The Shawn leather riding jacket by iXS has an attractive fit, unique purple color option and all the protection you expect from a high-quality jacket.
If you?ve got a café racer, bobber or scrambler in the garage (heck, even if you don?t), a quality vintage-styled leather jacket can feel like just the right thing to wear. As much as I like looking (and feeling) good while racin?, bobbin? or scramblin?, I?m not one to sacrifice quality construction and decent protection in the name of style. Thin, glove-soft leather might flatter my figure, but I?d rather not test it in a meet-the-pavement situation.
Fortunately, the Shawn jacket from iXS is constructed of thick, 1.4mm buffalo leather, which is just as abrasion-resistant as cowhide yet somehow feels more exotic. It?s smooth and soft to the touch, but due to the thickness it proved to be a bit stiff until broken in. The leather has a distressed finish, and features off-white contrasting stripes, accents and zipper pulls, as well as a sewn-on patch on the right chest attesting to its ?Vintage? nature. The cuffs zip tightly closed to fit under gauntlet gloves, and they have extraneous snaps as well that I found to be more annoying than useful. I was thankful that the collar strap was hook-and-loop, with an outer metal snap button that is only for looks. The Shawn?s sporty cut was flattering both on the bike and off, with hip adjuster straps (more snaps) that let me tailor the fit, and thoughtful bust darts for comfort. Slippin...