Modern Motorcycle Apparel/Biker Apparel- How To Mix Style With Function

Buying the right motorcycle apparel can be a daunting thing for both the average 'Joe', biking newbie,  and the experienced motorcycle rider. And looking for any type of fashion for that matter, that is both stylish and functional, can be even more challenging. I created this hub to enable every motorcycle clothing aficionados, to:

• use the following criteria to look for, select and purchase motorcycle apparel by combining both style and functionality.
• to use this hub as an easy reference for both a newbie rider or for those who just want to look cool, to find the right motorcycle clothing to suit any occasion, or for an experienced rider wanting to improve or replace his wardrobe and/or motorcycle accessories with better quality and protection.
• And to, (last but not least) make me and my hubs, more popular, which will (hopefully)win me more fans and many comments! LOL!!

Anyway, when seeking to buy motorcycle apparel, you are looking for two basic types. These are, clothing and accessories. The four major clothing types are (starting from head to toe) the, helmet, jacket, pants/trousers, and boots. As for accessories, you have, sunglasses, gloves, scarves, padding, jewellery, bags,and belts, just to mention a few.

What you should be looking for

Starting from the very top of your bike wear...

1. Motorcycle Helmets

Wise motorcycle riders are never caught on a bike without head protection in the form of a high padded,layered, and rigid helmet. For the suave and stylish rider, the helmet instantly tells the onlooker, Hey! I'm protect myself and I'm stylish too. Since the motorcycle helmet is, one of the first things that is noticed, it should therefore not, be taken lightly.

Old school aficionados often prefer helmets have one colour - black, uncomfortable, with little or no padding at all. Todays, trendy helmets, offer a choice of vivid colours, graphics and various symbols. From artfully themed flames, to semi-nude girls, and skulls. The list beats the imagination.Also modern technology has made it possible to personalize these helmets quickly and made affordable, both traditional materials and more mordern and high tech materials. These materials have been researched for safety, durabilty, and comfort.

The fashion concious rider should make long and carefull inquiries about the choices he/she has that will, help to make an informed decision according personal style and how complimentary the helmet would be to othe motorcycle apparel, without compromising, the safety afforded by a high tech helmet. My advice would be to go online for more info, specialized sites you can 'google' motorcycle helmets or see their ads posted on related sites. These can help you see, read about modern stylish helmets and the elements of safety and comfort they have put into it.

Better still, you can customize. The 'crown' of your bike riding world can be made anyway you want it. Artists can paint anything on your existing helmet or you can make one from scratch. Again, go to the search engines and look for 'custom motorcycle helmets'. You can see that the range of designs, styles, shape, and colours is endless. This can make choosing a daunting task but, stick to the basics of being concious of comfort and safety and pick a design that reflects you. Anything and everything can suffice, a movie hero, flames, a loved one, a tatoo you like, the list is endless

2. The Material

By this, I mean, the clothing materials that are used in making the inner wear, t-shirts, under pants and, the outer wear of motorcycle apparel like, jackets, trousers/pants, and boots. Wether you are a 'newbie' or professional motorcycle rider, you must take note of the time of day, season, and the weather, this will help to determine the most suitable motorcycle clothing that you should be wearing. Plus the padded areas of the outer wear mainly, the knees and elbows, and back/neck supports for professional bikers.

As a personal choice, the best materials for inner wear should be breathable ones like cotton. For outer clothing worn during a bike ride, there is no option fr me than leather. Basically, Leather has superior protection against road accidents when they take place. It is breadable, weather resistant, durable, and also offers better protection against flying objects, bugs, and dirt on and off-road. Wet and cold weather conditions should be tackled by wearing leather apparel with suitable lining. Usually, the colder the heavier, using materials like wool and fleece. In Hot or humid weather, leather should be made more breathable by, reducing the lining and wearing under clothing that is also breathable, like cotton.

