London-based road cycle wear specialist Rapha’s spring/summer collection for 2010 will, for the first time, feature clothing tailored for women cyclists. This long-awaited addition to the Rapha brand will be on sale alongside Racing and Training, Lifestyle and City Riding ranges.
Described as a “capsule” range, Rapha’s first selection of women’s items includes shorts, jersey and shell jacket with a red and cream colour scheme. For the latter, Rapha’s highly-regarded Stowaway Jacket has been tailored to fit the female figure and has a repositioned pocket zipper to avoid discomfort. The woman’s Classic Jersey will be available in sizes down to a UK 6, is in a rich red with cream detailing and has matching armwarmers. Rapha women’s shorts will eschew bib straps in favour of a high-cut, snug-fitting and supportive waist band and will have legs cut slightly longer than is usual.
Fresh new spring colours distinguish the Club Jersey while the Country Jersey gets a full-length zip, reference armband and matching cap. The Stowaway jacket is offered in grey and pink but is replaced by the Rain Jacket as the Rapha Condor Sharp team’s weather protection layer of choice.
Less performance-orientated is Rapha’s City Riding range, which moves the brand on from the Fixed era with 3/4 Shorts that use a light, hardwearing fabric by Schoeller. Trousers are now in grey as well as black and may be matched with an off-the-peg version of the Tailored Jacket featuring a cycling cut and detailing. 2009’s hugely successful Touring Shorts now come in grey and there are both long- and short-sleeved shirts in a fast-wicking stretch cotton mix fabric. Underwear includes a new V-Neck base layer in super-fine Merino wool and Boxer shorts, also in Merino wool, with a narrow insert pad to be sold in packs of three.
Rapha’s reputation for high-end luxury garments is maintained through collaboration with US-based Apolis Activism, which has resulted in a Nepalese cashmere jersey named the Transit Elite.
On the Lifestyle front, the Rapha emporium will offer everything from an iPhone app to music “inspired by the great road races” with the first album to be available in time for the Giro d’Italia in May. Initially comprising Embrocation and Chamois Cream scented to evoke Mont Ventoux, Rapha’s Performance Skincare range will be launched in July.
And, on the travel side of cycling, Rapha will be running a series of Randonnees as point-to-point rides over several stages as well as partnering the Cent Cols Challenge after participation in 2009. A redesigned range of luggage is to be launched in September. More details as they emerge from Perren Street.
