Let’s face it; jeans that fit are one of the hardest articles of clothing to find. A woman’s search for jeans is emotional, stressful and sometimes downright painful –and this is just for jeans that do nothing more than clothe us. When you start giving the jeans further expectations, like comfort while we ride, abrasion resistance and protection in the event of a fall…the search for the perfect pair is somewhat of a mission impossible.

With this pretense I cautiously pulled my brand new Shift Street Women’s Silhouette Pants from their packaging. The high quality of the material impressed me and I noticed the strategically placed Kevlar® panels reinforcing all the places I would need them in a crash. Extraordinary manufacturing, but the true test was yet to come: trying them on in front of a full length mirror. As I pulled them on I must admit my response was disbelief, they fit perfect! Comfortable, the right length, perfect seams and as I twirled around in front of the mirror, I loved what I saw.

So the jeans passed the test of quality on the rack, smile in front of the mirror and now it was time to test them in the saddle. My first test was a winter ride in 38 degree weather from Westchester, NY to Manhattan.  The pants were nothing short of perfect, comfortable, form fitting and they blocked the frigid wind. Not only did the jeans keep me safe and comfortable on my ride, but I wore them around the office for the rest of the day in perfect fashion.

The next day I put them to the ultimate test: a stunt session in January on Long Island. Now besides the obvious frequent crashes, my main dilemma with jeans for stunting is…to be tactful…my jeans riding down too far. Stunting involves a lot of movement on the bike; crouching, standing, etc. and pants which are too low cut in the back are really bad news for everyone. I had remedied this by stunting in a body suit to clothe my lower back, but my Silhouette pants required no such crutch! I stunted confidently in front of the crowd and not to mention safely and stylishly.

“Female riding jeans” prior to the Silhouette Pants has equated awkward, men’s cut jeans, that you want to wear for the protection, but don’t want to wear due to aesthetics. The Silhouette Pants are made for a woman’s body… a woman who possibly needs extra protection while sliding across concrete at 50 mph. Now that there are pants that look good and offer a significant amount of protection while riding, there is just no reason not to own a pair.

The jeans feature durable 12oz. denim, inclusive of spandex stretch, provides greater abrasion resistance and protection, while conforming to the body. 100% Kevlar® reinforced panels in the saddle, thigh and knee/shin provides maximum safety and abrasion resistance. Five-Pocket design and two progressive washes with additional appliqués and treatments for unique styling.
 
Check out the Shift website for more information.

Approximate Retail Price: USD $119.95

by Leah Petersen for MOTORESS.