Cortech The Marquee Leather Jacket

We checked the fit on these jackets with our size mannequins and we also spot checked a few different size jackets with a tape. We feel this model runs true to size. The jackets are sold in ordinary “alpha” sizes, so you can choose the size you normally wear in men’s clothing.

For those that want to check the size based upon their chest measurement, I put together the chart below. Check both your chest and belly and make sure the size you choose is big enough for both. The overall cut of this jacket is ideal for street riding. It is more relaxed through the torso and not as “forward leaning” as a sport bike/race jacket so you’ll be able to wear this jacket comfortably on or off the bike. Sleeve lengths are average. If you normally have trouble with sleeves being too short, this probably isn’t the jacket for you, but if you are average or short in the sleeve length department, you’ll probably like this one.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

The Cortech Marquee leather jacket is new for the fall of 2019 and is part of Cortech’s “Boulevard Collection” which are all aimed at street/cruiser/retro/vintage riders. Cortech had traditionally been the “sport” apparel sister brand to Tour Master, which are both made by the same folks. This new collection looks nice! These are higher quality products for reasonable prices.

The Marquee is a few bucks more than Cortech’s other new leather jackets this year mostly because this one includes more climate control features than the others. Obviously, this one has a cotton hoody where the others don’t. It also has a removable vest-type thermal liner to add some insulation in the winter and it has large zippered vents in the front and back to help flow some air for summer months. So where the typical leather jacket style might take you through two seasons, this one might get you started earlier in the spring and take you further in the fall. The setup with the hoody is worth mentioning. The hood and two plackets that run down the front of the jacket just behind the main zipper are removable. When zipped in, it looks like you are wearing a hoody under the jacket, but you don’t have the bulk of the full hoody which wouldn’t be very practical. If you don’t want to wear the hoody, just zip it out and tuck it away. It’s really a slick setup. You wouldn’t be able to wear the hood under a helmet because it is like a normal hoody… thick, but it could be functional without a helmet, or if you just like the “look” of the hoody with a leather jacket.

This jacket is fitted with armor in the shoulders and elbows and has a pocket for the addition of a back protector. The shoulder and elbow armor is a rubberized type by SAS-TEC which is a good brand. I’m not a fan of the elbow armor though. It may work fine for some, but the rubber compound is firm and it seems to dig into my bony elbows. Ouch! If this is an issue for you as well, I’d suggest swapping the elbows armor with D3O armor which is a much softer compound (see link below), and I recommend the CE 1 version for this jacket. The stock shoulder elbow is just fine for me. As of this writing, Cortech hasn’t offered their own back protector option so I’m suggesting the D3O unit in CE Level 1 for the back as well, so take the link below for that.

These new Cortech jackets have more pockets than most similar jackets. I see two outside handwarmer pockets and five inside pockets. One of the pockets inside is positioned down low on the left side and is big enough for a concealed carry. Cortech doesn’t mention this, but It looks like that’s what they had in mind. I also see little loops to manage wires from phones, etc to your helmet, which is a nice touch. One last thing to mention is the “action back” set up behind the arms. This is the fold of leather that allows some extra room behind each arm, which makes a leather jacket more usable on a bike.

Of all the new Cortech leather styles, I think this one is the most retro with the quilting on the shoulders, back, and elbows. And of course, the big draw is the hoodie look. None of the others have this feature. :: Paul, 09-19-19

Cortech says: Introducing “The Marquee” men’s premium leather riding jacket. Although built to withstand racetrack wear and tear, “The Marquee” looks more at home under the bright lights of city streets or out on the open road to nowhere fast.

PS: I’m not sure who at Cortech writes this stuff, but this jacket is NOT built to “withstand racetrack wear and tear” IMHO.