G is Hein Gerickes new womens line of motorcycle jackets and pants launched in early 2006. I tested the mid-weight Doheny jacket and pants made up of a stylish combination of leather and nylon fabrics. The just-below waist-length jacket is easy to wear; the leather is soft and the water-resistant nylon isnt stiff.
|One of the lines selling points is that the clothes are cut for real-sized women so this jacket is fuller in the waist with buckles to cinch for those who need it tighter. There is a soft, thin quilted lining inside, but dont let that fool you into thinking this is a heavier weight jacket. I wore it during a hot 80-degree day and was warm in it, but when the evening turned cooler, the jacket was perfect. There was enough room inside to layer with a thin fleece sweatshirt. There are two generous vertical vents on the back and front allowing air to flow through, which helps on those hot days.
G Line bills itself as technical apparel because of the armor a smart move by Hein Gericke. Designers use to sacrifice style over protection or vice versa when making motorcycle jackets for women. The Doheny, as well as all the G Line outfits, combine protective armor with great styling. I encourage you to check out the entire line. There are some really cool styles for both cruiser and sport riding.
The Doheny jacket and pants have CE-approved Hiprotec comfort armor where you need it – elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees. This type of armor is a pliable rubber material thats easy to wear, unlike the stiffer type of armor that render movement difficult. Theres also a soft foam back protector.
The pants are cut like hip-hugger jeans sitting low on the waist with two front pockets, and are flared at the ankles. Theres an elastic cinch strap at the ankles to tighten the pant legs to prevent flapping in the wind while riding. There are also belt loops, a nice touch on motorcycle pants. Ive found jeans-style motorcycle pants fit like jeans meaning sometimes I want to wear a belt, but most dont offer belt loops. These do.
The only thing I would have done differently with the pants was to reverse the design of the textile and leather. The textile fabric starts at the waist and goes to the knees; thats where the leather starts and goes to the ankles. Problem is, the textile is a bit restrictive and when I go to sit down theres not much give in the textile as there would be with leather. So, for me the fit with these size 4 pants, which are baggy in the waist for me (love those belt loops), are tight in the hips when I go to squat and then sit. They dont give much in the hip area. I would suggest Hein Gericke add a leather accordion panel on the sides of the pants at the hip area, perhaps.
Also, its worth noting the inseam on the pants is on the shorter side. I like a 32-inch inseam but Im guessing these are about a 30, because the pant legs just brushed the top of my boots. I like them longer, but Im on the taller side at 5 feet 6.5 inches. The good thing about the new G apparel is that its designed to fit more average sized women both in height and weight. Im not average.
Custom Design Features
While this outfit comes only in black, it has subtle feminine touches that say this is a custom outfit. Theres a fashionable screen print on the lower arms thats reflective (smart way to combine function with style), theres also reflective piping on the arms and leg seams that double as design elements. A fashionable metal G emblem is sewn into various places on the outfit; if you look real close theres even a little crystal embedded in the G emblem. The words Hein Gericke are embroidered in script on the back of the jacket, and on the back of the pant waist. Even the zipper pulls, and snaps that cover the wrist zipper enclosure, are custom with a G logo on them. There are two zippered hand pockets outside and two pockets inside.
Its nice to feel like a woman wearing black leather. The Doheny makes you feel that way. Hein Gericke has a good thing going with this new G Line. Be sure to visit them at Hein-Gericke.com to browse the rest of the stylin riding outfits. Doheny jacket sizes: 4–18, Retail: $299.95. Doheny pant sizes: 4–16, Retail: $199.95.