Perfecto Style Moto Jacket for Ladies (need suggestions & advice!)

[AliceP]

Hello gentleman,

I am girl in my early 30's looking for a bit of style advice. I've found perusing these forums in search of a Leather Moto Jacket very useful and currently have a Lewis Leathers Super Monza on its way this week!!

I am now in search of a Perfecto style motorcycle jacket but do not like Schott's lambskin offerings for women. My measurements are 34-26/27-35 and I am 5'2". I was thinking of maybe getting a men's Schott jacket but I am not sure whether I should go for a size 34 or a size 36 (for a purposefully oversized look). I am looking at the One Star Perfecto 613/618 and these run about $500 on the Bay.

Alternatively, I am looking at the Lewis Leathers Ladies Memphis jacket in veg-tanned cowhide but noticed that this particular jacket has more of a straight/androgynous fit, similar to Schott's Men's Perfecto jackets.

My question is – Are the quality differences between Lewis Leathers and Schott pronounced enough to justify the $1000+ price difference? Or, would a Schott Men's jacket work well since my body shape is on the straighter side. And if so, should I get my regular chest size or a size up? Does anyone have examples of women in Men's moto jackets?

Thank you so much!

 

[AliceP]

Oh, I forgot to mention that the available One Star Perfecto jackets are located in Japan, hence my desire to get this right the first time.

 

[ton312]

Hello gentleman,

I am girl in my early 30's looking for a bit of style advice. I've found perusing these forums in search of a Leather Moto Jacket very useful and currently have a Lewis Leathers Super Monza on its way this week!!

I am now in search of a Perfecto style motorcycle jacket but do not like Schott's lambskin offerings for women. My measurements are 34-26/27-35 and I am 5'2". I was thinking of maybe getting a men's Schott jacket but I am not sure whether I should go for a size 34 or a size 36 (for a purposefully oversized look). I am looking at the One Star Perfecto 613/618 and these run about $500 on the Bay.

Alternatively, I am looking at Lewis Leathers Ladies Memphis jacket in veg-tanned cowhide but noticed that this particular jacket has more of a straight/androgynous fit, similar to Men's Perfecto jackets.

My question is – Are the quality differences between Lewis Leathers and Schott pronounced to justify the $1000+ price difference? Or, would a Schott Men's jacket work well since my body shape is on the straighter side. And if so, should I get my regular chest size or a size up? Does anyone have examples of women in Men's moto jackets?

Thank you so much!

I’ve only had two LL’s and they were both vintage 70’s/80’s pieces. They were exceedingly nice, especially the twin track Bronx. I paid $900 bones for it. At the time I thought it was the coolest crosszip on the planet. I wish I could have it back purely for my feeling after owning…a pretty fair number of jackets.

I also had a fair number of Schott over the years. They are great too. Personally, the 118 is where it’s at. I’ve found the 618 too short.
Schott does have some retail outlets. Can you go and try one on? Barring that, they do have a very generous and easy return policy. LL might be more complicated in that regard. As far as is the price leap justified? Im probably not the right guy to answer that question. But imho, no. In fact I might argue the reverse but…that’s another thread.

 

[AliceP]

I’ve only had two LL’s and they were both vintage 70’s/80’s pieces. They were exceedingly nice, especially the twin track Bronx. I paid $900 bones for it. At the time I thought it was the coolest crosszip on the planet. I wish I could have it back purely for my feeling after owning…a pretty fair number of jackets.

I also had a fair number of Schott over the years. They are great too. Personally, the 118 is where it’s at. I’ve found the 618 too short.
Schott does have some retail outlets. Can you go and try one on? Barring that, they do have a very generous and easy return policy. LL might be more complicated in that regard. As far as is the price leap justified? Im probably not the right guy to answer that question. But imho, no. In fact I might argue the reverse but…that’s another thread.

Thank you for your response and for the suggestion of going to try on a Schott jacket. For some reason, I thought that Schott was located only in NYC (not a problem since I go there 2x a year, yet rather inconvenient) but I just did a search and found out that they have a Los Angeles location, which works out much better for me. =)

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Thank you for your response and for the suggestion of going to try on a Schott jacket. For some reason, I thought that Schott was located only in NYC (not a problem since I go there 2x a year, yet rather inconvenient) but I just did a search and found out that they have a Los Angeles location, which works out much better for me. =)

LA store is great. And really good BBQ joint a few doors down-- Bludso's

I have a LL Lightning coming hopefully really soon. I got on the tail end of the flurry of activity here and I think the wait times jumped, but hopefully this week or next. So I can't comment on the LL quality, but there's plenty of people around here who have confirmed it's greatness.

I do have plenty of Schotts though. And I think if fit wasn't an issue (I'm usually in between a Med and Large or a 40/42), I'd probably own another 4. They are great jackets period. Not even "for the money" kind of thing. The fact that you can get at a great price on Ebay makes it even better. LLs are harder to find and don't seem to lose much value.

