Biker Chic

It’s finally getting chilly in the Northeast, making me feel less silly for buying new winter duds in   September in anticipation of the cold.

I’m excited to wear my trenches, knee-high boots and fedoras -- but my favorite cold weather trend is motorcycle jackets on women.  Some of the hottest trends this season borrow heavily from menswear -- but motorcycle jackets can be adapted easily into any woman’s wardrobe, regardless of your body type.  Best worn in black leather, a motorcycle jacket says you’re fun, spirited and ready for anything.

I’ve been stealing my father’s black leather bike jacket for years -- but with the more feminine cuts being sported by celebs like Lauren Conrad, Vanessa Hudgens and Blake Lively, I can get my own!   From wide-lapels-and-bold-metal-zippers (like Taylor Momsen wore in last night’s new episode of Gossip Girl) to more streamlined and sleek (like the one at the above left), you can find the perfect motorcycle jacket to add some edge to your wardrobe.

Pair a motorcycle jacket with jeans and a t-shirt for a more classic look, or a feminine dress to be more modern (like Blake Lively, at left).  Avoid traditional floral-patterned dresses with a motorcycle jacket -- opposites don’t attract here, and no one wants to look like an early-90’s Brenda Walsh clone in 2008!

I’m all about real leather, but Urban Outfitters sells the Silence & Noise Wyatt Moto Jacket ($128), which is cool enough to distract from the fact that it’s basically plastic. 

So get ready to ride -- or at least look like you might!