Hoy Vulpine Women's Akita City Jersey

The retro-style Hoy Vulpine Women's Akita City Jersey is a joy to wear – it looks good and feels soft, though its sweat-friendly wicking properties aren't odour-repelling enough for my liking.

Looks-wise, the Akita walks a stylish line between on-bike practicality and the ability to blend in with pedestrians off the bike. There aren't even any rear pockets to give you away – something you may love or hate, but as it's more casual than a road cycling jersey, the expectation is you'll have a bag for larger extras and spares.

Buy this online here

The only thing really giving it away is the swooping rear panel designed to prevent on-bike lower back gape.

A retro ribbed collar and cuffs and small embroidered Hoy V logo on the chest and back look great. The velodrome-inspired label is a nice touch, with its three stripes - the 'Cote d'Azure' blue line, measurement line and sprinter's line - a nod to Sir Chris's track cycling career.

The jersey performed well on a gentle ride in changeable spring weather – cosy enough in the shade or when clouds appeared, without being stifling in the sun.

But in that strange paradigm of certain materials that claim to be anti-bacterial or odour fighting, the Akita's polyester fabric seems to do the opposite and was actually quite whiffy even after a short ride in the sun (not a problem this reviewer regularly encounters). This is the biggest setback for this item, especially if you're transitioning from bike to social environment in it.

Stitching-wise, flatlock seams are comfortable on the sides and arms and there are no internal labels to annoy – information is printed on the inside of the jersey. Material does bunch up a bit where three layers of material are stitched together, though, with the scratchy zip backing making for a mildly itchy neck.

Another thing about the zip is that you'll needs two hands, or one hand and your teeth, to undo it from the top, or the collar will fold over rather than undoing – the zip is quite stiff so it needs a firm tug. Once the zip is below the ribbed collar one hand will undo it, and it's easy enough to do up again one-handed, but once left open you'll notice that zip.

The neat little triangular key pocket, opening at the right hand seam and held fast by stitching along the bottom, all but disappears into the seam when closed, save for the small metal tag. You can, as claimed, fit a smart phone in as long as it’s not massive, and it'll be obvious it's there, visually and tactically, as the pocket is stitched to the bottom of the front seam.

Fit-wise the Akita behaves like a T-shirt: there's some looseness without it being overly baggy, and it's fitted at the waist to flattering effect. The arm cuffs on the small size were snug on medium sized arms without pinching or leaving an imprint on the skin. If your arms are on the larger side, this will be the jersey's limiting factor, size-wise.

Verdict

A good-looking non-Lycra option for casual rides and commuting, but the fabric holds on to body odours