For the biker in you

Looking the part is as important to motorcyclists as is the ride. Aninda Sardar tells you how to curate that perfect “Biker Look” for your next ride out.

Sep 18, 2020 ANINDA SARDAR 1 Comment Like
PIC : SHUTTERSTOCK

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KOLKATA :

Ever been to a biker meet? It’s never a simple ride out, is it? You need to dress up for it, because if you don’t, you will feel more out of place than if you were dressed up as Rudolph at a black-tie event. The thing is, and there are many who will vehemently deny this, but bikers love their look. There, I said it. That brings me to the question… what exactly is this “Biker Look”? 

At the dawn of motorcycling there was no such thing as a “Biker Look.” People wore regular clothes and rode around. The original “Biker Look” began to be curated in the aftermath of the Second World War and had a lot to do with changing lifestyles. Although today you might associate leather jackets and motorcycles with the very American Harley-Davidson, fact of the matter is that the stylization of the motorcyclist started in Great Britain. Three things led to this stylization that would eventually lead to what we know as the “Biker Look.” 

At the end of WWII, the heart of the motorcycling world lay in the UK with great names such as Norton, Triumph, BSA, Ariel, Vincent and others dominating the two-wheeler world. Post war Britain was also a place with a fairly large population of young workers, many of whom had a great love for motorcycling. The last piece of the puzzle was a bunch of manufacturers who produced leather jackets and boots for the pilots of the Royal Air Force. In fact, one of the last such surviving manufacturer is the renowned (and dare I say expensive) Lewis Leathers of London. As Germany surrendered and the air raid sirens fell silent, these manufacturers were faced with a sizeable amount of leather goods that they had already produced but now had no one to sell to. Until they found the bikers, or the bikers found them. Over time, the leather jacket and the boot became an intrinsic part of the stylized look of these early bikers. The look then shot to popularity as the dashing Marlon Brando rode around town on a Triumph garbed in a black leather jacket, white t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots. The year was 1953 and the movie was The Wild One

By the 1970s we also saw the growing influence of motorsport and outlaw sub-cultures beginning to influence motorcycling fashion. We saw the arrival of denim jackets, chaps, leather waistcoats and tattoos in America. In Europe biker fashion continued to rely on the leather jacket, jeans, boots and tees but by then the white t-shirt has begun to be replaced by coloured t-shirts and graphics. We also saw the arrival of coloured leather jackets, inspired by the leather race suits of the grand prix circuits. Cut to a decade later and we began to see the pop influence of Japan on biker fashion as jackets began to get splashes of colour and graphics. This continued up to the mid to late 1990s when we began to see a different kind of biker gear starting to arrive. Apart from helping curate a particular look, this new biker gear also offered the promise of safety while riding. Somewhere in the 2000s comfort was also added to the mix with the arrival of mesh, cordura. Now, the regular reader here might think that over the years one kind of biker fashion has given way to another form. The truth is, and bikers know it, the newer trends were merely added on to existing trends. The other thing to remember is that while the rest of the world debated gender equality, biker fashion has largely been unisex since the beginning. As a result, the biker in 2020 actually has an entire range of biker fashion to choose from, depending how he or she would like to present themselves. 

For the love of America

If you’re the sort that loves the American way of motorcycling then the look for you would be a good pair of biker denims, black or brown leather jacket and gauntlet gloves to match. Go for an open face helmet that will let you enjoy the wind on the face (wind in the hair is not recommended since that would mean riding without a lid) experience. The downside of this look is that the all American biker style (and this is not to be confused with any American motorcycle brand) doesn’t pay a lot of attention to safety. So, chances are that the jacket you will end up with may not have much, or any, protection. I would recommend at least an external back protector that you can strap on underneath the jacket. I would also stay away from chaps and waistcoats, no matter how cool one might think they look and that cool bandana looks best when worn under a good helmet.

Englishman at heart

If café racers and good old British motorcycling is what catches your fancy then there’s only one way you can go. Open face helmet, vintage goggles with separate eye pieces, dark blue jeans, black leather jacket and boots and short gloves to match. The original British biker often rode sans helmet and eschewed a lid for a peaked leather cap just as frequently. Some wore scant protection in the form of a pudding basin helmet and while all of those would be more authentic, I’d recommend neither in the interest of safety. As with the American Biker Look, safety isn’t the greatest concern of this look. So, I’d recommend that back protector once again.

Scrambler fashion

This one is very similar to the British look, so you will land up with a leather jacket, gloves and boots and denims again. Except, you have a bit more flexibility with the colour of the jacket and can opt a brown or a black with patters. The bolder riders among you might even go for a coloured leather jacket to match with the colour of your helmet or motorcycle or both. You’ll have to rely on an open face helmet too, but this time you’ll want a helmet with a peak and the goggles too will be different with a larger single eye piece. 

Touring fashion

Ditch that leather and go for textile or mesh. Swap the denims too and get proper motorcycle riding pants that will offer you protection and comfort at the same time. Get yourself a proper touring jacket that will extend up to the waist, have protective armour in the shoulders, elbows and back and will have enough splashes of high visibility tape while the base colour remains a basic grey or black or matte brown – colours that won’t catch so much dust and dirt as you ride long distances. Get yourself a pair of waterproof touring boots and gauntlet gloves with adequate protection too. The final piece in your look is a good full-face helmet with a flip-up front. Once you’ve got all this in place you’ll look the part of a touring enthusiast as you head out to explore.

The street biker

Short street riding textile or mesh jacket with a good pair of motorcycle riding pants. You’re free to choose any colour and pattern, just make sure there’s enough reflective material on the jacket and the pants that you’re paying for. Your jacket should have good armour in the shoulders, elbows and back too. Short street riding gloves are a must, as are a pair of street riding boots, which are shorter and easier to wear than tall race boots. Choose a full-face helmet to match with your bike or your jacket to complete the look.

For the Rossis-in-waiting

I’m sorry but nothing short of a proper one-piece race suit looks good if you’re riding around on a supersport bike. And do not invest in a black one. Race suits need to be colourful to look the part. Full gauntlet gloves and race boots are needed too. Nothing looks more ridiculous than a rider in a race suit with street boots or touring boots, hanging on to a pair of low clip-ons.

Now that you’ve reached here, there are a few things to remember. First, don’t mix up the bike and the look. You’ll stick out worse than a sore thumb if you’re dressed like an old British Rocker but your ride is a Yamaha YZF-R1 or a Honda Fireblade. Second, for each of the look that you choose, buy the maximum amount of safety that the look will allow. Thirdly, this is all unisex. Finally, you should feel good about the look that you’re investing in. There’s no point in any of this if you realize that you’ve bought a ton of gear but the dude on the ‘Gram looks like an awkward dud. On that note, happy shopping! 

 

 


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Someone Else

No one needs some random person on the internet telling them how to dress when they're out on two wheels. People are free to dress in whatever style they want irrespective of their bike. If they have the confidence to pull it off, more often than not, they can.