Women's Maroon Waxed Leather Hooded Biker Jacket

I ride pillion on my husband's bike at weekends and wanted something that wasn't full kit but wasn't useless either. This sits close enough that nothing flaps at speed and the ribbed panels on the forearms stop the sleeves riding up when I'm holding on. The hood comes off for that, which is essential. It was rigid for a fortnight and then gave properly. Five months on and it's held up to every bit of it.

Fit me first try and it arrived in three days. Firm for about a week and then fine. Worn it more days than not since it came and no issues.

I have long nails and zip pulls are the bane of my life, most are too small or too flat to get hold of. These have proper tabs I can hook a finger through without breaking anything. Sounds trivial and it's why this gets worn over two others I own. It took a fortnight to stop feeling rigid and every zip still runs cleanly.

I restore furniture in an unheated garage most weekends between October and March and I needed something that would take being knocked about. This has had varnish on it, been leaned against a workbench and caught on a vice. Everything has either wiped off or rubbed out with a thumb. It was stiff for a good fortnight before it gave. Six months of that and it looks better than when it arrived, which is not what I expected.

The quilted bits on the forearms were noticeably stiff at the start and made the sleeves feel almost braced for the first two weeks. They've softened now and move properly. Worth knowing because it did make me wonder early on. Everything else is right and the fit is good.

I did the Christmas markets three years running in a padded thing that made me look like a duvet, and this year I wore this instead. Four hours standing in the cold and it was fine with the hood up and a jumper under. It doesn't take up half the boot when you take it off either. It had softened roughly two weeks after it arrived.

I took the ferry across for a long weekend in February and spent most of the crossing out on deck because I get ill inside. Wind, spray, four hours of it. Wiped it down when I got to the hotel and there wasn't a mark or a stiff patch anywhere the next morning. That was the moment I stopped being careful with it. It had given properly by then, about a fortnight in. Five months on and it's still going.

Fits well, came on time and it feels properly made. Worn it seven or eight times this month and it's already the one I grab. Nothing else to add really.