My wife is in a similar situation and she wants to buy her first proper moto jacket. But she wants more of a racer style. I'm going to take her to the LA store because she's stuck on it needs to be lambskin because it's soft and doesn't realize there's other soft leather. I had her try on a few of my tighter jackets just to get a sense if I could buy a used male style, and it was pretty comical. i won't even guess her measurements for fear of having to sleep on the couch, but I don't think you'll get the proper fit on a men's size. All the ratios are off. But maybe if you're looking for that oversized look, then maybe.

And I wouldn't rush buying from Japan. There is a constant supply of 613, 618, 626, 118, etc. on Ebay and usually you can grab a really good one for about $400 if not even less. Although, no doubt, there's more smaller sizes avail in Japan. But be patient. They pop up all the time.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

If this is anything like my 118, it's going to be fire... But if you ride motorcycles, I'd suggest 600 series leather over the 100 or 500.

Women's Leather Motorcycle Jacket (schottnyc.com)

 

[AliceP]

If this is anything like my 118, it's going to be fire... But if you ride motorcycles, I'd suggest 600 series leather over the 100 or 500.

Women's Leather Motorcycle Jacket (schottnyc.com)

Whatttt!! Now, that is a proper jacket. Thank you very much for sharing the link!! I always like to have an idea of what to ask for when visiting a store and this is exactly what I was picturing.

I think you're right about the men's cut not quite working out on a woman's frame – Sometimes I go through spells of madness where I think *maybe* it might just work out but from experience, I usually have to size up 1.5-2 sizes to get that insouciant charm of an oversized boyfriend look. And it has to be a certain boxy cut at that, and that sometimes compromises utility and function. Maybe in the future, I will add a vintage men's jacket to my collection but only after I've got my core pieces in the right fit.

Appreciate your help.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I‘d definitely stick with Schott, great jackets and especially when it comes to womens jackets, their pattern probably beat out their competitors as they have much more experience in that market. I know @Carlos840 ‘s girlfriend owns a very well fitting Lewis Leather jacket but she was measured up at the shop and the pattern customized accordingly, I wouldn‘t go that route as a mail customer.

 

[AliceP]

I‘d definitely stick with Schott, great jackets and especially when it comes to womens jackets, their pattern probably beat out their competitors as they have much more experience in that market. I know @Carlos840 ‘s girlfriend owns a very well fitting Lewis Leather jacket but she was measured up at the shop and the pattern customized accordingly, I wouldn‘t go that route as a mail customer.

Copy that! Definitely leaning heavily toward Schott.

 

[Monitor]

Alternatively, I am looking at the Lewis Leathers Ladies Memphis jacket in veg-tanned cowhide but noticed that this particular jacket has more of a straight/androgynous fit, similar to Schott's Men's Perfecto jackets.

Lewis Leathers will only make Memphis in horsehide. It isn't available in any other hide, for some reason. Talked to them about buying one in veg-tanned cow and they flat out refused to make it in anything but HH.

The difference between higher-end Schott and Lewis Leathers is negligible and definitely not worth the $1000 up-charge. Lewis Leathers has a distinct look & style but both products are or relatively equal quality. This isn't to say Lewis Leathers isn't worth the money - On the contrary, I'd sooner buy an LL than Schott but I wouldn't fool myself into thinking I got a better jacket. You're paying to wear Lewis Leathers, that's all.

As for the fit... For a vast majority of makers that get mentioned on TFL, women's jackets are an uncharted territory and those that actually attempted to get into it, are still in the process of figuring it out so I'd only trust Schott, maybe Vanson & LL but honestly, for that perfect fit, I'd turn to some high-fashion brand.

 

[Tom71]

I have a strong bias towards LL, but that’s purely subjective, so please ignore that.

I will say though that all the web pictures of women in LL x-Zips do look the bee’s knees!

 

[Edward]

Lewis would be my choice for made to measure of the two beyond a doubt, BUT to take full advantage of that you really would need to be doing a visit. I would discount the lambskin Schotts if you want something hardy (especially if you want to use it as a riding jacket). My 618 is nice, though not as much so as the Aero I picked up used some years ago (the Aero will have to be moved on because of patterning in that size not working for my boy shape; the 618 is much more straight up and down. Tubular). That said, if you're looking at Schott's higher end, LE runs in Horween and such they look to be very good. To be fair, the construction on the lambskin jackets I've seen was well done, but it wouldn't be my choice of hide either. Lambskin seems to be a default in ladies' ranges unless you go to more of a niche company or one that produces gear specifically for motorcycle riding (as opposed to in the style thereof).

