Lusso fade short sleeve women's jersey review

Fade designs are all the rage right now, and Lusso has caught up to the trend with this plum/black women's jersey (opens in new tab).

>>> Best women's summer jerseys

This design is based around Lusso's 'R1 Style Breath S/S' jersey, which is available in a wide range of prints, each made entirely in the UK and for the very reasonable price of £64.99, with many options pairing up well with matching aero socks at £19.99 each.

The R1 jersey is designed to offer a pro fit with plenty of breathability built in for hard, fast rides in the summer. The primary fabric is the brand's 'TX2', this lightweight material offers up a mesh with a honeycomb aesthetic. Despite appearance, Lusso does promise 50+ UV protection with this jersey and I wore it on hot days with no need to slap on extra sun cream.

Coming in at 111g for a size small, there's very little bulk to this jersey. It's designed to be comfortable between 15 and 35ºc, and the fabric is quick drying and wicks sweat away well. Wearing it during our unseasonably warm May I've been kept cool and dry.

The material make up is 90 per cent polyester and 10 per cent Lycra. These's a little less stretch available than you'd see in many of the race orientated options around, and this creates a slightly more relaxed fit around the chest, stomach and back when compared with the competition. I chose this jersey on days I wanted to have plenty of space to load my pockets and a little more breathing room.

The wide arm and waist grippers, by comparison, offer tons of stretch. These contribute to a more aerodynamic silhouette and prevent any flapping or excess movement on the bike, whist the primary fabric keeps things loose enough for comfort. The result of these two factors creates a happy compromise between an all-out race jersey and a more casual piece of kit.

At the back, there's three standard pockets, plus one zipped compartment. The additional zipped compartment sets this jersey apart at this more wallet friendly piece point and is certainly a welcome extra.

Lusso has added some lovely stylish touches, such as the black and white print on the inside of the zip - and of course the fade print itself. We also had the Purple Zebra print option on test, and this (with matching aero socks) went down equally well.

There's nearly always got to be a downside, and with these Lusso R1 jerseys it has to be durability. This red fade option quickly became a favourite for me, but after a few washes - despite following the on-label instructions - I did notice some discolouring around the seams and at the bottom of the waist gripper. Similarly on the Purple Zebra print version, I managed to snag the jersey on a low hanging branch whilst out gravel riding, resulting in a small rip. The latter is more easily overooked (this isn't an off-road ready jersey), but it's fair to say that these items are a little fragile and could do with being more robust.