If you thought Wes was a tough customer for jeans, that was nothing. As a woman with a couple decades of experience making patterns for some of the top American designers, I know more than most about fit and finish. I also enjoy wearing tight jeans, so my vanity dictates these purchases far more than safety.

Rev'It Broadway Ladies Jeans

I was apprehensive about the Rev'It Broadway ladies jeans. Most jeans that fit me in the hips tend to be too big in the waist. And if they don’t stretch, I don’t even want to try them on. Much less a Kevlar liner, as the last thing a girl needs is more bulk. I’m a huge fan of Cordura blend denim, and wish more brands would incorporate this, or use the superior Schoeller textiles. Yes, they’re worth the premium price.

I was surprised to find the Rev'It Broadways fit just fine right out of the box. They’re not as sexy as my stretch denim jeans, but they’re a lot more protective. However, apparently they’re “sexy enough”, as I rode out to Red Bull’s Day in the Dirt, directly to the barn dance (literally) where I proceeded to get down same as I would in any fashion denim. The next day, a man approached my friend and I and asked “Hey, you ladies were at the dance, right? I recognized your booties.” I don’t mind being objectified if it means my safety pants are also fulfilling their primary purpose- making me look good.

Often, women’s gear is not as protective as men’s. I guess some designers think we’ll just bounce on all our soft curves. Rev’It understands our protection also needs to be strong enough for a man. So these jeans come with the same array of Kevlar liners and armor you saw in the men’s

Gear: Rev’It Broadway Ladies Jeans
Most women’s pants set it too high for me, but the pocket was low enough for my 34” inseam to comfortably wear the armor all day. Shorter ladies may have to hitch it up a little. But it’s a shorty knee pad anyway, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

I have a 30” waist and a 34” inseam to the floor (barefoot), (and no, we don’t share clothes) so the 32 ½” inseam was a tad short. However, the pants are skinny enough to fit under my more traditional biker boots. But of course they’re not quite skinny enough to pass muster in my usual stomping grounds, DTLA/Silverlake...

So I pegged them a bit to make them fit under my favorite boots. As with many alterations, including hemming, this is something any dry cleaner/tailor can do for you for less than $10. But be sure to have it done while wearing the knee armor and crouching as if you’re on your bike. I didn’t even cut off the excess, because it’s not necessary. I wear a 30 or 31, depending on the brand, so these are a tad snug, but fine. I’ve worn them on day-long rides in Malibu, to work, barn dances, road trips, etc.

The Rev'It Broadway jean is a great all-around jean that you don’t have to be embarrassed to wear in the designer denim capital of the world. As this is a long-term review, I’ve laundered the pants a few times as instructed, (cold wash, drip dry) and they fared just fine. No shrinkage, no fading.

My only complaint is that the back knee needs to be shorter than the front. You would notice this as the articulated shape you see in racing pants. On a sportbike, a slim-leg pant (especially with knee armor, especially after pegging them) gets a lot of fabric bunched up in the back knee. This can really get uncomfortable on long rides. Darts or seams can fix that easily (in development, not as an alteration), and you still have a chic slim pant.

Ladies, what are some jeans you prefer to wear while riding?

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