I'm in the market for some new riding gear. My trusty old Dainese textile Jacket has been a loyal servant over the past dozen or so years, but its time to accept I need to be opening my wallet if I want to keep warm and dry this coming riding season. The trouble is there is such vast array of stuff out there now, gone are the days when you just opted for either a Belstaff or Barbour jacket, although having said that I see both those brands are still alive and kicking.
So the remit is:
100% waterproof,
Stylish (if possible), I don't want to look like an inverted traffic cone thanks, but all black is a little foolish these days with all the myopic Honda Jazz drivers out there (other old bas***ds in other shitty little cars are available).
Plenty of pockets and vents for those hot days when you really should have put the leather jacket on, but it looked like it might piss down when you set off from home.
I went to a dealership recently who sell Halvarssons gear. Their stuff is not cheap, but fits well without being too heavy, which is obviously another consideration, i.e. weight. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one of their jackets and the matching trousers, but that will be saying bye bye to North of 500 quid and whatever I do end up buying I want it to last me a similar length of time to the aforementioned Dainese.
Thus I'm interested in hearing from those of you who have bought new riding gear in the last year or so. Obviously what you've bought and how pleased (or not) you are with it. Thanks