Dainese Belleville Slim Women’s Jeans Review

Dainese Belleville Slim Motorcycle Jeans Test

Dainese Belleville Slim women’s motorcycle jeans have become my go-to riding jeans. With a well-executed eponymous cut, the Italian-designed and constructed Belleville Slim women’s motorcyclce jeans feel flattering the moment you slide them on. The close fit of the pant legs means these are a tuck-into-your-riding-boots jean, which tends to add a nice bit of strut to your stride.

Women’s jeans, for both walking and motorcycle riding, have always been a dicey proposition. Unlike men, we come in many more shapes, so finding comfortable, flattering jeans may mean an exhaustive search of different labels. When we find something that matches our body, eureka!

Slightly low-rise—enough for style but not discomfort—the sizing on the Dainese Belleville Slim jeans is retro-true, meaning it runs a bit small by today’s standards.

Straight off the rack, the stone-washed stretch denim feels broken in. The Belleville Slim jeans are reinforced at the seat and knees with a DuPont Kevlar jersey liner claiming to resist tear, wear, shear, and heat, and aramid fiber stitching ensures durability of the seams. I’ve been commuting to work in the Belleville Slims for the past three months; between riding and washing, they’ve been getting one heck of a workout and live up to the claims.

While I wouldn’t call the Belleville Slim woman’s jeans fully technical—Dainese recommends their use as ‘lifestyle’ and ‘city’ on their website—they do have pockets for their removable Pro-Shape protectors, the soft honeycombed rubber that meets the EN 1621.1 standard for “protective clothing against mechanical impact.” The protectors are thin and malleable, so they easily bend with your knee and do not create the lumpy profile of hard rubber or plastic protection, yet they absorb and disperse energy in an impact. Separately sold Dainese Pro-shape Hips can be inserted into the hip pockets for additional security.

Reflective detailing on the back pockets aids visibility after dark—you will want to ride to your favorite nightspot in these—and complements the red stitching styling cue. Stretch loops are installed on the inside of the pant legs, about seven inches from the bottom hem, to facilitate foot straps.

Motorcycle riding jeans are for riding, but on more than one occasion I’ve found myself pulling out the knee protectors from my Dainese Belleville Slim Women’s jeans and walking about when I’ve had no plans to ride. They’re that comfortable, and they look that good.

Photography by Don Williams

Dainese Belleville Slim Jeans MSRP: $230
Sizes: 24-33.