in 1933, the new york based clothier de pinna offered a houndstooth pattern as part of its men's suits collection for the spring of that year. it's a pattern that originated in woven cloth from the scottish lowlands; something of a tradition with regard to scottish originated patterns, joining the argyle pattern which found favour in the professional cycling milieu with the garmin team and its antecedents.
according to italian cycle clothing coturier, la passione the houndstooth check pattern dates back to the ..."very origins of cycling". though i have no visual evidence to confirm this, since i'm parochially predisposed towards supporting any evidence for scottish velocipedinal influence, i'm willing to go along with it. a quick perusal of the la passione website on which this particular summer jersey features will elicit their naming of the jersey as pdp, initials that, at first glance, would seem unrelated to the brash, fully-featured pattern on offer.
however, it transpires that a french name for the houndstooth pattern is 'pied-de-poule', hence the pdp apellation and if i'm totally honest, a far better name for such a striking jersey design.
la passione's short-sleeve summer jersey has been in my possession for a few weeks, but in precisely the opposite state of affairs that usually follows receipt of any waterproofs for review (the current spate of warm, sunny days began almost on the very day that i received a rather sturdy waterproof jacket for review), until recently, it has been too cold to ride clad in such a finely crafted jersey.
as with many other itens from the la passione range, the pdp jersey is race cut. in other words, it not only feels a smidgeon odd when stood in front of the bathroom mirror, but doesn't quite look right in the right places either. climb aboard the bicycle, however, and the italian strategy comes home to roost in the shape of a very finely adjudged fit. in fact, throughout the rides, you'd be forgiven for thiking you'd left home wearing only the baselayer underneath.
the jersey is a combination of three distinct fabrics with micro-mesh side panels aiding breathability and moisture wicking. the hem features little blobs of gloopy stuff to keep the jersey in the same position it was when you lifted the bike from the bikeshed. though the world was a warmer place when admitting to short sleeves, i cannot deny that i still had need of armwarmers. those optimistic temperatures espoused by over-eager weathermen do not take into account any degree of windchill. and up here, there's always windchill.
and just to complete a vision of sartorial elegance, there's a pair of matching pied-de-poule socks.
la passione have produced a visually excellent cycle jersey at a particularly attractive price. i cannot deny that i'd have preferred a zipped valuables pocket, something i figure ought to be mandatory whether the garment in question has professional pretensions or not. it would also be nice to have seen a zip-garage at the collar, though it would be unfair to hold la passione to account in this respect, when there are others who do likewise. on the plus side, the sleeves are exactly the length you'd fervently hope for in a short-sleeve cycle jersey
la passione's summer pdp jersey costs a mere £54, so i'd advise ordering immediately before they realise the calculator needs new batteries. it can be had in sizes xs to xxl and is also available in blue. the socks are available in sizes 36/39, 40/43 and 44/46 at a cost of £9
la passione pied-de-poule summer jersey
sunday 15 may 2016
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................