There are some brands we stock because we like the product. And then there are brands where we get to know the person behind it, understand why they're doing what they're doing, and genuinely want to see them succeed.
Linda-Jean Motorcycle Fashion definitely falls into the second camp.
It started with a problem
Linda-Jean Belvedere has been riding motorcycles for more than 20 years, but like a lot of female riders, she became increasingly frustrated with the motorcycle clothing available to women.
Too often, women's motorcycle kit has historically felt like an afterthought. Take something designed for a man, make it smaller, add a bit of pink somewhere and apparently the job's done.
Except, of course, it isn't.
Women come in different shapes and sizes, and motorcycle clothing needs to fit properly not only to be comfortable, but for protective elements such as armour to sit where they're actually supposed to sit.
Linda-Jean decided to do something about it.
She founded Linda-Jean Women's Motorcycle Fashion in 2024 with the aim of creating motorcycle clothing specifically around women – rather than adapting something that had already been designed for men.
And that's how our paths crossed.
Linda-Jean meets Veloce Club
One of the things we've been working hard on at Veloce Club is making motorcycling feel more welcoming and accessible to women.
Around 20% of our customers are female, and we've been really proud to see the community around our ladies-only rides and events continue to grow.
So when we met Linda-Jean, there was an obvious crossover between what she was trying to achieve and what we were trying to build at VC.
At our first ladies ride-out of the year, Linda-Jean came down to Veloce Club and talked to the group about her journey, the problems she'd encountered with women's motorcycle clothing and the jacket she was developing.
At that point, this wasn't simply a finished product sitting on a rail.
We were getting to see somebody building a motorcycle brand from the ground up.
From an idea to the VEGA jacket
Since then, we've watched Linda-Jean continue to develop the business and, importantly, the product.
The result is the VEGA Women's Motorcycle Jacket.
Rather than adapting an existing men's jacket, VEGA has been developed specifically around female riders and the riding position.
It's now CE AA certified and fitted with Level 2 armour at the shoulders, elbows and back. It's waterproof and windproof, has an extended back for riding, adjustable waist, ventilation and a clever 3-in-1 construction that allows the inner jacket to be worn separately.
And it's available from XS right through to 4XL.
That's quite a journey from identifying a problem to actually putting a fully certified motorcycle jacket into production.
Now you can try one at Veloce Club
We're particularly pleased that there's now a Linda-Jean VEGA jacket hanging in Veloce Club.
For an independent brand like Linda-Jean, having somewhere that riders can actually come in, see the jacket, feel it, try it on and talk about it makes a huge difference.
And for us, it means we can support another independent motorcycle business that's trying to do something genuinely different.
We're not pretending we can hold every size and colour of every product – we're still a small independent shop ourselves – but having the jacket here means you can see what Linda-Jean has created in the flesh.
And we'll happily help from there.
Coming full circle
Linda-Jean also joined us again recently for another of our ladies-only ride-outs.
And we rather like that.
What started with Linda-Jean coming to VC to talk about an idea and the journey she was embarking on has turned into an ongoing relationship.
We've watched the jacket develop. We've seen the business grow. We've now got one hanging in the shop. And Linda-Jean has become part of the community around the events we're running.
That's exactly the sort of thing we want Veloce Club to be about.
Motorcycling isn't just motorcycles and kit.
It's people.
It's finding other riders, supporting independent businesses, encouraging new riders and helping people who have spotted something that could be better actually do something about it.
Linda-Jean saw that women's motorcycle clothing could be better.
So she decided to make it better.
And we're very happy to be a small part of that journey.
Discover Linda-Jean Motorcycle Fashion
You can come and see the Linda-Jean VEGA Women's Motorcycle Jacket at Veloce Club, or discover Linda-Jean's full range of women's motorcycle clothing and accessories at LJ MotoFashion.
And if you're looking for other women to ride with, keep an eye on the Veloce Club events calendar for our next Sisters in Motion ladies-only event.
Because the more women we can encourage to get out there and ride, the better.
