drivers suits for women

[zooracer]

My wife is getting geared up for her first school at roebling and I was looking for a suit for her. She is about 5'3" and 160. I was wondering about reasonably priced suits that had sizes for women. Pretty sure I couldnt buy a mens size off the rack to fit her...
matt

[chuck baader]

You can probably get a generic suit to fit...btw, all suits are generic. I am fimiliar with Sparco, so go to their web site and look at the fitment measuring chart. You can select a size that any manufacturer you choose will recognize. Hope she has as much fun as you will watching http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif Chuck

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Chuck Baader
#36 ITA E30 BMW
Alabama Region Divisional Registrar

[jc836]

Simpson has a full range of suits. I grant that they are "generic." However, they will custom tailor as will Sparco. Personally, I have a Simpson and it fits fine. If you are anywhere near Mooresville their store there can help you. The online catalog is another idea to check. OG Racing is another good source for products. Just make sure that it is a mult-layer suit or be forced to find suitable Nomex undies (wear them anyway if possible <G>).

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Grandpa's toys-modded suspensions and a few other tweaks
'89 CRX Si-SCCA ITA #99
'99 Prelude=a sweet song
'03 Dodge Dakota Club Cab V8-Patriot Blue gonna tow

[Knestis]

To my knowledge, no manufacturer offers OTS women's sizes. You are always going to pay more for a custom suit but if you want to look at options, try getting in touch with the folks at Design 500 racewear. They are a long way from you (Seattle) but they do nice custom-sized suits and I know that they have experience with Women's uniforms.

When I worked with them back in the '80s, I designed suits for several female rallyists that zipped apart at the waist, to facilitate "relief" in the woods. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

K

[Bruce Shafer]

Is this what you had in mind?

http://store1.yimg.com/I/saferacer_1821_6890181

[zooracer]

Well... my wife may have a few pounds on the one in your picture.
If any suit will do, then I guess I will just order her a G-force like mine. I spent well under 300 and it is a multi-layer with no undies required.
I actually called the Simpson store nearby. Maybe I'll still take her there for sizing.
I know, sitting and watching is going to be tough. We do plan to get a second car so we can both race. But not for a year or so, as this will require a new tow rig and all.
matt

[joeg]

Matt--Very diplomatic...

Maybe you should impress upon her that racing should not be a fashion show and that no one sees much of your outfit during a race.

As a hint, you may suggest a two part suit rather than a traditional jumpsuit.

Congratulations on getting her interested, however.

We always need new racers.

Cheers.

[x-ring]

Originally posted by zooracer:
...then I guess I will just order her a G-force like mine.

IIRC, UltraShield and G-force will do a custom. I almost had to go that route because my legs and arms are so long. Just before I was ready to order, someone told me that MOMO made suits for tall, thin drivers. Not sure if they have them the other direction.



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Ty Till
#16 ITS
Rocky Mountain Division

[RACER10]

You also want to be sure that she wears only cotton under the drivers suit. Nylon melts at a far lower temperature than the fire reisitant material does. A colored sports bra will allow her to drop the top part of the suit, cool off and retain some modesty.

I have some experience as my wife has been racing for over 15 years. She was involved in an fire incident that resulted in no injury. We have a friend that got severe nylon bunrs from a previous incident.

Oh yeah http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif a day of racing is the best aphrodisiac that I have ever found. Seriously I think that you will find enjoying her accomplishments is far more satisfying than your own racing!!!

[m glassburner]

Hey!! that looks like my x-wife....I wondered what she was up to http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

[Diane]

Originally posted by RACER10:
You also want to be sure that she wears only cotton under the drivers suit. Nylon melts at a far lower temperature than the fire reisitant material does. A colored sports bra will allow her to drop the top part of the suit, cool off and retain some modesty.

It's amazing how much nylon is in clothes when you think about it (elastics and such for undies etc).

I found some Hanes sports bras that had the most amount of cotton content and that year they even had them in my car colors. Glad I bought a bunch as I haven't seen them since.

This many seem obvious, but no underwire and no zip up bras (though they work great for after you get off the track and you are all sweaty) and no hooks. True pull-on sports bra is what she needs.

About the model above, I'll bet that suit is taken in quite a bit in the back with pins and clips so it looks like it fits so well. http://Forum.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif

Diane

[MMiskoe]

Try Racequip. They will do a semi-custom suit for not a whole lot more than their standard ones, it is kind of like getting a standard one tailored. My wife had similar problems, standard suits didn't fit quite right. Her suit has held up for many years, I just got one last season from them I quite like.

A word to the wise though - don't ask her about how wide a seat (car seat) she needs while holding a tape measure. It doesn't go over well.

[zooracer]

thanks for all the info. I am taking her to the simpson store tomorrow for a fitting. If nothing fits well, then we will look into a custom from G-force or other.
She isnt into fashion at all, one of those tom boy types.
I will inform her about the cotton undie stuff. She'll probably just wear a t-shirt with no bra.
Oh, and she fits into my seat just fine, so no delicate measuring needed for bottom width...

[HBennett]

You might check some of the sizing charts available from the manufacturers. You might find an off the shelf suit will fit properly. All off the shelf suits are built to fit measurement ranges. Suits can also be altered, for example, shortening the arms or legs. Most retailers have a pretty easy going return/exchange policy. Another option, if you didn't want to go the full custom route, would be a Made-To-Measure option if you like one of the standard suits. G-Force offers this with their standard suits. Their GF505 has one of the highest TPP ratings in the industry (for a SFI-/5 suit). It is a little heavy and bulky though, but a great price. Their new GF545 has proven to be very popular so far. It comes with a lot of options and a TPP rating of 23.

Howard Bennett
Racer Wholesale

[joecycles]

I am told that there is an outfit in Columbia SC that can do custom fit on suits, I think it is Safequip. I had one (it was in a fire and did its job) but it was really just a basic suit like a g-force. Tell her to enjoy her racing!

[whenry]

My wife goes ballistic every time she sees one of the "foxy types in the driver suit" ad. Something about chauvenistic.
She wore my old Pyrotec suit when she did her drivers school. Looked better in it than I ever did.

[chrisfox]

I agree that you should check with Safequip, and highly recommend them. I had trouble finding a suit that fit comfortably. For only a little more than the average suit cost, I had one made by them several years ago. A friend has gone thru 2 commercial suits since than, and mine is still fine. They will also do the little extras like adding or removing pockets to suit, trim, and things like that.