white. The feelings slowly dimmed as my jacket got dirty. Now, it’s hard to tell it was ever white to begin with.

Sad Jacket

I also find it difficult to choose the perfect fit for the jacket. It all comes down to the brand. Sometimes the sizes run small, sometimes they run larger than expected. Not to mention it’s probably best to try on a jacket in person before you purchase it. Often you can end up looking like a line backer because of the padding. Or you look like you’re suffocating because the designer’s left little to no room in the bust area. It’s best to work those things out in person before you’re down three hundred dollars.

Speaking of money, it’s expensive to buy a motorcycle jacket. A really good jacket will run you between four to six hundred dollars. It’s a little steep for my pockets at the moment, but I know I’m going to have to bite the bullet soon and purchase one. Because, let’s be honest, the cheap ones are uglier, don’t have all the protection, and aren’t as durable. However, I refuse to buy a cotton candy colored, bouquet adorned jacket because of the market’s limited variety of female jackets. In the meantime, my search continues for my perfect jacket.

Stay safe in these streets!