Having said this, I must appreciate and admit that, modern science and tehnology has greatly improved the quality of present day materials, motorcycle apparel inclusive. Synthetic fabrics classified under polyester and acrylics like, teflon, spandex, zylon, and the like, also have like qualities of leather. What sets leather apart is, the look and natural feel of it. I find that a combination of these fabrics, greatly improves the comfort, safety, and look of the motorcycle apparel that you are wearing.

3. Motorcycle Boots

To be stylish and safety concious, the motorcycle rider does not wear, brogues, trainers or loafers when riding a bike. The footwear of choice should be the motorcycle boot. Typical biking boots, unlike normal boots, have a more rigid heel and body. And my material of choice is (of course) leather. Although, like other biking apparel, this can have a combination of other materials to make it more protective and increase it's durability.

It's often common place and stylish to see boots with steel toes, studs, and padding showing. This is seemingly fancy addition to the overall boot design is actually a combination of style and foot protection.

Making the boots stylish is a matter of coordinating with the other motorcycle apparel being worn, generally, they sholud be be the same colour as the pants and/or jacket. With a choice of high and low-rise boots which can look equally as stunning when they compliment the rest of the ensemble. Look out for boots with a little 'bling' and embellishments on them, or those with matching designs with jackets and pants, this enhances your look, taste, and style even further.

4. Motorcycle Gloves

Like boots, they should ideally be made of leather. Modern ones are a combination of leather and modern synthetics, coming in flashy colours, aerodynamic contours and textures for, comfort, fit,durability, grip, and safety of the hands in an accident. Again, one must stress the need for all motorcycle apparel, gloves and all, to have harmonious colour(s) that are visible to other road users without spoiling fashion appeal.

design wise, gloves come in various designs like fingerless gloves, large size, to name a few. They are made with leather, synthetic materials, and metal. Look out for durability, comfort, and try to find out about the protective features it has in store for the hands that will be using them. Remember to harmonize colours to create a pleasant overall look with all your other apparel.

5. Accessories

These are functional or non-functional fashion items that you add to your basic bike clothing (as mentioned above). These can range from belts to, protective eye wear, sunglasses, balaclavas, bandanna, scarves, bags, and, jewellery to name a few.

Serving various functions, from keeping out dust and cold to protecting the eyes from sunlight, dust and debris or, just to make a fashion statement. No doubt they are necessary and also compliment the all round look of a biker.

Be carefull not to over-accessorize, as this can mistake you as a novice biker (and can prove too heavy for you to carry). Moderation is the key, where possible, let them be unique by using very sharp and contrasting colours to bring them out.

Choosing motorcycle apparel is not only about how an overall set clothing simply looks, but half as much, by the functionality and safety of the apparel. So quality should not be compromised at all. It is in the end, well appreciated by all and (most of all) yourself. It makes you self assured that you look good, feel comfortable, and are a well protected rider when and if anything happens.

Where to buy

Basically, you have two choices, used or brand new? When talking leather, there are excellent used products on the market, and previously worn leather that hasn't been stained or damaged can even look better. This is one of the very good qualities of leather where, like fine wine, it gets better with age. A good place to look for bargain prices for used non-leather and leather motorcycle apparel is on ebay. For new products, I would suggest your local specialized motorcycle clothing stores. Look out for seasonal sales and clearances and you will be amazed at the prices being offered for premium stuff. Online stores where premium stuff are also available and cheaper to buy online than from the shops. Many online clothing shops have premium catalogues of their wares.

But hey, who say that this kind of fashion is for bikers only? Music stars, sports stars, performers, models, and the regular 'Joe and Jane'. Just about everyone is buying motorcycle clothing or accessories. Why? Cause it's kinda cool and care free that why. Name them, they wear or have worn it. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Bono, Bon Jovi, Angelina Jolie, and on and on...

So searching for and buying these products will be as much fun as wearing them and going for a well deserved ride in them. So go for it.