For years women have been forced to settle for less flattering gear, that is if protection was a priority for them. It was a consent struggle to find rider gear that was not only comfortable but could be worn in a non-riding environment. That was until 2015 of course, when a woman saw this struggle and made the choice to change all of that, and so MotoGirl was born–a company that is dedicated to bringing women-specific protective rider gear to the market.
As mentioned in my previous article, Inspiring Confidence On The Road, I was in desperate need of protective gear as I was not planning on attending a track day without the proper protection. All of this research led me to MotoGirl and I finally settled on a kit–the Jodie Summer Jacket and the Lara Cargo Trousers. I am equally excited about both of these amazing products, however, I’ll discuss the trousers in my next piece. For now, let’s focus on this lightweight airflow jacket.
It goes without saying, that the Jodie ticked the box of flattering, with its fitted shape design it hugs your body in all the right places eliminating that “box” like figure. Let’s be honest ladies, hiding our curves has never been an option!
What I absolutely love about this jacket is the adjustable buckles that are situated on the arms, waist and hips. This gives ladies of all body types the option to tailor their jackets to their specific needs. I have a slightly pear-shaped body, so being able to loosen the hip buckles to provide a little more room was super helpful, of course with my small waist and arms I was able to pull them in to sit snugly which eliminated the flapping of fabric at higher speeds.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to loan a Trident from Triumph JHB as I am on a journey to finding my next motorbike, and with the weather being the perfect kind for a ride, we headed out to the cradle to put the jacket and the bike to the test on the open road. (More on the bike later.)
The Jodie is made of a combination of highly abrasion-resistant cotton fabric with mesh panels which provide sufficient airflow on our hot summer days. I opted for the khaki green colour, and I haven’t regretted it one day. Why go for your average black colour scheme when you have different colour options available, after all, it’s not every day that we ladies get any form of variety when choosing rider gear, let alone several different colours.
You might wonder how safe this “stylish” rider jacket is, but let me assure you that all MotoGirl products are CE & UKCA certified and have achieved AA class, and you can also trust the mesh panels as they offer AAA safety. Naturally protective gear wouldn’t be sufficient enough if there weren’t protectors present, with that said the Jodie has Level 1 elbow and shoulder protectors included. The jacket is back protector ready, an optional extra for individuals who would like that additional protection. I currently don’t have it as of yet, but it is on my list to add to my already protective kit.
As every rider will tell you, pockets are a necessity when riding motorbikes. The Jodie has two front pockets with high-quality zips ensuring that your belongings are safely tucked away, and if you want that extra reassurance, it also has two inner pockets that close with a strong velcro. I personally prefer to keep my phone tucked in the inner pocket as it feels safer and with it being against my body I can easily feel when I receive calls.
Talking about high quality, this summer jacket has a padded neck and cuff that provide the rider with extra comfort. The cuff zips have a cool design feature where once you flip the zip tag up it prevents the zip from sliding. At first, I thought it would be a problem because as I rode the zip would slide up, but I quickly realized I simply had to flip it over and the problem was solved. This is a handy design when it involves gloves with big cuffs. I was unfortunately not blessed with the longest arms which resulted in the sleeves being slightly too long for me. Because of this, I can’t pull the zip closed completely as the sleeve comes down lower over my gloves. Usually, this would be a problem, but because of the snazzy zip design I can leave the zip slightly open, flip the tag over and it’s secured in that position.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a women-specific design if it didn’t have specific features just for us. I’m not the only woman rider who felt the need to buy a jacket that is longer in the back or high-waist pants to prevent the wind from blowing my shirt up and possibly exposing my undergarments… If this was the case then MotoGirl wouldn’t have thought of designing their jackets with an additional zip on the lower back section that attaches to their belt accessory which keeps your jacket and pants secured together–we can now say goodbye to tucking our shirts into our pants and praying the wind isn’t exposing us! This is more proof that MotoGirl is a company that focuses on the needs of women riders, but on top of that, this feature adds to the protection aspect which prevents your jacket from riding up in the case of a fall.
In summary, MotoGirl is here to give us ladies the protection we need as well as the style we desire. For me, after spending a few months with this jacket I would never go back to the bland mainstream designs that we have been presented with for all these years. Every woman deserves to feel and look her best; this brand understands that and brings us the quality and protection required to give us peace of mind on every ride.
For more information visit MotoGirl and be sure to look out for my next piece on their highly sought-after Lara Cargo Trousers.
