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On Motorcycle Jackets From Fashion Brands

Just because it’s called a biker jacket doesn’t mean you’ll be able to trust it when the leather meets the road.

November 27, 2017

“Biker Jackets” are so named for their style, not because they’re meant for use on a bike. Purpose-built motorcycle jackets are safety gear first, fashion item second.Taylor Stitch

For decades, fashion brands have been capitalizing on styles made popular by all sorts of motorcycle riders, confirming what we already knew: motorcyclists are cool and should be emulated by everyone (at least that’s what I tell myself). However, if a brand known for tees and jeans is selling a motorcycle jacket, even if it has a name like “The Brando” or “The McQueen,” it’s not a great idea to wear it on a motorcycle.

Fashion is often inspired by nostalgia and romanticism, which is why the cool kids are all wearing hard-wearing selvedge denim, chambray shirts, and boiled wool as they tap away at their computer keyboards. And thank goodness for that. I know I’d rather be wearing clothes inspired by my grandfather’s WWII bomber jacket or my father in-law’s Navy CPO than by, say, a pocket protector-wearing IRS auditor out of a David Foster Wallace novel (any fans of The Pale King out there?).

Taylor Stitch’s Moto Jacket looks to be a really high-quality fashion piece, as we’d expect from the California-based brand. I’d gladly rock one off the bike, but in spite of marketing that shows it being worn by riders on some sweet Altas, the jacket doesn’t have armor or other moto-centric features.Taylor Stitch

The motorcycle jacket too has earned its rightful place in fashion culture. This is nothing new. But jackets made by fashion brands have no place on a real ride. Some of our favorite brands are making beautiful pieces, but they still don’t have the technical details that designate them for riding duty.

The most significant issue is, of course, safety. First of all, they don’t feature armor or pockets for armor. Also, jackets intended for motorcycling, when they fit properly, are perhaps too fitted and oddly cut for the casual wearer. Jackets that aren’t appropriately snug can have excess material that folds beneath itself, creating higher-wearing areas that can catch rather than slide on the asphalt. Armor can also shift out of place.

This jacket from retail giant Madewell does a good job of imitating a classic biker jacket straight out of The Wild One. Ladies, if you're looking for a similar vibe but with proper protective features, check out the Alltime Moto Jacket from Atwyld.Madewell

Since fashion jackets are not designed with riding in mind, features that make them functional on the bike are absent. After all, proper ventilation and waterproofing can be detrimental when the goal is to purely look good. Motorcycle gear needs to be both functional on the bike and, if it’s the rider’s priority, look good off it too.

Fortunately, these days there are plenty of great-looking jackets that are as safe and functional on the bike as they are good-looking off of it. While this all sounds so obvious, there are a lot of brands whose marketing techniques may be a bit misleading. For the motorcyclist who relies on a jacket for protection, the lyric “we must suffer for fashion” from that old Of Montreal song takes on a whole new meaning. Look to the real experts when you’re in the market for a new moto jacket.