I did think of suggesting Goldtop as one of the more affordable options. Worth keeping tabs on if you're looking a riding jacket (their USP is that they are reproducing the original Goldtop designs from back in the day, but with pockets and modern d30 armour). They don't as of yet do their more Perfecto-type designs in the stock ladies' range, though if you like that very British SuperMonza style, the Bobber model is worth a look. Available in oxblood, black or British racing green if that appeals:

https://goldtop.co.uk/collections/jackets-women

Disclaimer: I've not yet handled one, but all the reviews are positive and I have corresponded a bit with the folks behind the company, and they seem good people.

The other option is something from Aero's range of ladies jackets, specifically the Ladies Bike Jacket model:

https://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=2808

Available with all the usual Aero options. The plus point with Aero is you could go through Thurston Bros in the US and their fit jacket scheme, so there's not the same worry about receiving an expensive jacket from abroad that doesn't fit. Over here, the Schott stock range of men's jackets is fast nipping at the heels of Aero's prices. I don't know if that's the same over in the US; in the UK we have been hit by a historically low pound to the dollar in recent years (still only around USD1.30 to the GBP) which I'm sure is a contributing factor, though I hear Schott have also put up their prices. If you're thinking of buying anything ultimately sourced from the UK, though, now could be a good time to do it while the dollar remains strong against the pound.

 

[Pandemic]

I’d be wary of trusting the ladies style advice of a bunch of blokes on the Internet - including my own.

The big advantage of the LL (or Aero) is that it is made to your measurements. If you want a super-fitted custom jacket that is definitely the way to go. But if you are looking for something a little over-sized or just less shaped then the off-the-rack sized Schott is a good jacket.

I bet Johnson Leathers has a women’s x-zip pattern as well.

 

[jacketjunkie]

Charles girlfriend has a word or two to say about Aeros womens biker jacket too.. Aero has no experience with womens patterns and even their mans patterns are subject to wild discussions around here lately. Can only repeat myself, stick with a brand that knows how to fit women and of all the brands being discussed here, Schott probably is your best shot. If Johnson Leather has womens patterns, they may be worth a trip to SF, their custom work is outstanding, if the base pattern is there, they will deliver a perfectly fitting custom jacket with all design details you ask for.

 

[Canuck Panda]

My wife is about your size. She has a Schott Perfecto from Artizia. It's kinda like the Canadian Anthropologie. She bought it for CAD $400 on sale. And it was made in the thickest cowhide ever. And of course she never wears it because how heavy it was. That's where I would look first. Schott does a lot of collab with retailers, and the things they sell through those channels can be shockingly good.

 

[AliceP]

Thank you to everyone who responded and to the individual who linked the Goldtop Bobber jacket. I love how it opened up to the quilted detailing. I guess I very much appreciate British aesthetics because it all looks so smart!

Although I admire designer offerings (Balenciaga et al.), especially on others, I need something of a non-fussy hard wearing jacket for now. I'll be heading over to Schott to see about their selection sometime soon.

I am glad I reached out and discovered other makers and what's out there in terms of women's styling; it saved me a lot of deliberation. Thanks again all. =)

 

[Rich22]

I'd pick Schott over Lewis Leathers if you're looking for a Perfecto style jacket, as I think their Perfecto absolutely nailed it, and it's comfortable to wear. (Plus, I'm not a fan of LL defacing their jackets with their logo.) As for how well the mens Schott jackets potentially fit a lady, I know it can be hit and miss, remembering back when my ex was trying to find one that suited her.

 

[Will Zach]

@AliceP, of course you could also explore vintage jackets, from 1950-60s. In the Finds and Deals thread I pretty regularly see ladies' Cals and other well-regarded vintage brands for around $400-500. These jackets are typically made of heavier motorcycle leather, are very sturdy, and come with varying amounts of wear, from near mint to trashed to hell. Project more of a rocker/rebel image. I see quite a few women wearing them, I think more in Europe, but also in the US, of course.

 

[AliceP]

I'd pick Schott over Lewis Leathers if you're looking for a Perfecto style jacket, as I think their Perfecto absolutely nailed it, and it's comfortable to wear. (Plus, I'm not a fan of LL defacing their jackets with their logo.) As for how well the mens Schott jackets potentially fit a lady, I know it can be hit and miss, remembering back when my ex was trying to find one that suited her.

I'm the same way with labels. I have a seam ripper handy for pesky logos and branding, insofar as it doesn't ruin the article of clothing. I don't mind the LL logo as much, as it is understated and subtle but I did find myself wishing that it wasn't the default.

And yes I agree with you. After looking through the options, I've decided to order the 137W. May as well go with the tried and true original!

 

[AliceP]

Update! Super Monza came today and it is perfect.

I love how this one worked out because I had reached out to LL to see which of their styles could be tailored for women and I was just about to place an order when something in my head told me to check the auction sites first. This jacket is in gorgeous condition, barely worn, and the seller was incredibly helpful and as it turns out, we have the exact same measurements. Like, the *exact* same.

Blurry pics, I know – my phone does that. One of my dogs wanted to be in the photos too. As it happens, she is the one that the jacket matches.