Do Leather Motorcycle Pants Stretch?

Yes, but only a little: cowhide riding pants ease with wear and shape to your body, which is why they should feel snug when new. They won't stretch enough to fix a size that is too small, so don't buy a pair that hurts and hope it gives.

This answer is part of our motorcycle pants sizing and fit guide.

What eases and what doesn't

Leather softens where it is worked. A riding-apparel maker, Wind & Throttle, describes new leather jackets giving in the snug areas after a few wears. Leather Collection says the same of its pants' cowhide: it softens with wear.

Some things don't move:

• Seams. Leather goods maker Von Baer points out that the leather may stretch but the seams won't, and leather won't keep stretching without limit.
• The overall size. Wind & Throttle says none of its pants give as much as a full size.
• Thicker material. The same maker says thicker pants have less give, so they should fit but not be very snug when new. Leather Collection's men's pants run 0.9-1.3 mm (about 0.04-0.05 in) thick, depending on style.

How a hide was made matters too. In a 2004 study, drying leather while stretching it up to 20% raised its stiffness (tensile modulus) by up to about 400%, mainly because its collagen fibres realigned. So two pairs of "cowhide" pants may not give the same way.

No store or maker we checked gives a figure for how much cowhide pants stretch in inches.

How tight should new leather pants feel?

Snug, not painful. MotoSpeeds says a new leather suit should feel snug but never hurt. Leather Collection's blog adds that pants that pinch at the waist or restrict the thighs when you sit are likely to stay uncomfortable.

That is why the store suggests choosing your size row by hip first: leather usually has less give than stretch fabric. See how to read a motorcycle pants size chart for the method.

What if they're loose?

Loose leather won't tighten. MotoSpeeds puts it plainly: a suit that already feels loose only gets looser, and the armor can drift off your joints. Knee and hip armor should cover the joint without sliding up or down. If a loose pair is climbing off your boots, see how to stop pants riding up.

Can you make leather pants looser?

Von Baer lists home methods for stretching leather, but its examples are shoes, jackets and straps, not riding pants, and it warns that seams set the limit. For pants that are wrong at the waist or thigh, a different size or a custom size cut to your measurements is the surer route. What you wear underneath also changes how snug they feel; see what to wear under motorcycle pants.

Every pair in the Leather Collection leather motorcycle pants range can be made in a custom size.