You absolutely can wear a dress on a motorcycle – if you do it right.
There IS a way to pull this off, and still ride safely.
But let’s be honest here.
It’s complete craziness to throw on your favorite dress and some strappy sandals, and climb aboard a motorcycle.
You need protect your body a whole lot better than that.
I go on about this all the time, because it’s just so important.
But what if you’re going on a motorcycle date?
Or to an event where you don’t want to show up in 14 layers of black-on-black shapeless motorcycle safety gear?
It’s totally possible to wear a dress on a motorcycle – if you do it the right way.
You need to choose a dress in a wrinkle-free fabric, in a design that’s easy to tuck into your existing motorcycle riding gear.
And if you want to look feminine WITHOUT wearing a dress, there are ways to do that too.
Let’s talk about how to get a little creative and fit a dress into your standard motorcycle safety outfit.
OK, so you already know you need to be wearing the basic motorcycle safety ‘uniform,’, right?
So that means:
- Riding jeans or leathers
- Leather jacket or armored denim jacket
- Boots
- Motorcycle gloves, and
- A road-legal helmet.
If you need more details, check out this post about what to wear on a motorcycle.
But there’s nothing to stop you wearing a dress as one of your layers.
You can wear a dress instead of a top and either tuck the skirt into your jeans (if the dress is short), or fold it up on itself like a double layered top (if it’s longer). Just make sure it doesn’t unfurl itself like a flag, and start flapping around near the wheel.
When you get to your destination, you can take off your jacket to reveal the top half of the dress.
Then unzip your jeans, pull the dress down to its full length, and slide the jeans off.
The dress is revealed – and the biker chick vibe just got glamorous!
Yep, it’s a bit fiddly and the event would need to be worth the extra effort.
A quicker way is just to wear a gorgeous top that suddenly makes all the boring safety gear look a lot prettier.
But if you have your heart set on wearing a dress on the motorcycle, here are a few tips to make the process easier.
How to Wear a Dress on a Motorcycle – 4 Easy Tips
1. Choose a fabric that won’t wrinkle
You’re going to need to tuck that dress away pretty securely while you’re riding.
So avoid dresses made from linen, or fine cotton.
Unfold a linen dress from your jeans, and it’ll be crushed and wrinkled into a whole new shape.
You’ll look like you slept in a park.
Make sure you choose a dress in a synthetic blend that resists wrinkles – the kind of thing you might pack for a motorcycle road trip.
Pick one of your dresses that you don’t have to iron (come to think of it, most of mine fall into that category).
2. A fitted style is easier to tuck into your safety gear
Long, flowing dresses are so pretty, but what a nightmare to have to tuck 25 yards of fabric into your jacket or jeans.
Too much fabric also runs the risk of getting free, and becoming tangled up in the back wheel of the motorcycle.
That’s can accident you can avoid with some planning.
Of course, you don’t need to have your dress hooker-tight, but less fabric is a whole lot easier to work with.
3. Wear tights or leggings
It’s a lot less embarrassing wriggling out of your jeans in public if you’re wearing some black tights or leggings underneath them.
Dark leggings or stockings also make the transition to your boots smoother and less jarring.
Bare legs with motorcycle boots is kind of a weird look.
And this leads us to:
4. Will the dress work with your motorcycle boots?
Some styles will work fine with your motorcycle boots.
There’s nothing wrong with a feminine dress and heavier boots – it can be a fun contrast between feminine and functional.
But if your boots absolutely won’t work with your dress of choice, do you have room in the luggage for an alternative pair of shoes or boots? If so, remember to pack those before you leave!
And then just swap out your motorcycle boots for your dressier boots or shoes.
Does Wearing a Dress on a Motorcycle Seem Too Hard?
If this process seems like too much fussing around, fair enough.
There are other, simpler ways to add a touch of feminine style to the shapeless boring black of motorcycle safety gear.
Here are 5 simple alternatives to wearing a dress on a motorcycle.
1. Choose small, sparkly jewellery that adds a touch of glamor.
It’s amazing how some gorgeous-but-practical earrings can lift your whole look.
Here’s how to choose the right motorcycle earrings.
2. Wear a pretty top in a bright color or beautiful fabric.
This is a much more low-maintenance way to add some style and color to your basic black safety gear.
Choose a top in a flattering color and style, and that can look as good as a dress.
Here’s how a top can help you look good on a motorcycle.
3. Pink lipstick is always flattering.
There’s a knack to making motorcycle makeup work – less is definitely more!
But a neutral lipstick with pink overtones is a natural and effortless way to soften your look.
Here are a few more ways to keep your motorcycle makeup quick and simple.
4. Let your hair down at your destination.
Helmet hair is just a nightmare, isn’t it?
Scraped back, or flattened hair is part of the glamor problem on a motorcycle.
Read my guide to fixing motorcycle helmet hair here.
And in the meantime, if you have long hair, release it from its hair tie when you take off your helmet.
If it’s been tied back in a bun, it’ll now fall in soft waves.
And if you have shorter hair, use your fingers to ruffle up the roots vigorously.
That’ll offer some emergency, instant lift to counteract the flatness.
5. Get a manicure well before the ride.
When you take off your gloves, polished nails will transform your whole look.
A pretty motorcycle manicure is a subtle way to add some style without looking like you’re even trying.
Try these ideas for pretty biker chick nails.
So yes, you can wear a dress on a motorcycle.
Choose the right style and fabric, and you can go from practical biker chick to glam goddess.
And if you just want a hint of the goddess glamor, just wear a pretty top and some lipstick!
Either way, you have plenty of options for looking more feminine on a motorcycle.
Like this article?
Then you might also be interested in:
Can You Wear Jeans on a Motorcycle? (Well, yes, but…)
