Protective, stylish scooter gear for women

First came stylish helmets for urban cyclists, then customised couture helmets for the scooter set, now Los Angeles-based apparel company, ScooterGirls, Inc. is adding some panache to protective scooter and motorcycle riding gear for women so that female riders no longer have to choose between safety and fashion. ScooterGirls founder and CEO Arlene Battishill explains: “The main reason women do not wear protective clothing when riding is they don’t like the way traditional gear looks or fits”—which isn’t surprising considering that women’s choices were previously limited to smaller versions of clothing designed for men. Launched at LA Fashion Week in October, ScooterGirls’ GoGo Gear was created to appeal to image-conscious female scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts who want to go from their bike to a business meeting or social event without having to change clothing. Priced between USD 239 to USD 389, the range of fully-armored, abrasion-resistant coats combine cutting-edge, feminine outerwear with robust interior engineering. The coats also feature integrated reflective details for night-time visibility that can be concealed during the day. Outwardly nobody would suspect GoGo Gear jackets were anything but a stylish dress coat, yet they are comparable to any other armored riding gear on the market. As more consumers across the world opt for scooters and motorcycles to reduce their fuel bills and carbon footprints, the market for innovative products and services for riders is likely to grow. One to tap into! Or perhaps there are niches to be carved out by stylizing other non-aesthetically pleasing protective products? (Related: Stylish fire protection kits.) Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann