BREVA JERSEY

This week I’ve been lucky enough to test out one of the jerseys from new cycle clothing outfit Breva, who are based in the beautiful Como area of Northern Italy.

So speedy was the delivery of the jersey that I hadn’t even had a chance to read about it on their website, but opening the (rather nice) box I realised this wasn’t just your standard printed lycra jersey. From the feel of the material, unlike any jersey I’ve picked up, to the rather cool almost Japanese inspired print on the shoulders, this jersey feels very high end before you even put it on. The added bonus which I wasn’t expecting were the matching arm warmers, with their own excellent attention to detail – properly sewn cuffs and heat applied reflective branding.

These days I usually can’t fit my iPhone in a jersey’s zipped pocket because it’s so much wider than my previous one, but that’s not the case here. I noticed also that the zipped pocket has a strange shiny lining and appears to be sweat proof. It’s advertised as being waterproof and although I can’t vouch for whether it would survive a down-pour, it certainly kept my iPhone sweat free on a sticky ride up one of the steepest climbs near me. The pockets themselves don’t look oversized, but they easily fit a lot more in than I’m used to, making this perfect for longer rides or sportives. There’s also reflective black tape at the tops of the pockets giving you a bit of extra night-time visibility.

I think the main draw for me is the material. It’s just about the softest, stretchiest and most comfortable feeling jersey I’ve ever pulled on. It stretches and moves with you in every direction, and feels pretty much like a second skin. Their website also claims that it has extensive odour resistance and I can’t disagree with that so far.

The jersey comes in men’s only sizing for the time being, and the sizing is not typically Italian (i.e. tiny), it’s actually pretty standard. Being a 5’6″ woman, 57kg with no bust to write home about, I probably could have done with a XS size, especially given the extremely stretchy nature of the fabric. However the size Small still fits pretty well, and I like the longer cut of the arms which gives the jersey a pro look.

All in all I’d say that Breva have created a jersey that exceeds expectations of what a quality jersey can feel like. The price point is relatively high at €120 (not including arm warmers), but this isn’t unusual for top end jerseys, and this definitely is a top end jersey. It’s comfier than my Rapha jerseys and with more pocket space too. They’ve backed up a unique design with excellent materials which is a great place to start. Their other two jerseys in the range also have what looks like Japanese inspired illustrated patterns, and although personally I would prefer a plain black or block coloured option, they definitely look unlike anything else I’ve seen out on the road, an have drawn quite a few compliments already.