My next review is on a style that has always intrigued since it hit big almost four years ago, the motorcycle jeans. It is a pretty out there style for me, but I have had a couple of other motorcycle jeans/pants before and thought another would not hurt. Especially since it is by one of my favorite brands, R13.
I took these in my regular size, a 27, and they are pretty consistent with the sizing of their classic skinny jeans. They are a thicker denim, so they feel a bit tight at first, but after the first day or two it will stretch to fit. I would not suggest to size up since they have some give and, I feel, that motorcycle jeans should be on the tighter side. Plus who would want saggy bum? The length of them is really good. Probably one of the best even by R13. It has just enough bunching at the ankle even after having it slightly unzipped.
The moment I pulled these out of the box my first thought was, “Man these are some heavy duty jeans.” There is definitely some weight to them, much more than the other jeans of today. Even with the weight to them, they still feel as though they are a pair of jeans that you have worn for many years and very much like a vintage pair. It’s very smooth and like other jeans from the brand, it gets softer as you wear them. I can definitely say that these will withstand the years and wear out to look even cooler.
Now for the details, which is what appealed to me the most about the jeans. R13 has a way of taking strong detailing and making them subtle, while not taking away the look. Along with the moto detail at the knees, these have four welt pockets (two in the front and two in the back), ankle zips, darts on the back of the thighs and a hidden slip-lock closure on the waistband. There is a ton of details, but well done. The stitch details are just amazing, especially the stitching at the inner thigh. It’s a simple detailing that I find adds a lot of character to the jeans.
The knee detailing, as I expected, does not fall exactly on my knees. It starts half way down and continues down the my shins. They are pretty much shin guards on me than the knee pads they are supposed to be. This, I would say, is the only negative, but it doesn’t bother me too much because the fit is so good.
The ankle zips are something that feel fresh. Instead off having them just go straight down along the outseam of the jeans, they skew to the front about an inch. Doing the zipper this way actually makes the jeans fall on the feet better when slightly unzipped.
Overall, I would suggest these jeans if you are looking to not stray too far from classics. I hope they keep this jeans as a core style and keep reinterpreting them in new ways over the seasons or do a style of the exact cut without the moto knee details. They are so well thought out and do not feel like a pair of jeans that are heavily detailed. You can click here to purchase these jeans from Shopbop.