Rapha Softshell Gilet

Remember that tank-top that your mother forced you to wear to keep you warm and the wind off your chest? Well, the Rapha Softshell Gilet is just like that but trendied up because it's made of softshell, called a gilet and brought to you by Rapha. And this time you're not going to have a tantrum every time you have to put it on. Although your wallet might.

Based on Rapha's Classic Softshell Jacket the gilet is designed specifically for winter cycling and claimed to be totally windproof and highly water resistant as it has a breathable laminate to keep you dry. The gilet is cut long in the back to fit a cycling tuck and has a dropped tail for wet-weather protection. The arm holes are reinforced with extra softshell fabric, cut to allow greater freedom of movement on the bike and decorated with a ring of reflective piping. The full-length front zip is offset in typical Rapha fashion and neatly follows the line of one of the tram-tracks of piping on the front keeping everything all very smart and stylish, there's the obligatory zip-dock at the top, wind-cheating baffle behind the zip and a light fleece inside the collar which is tailored to sit higher at the front. Oh, best not forget that extra collar detailing includes a teeny little reflective Rapha logo sitting quietly on the outside left and a pink ribbon hanging loop.

Two large pockets grace the back with their openings angled to the outside to help access. The right-hand pocket has a pink stitched buttonhole in the back through which to feed your favoured entertainment device headphone cable and matching pink loops up the inside of the body keep it tidy on the way up to your ears, whilst on the pocket's outside sits a zipped key pocket. On the left-hand side panel there's a concealed valuables pocket that's so hidden it took several rides to reveal itself. Nestling between the two main pockets is a mini-pump sleeve (other long slim items can also fit) which has a rubberised hem at the top to help secure a clip-on rear light. Parallel lines of reflective piping to match the front run the full length of the back with a reflective Rapha logo to top things off and let car-drivers know how swish you are, handy to have as the black colour, whilst being dapper is not the most visible hue, this tends to bother some more than others. The hem has a pink drawstring with friction locks to make adjustment on the move easier.

The Softshell Gillet is one of those items of clothing that has you making involuntary cooing noises while your hands run up and down the soft and warm softshell whenever you slip it on. The fit is sublime, everything is "just right" and the flattering cut and detail does wonders for a not-quite race-fit body. On the bike it's just as lovely, the lightweight softshell makes it a non bulky yet cosy extra layer ideal for when a common or garden flimsy nylon gillet isn't enough but a extra layer complete with sleeves is too much and it's just the core that wants the extra warmth and wind protection of a thicker layer, and the pockets mean there's no fumbling beneath layers for mid-ride needs.

The cut is loose enough to fit over a couple of winter layers yet snug enough that it doesn't flap about in the drizzly gusts that it's most likely to be worn into, and the reinforced armholes mean they don't bag out and catch the wind either. Although the gilet is designed to be worn over the top it's tight enough to be worn underneath bulky heavyweight jackets should you wish, a torso-lagging technique that was used on several particularly cold rides. And yet despite Rapha saying it's designed specifically for winter cycling the softshell gilet is far more season versatile than that, particularly useful in the intermediate months when a whole extra layer of clothing might be too much but a little bit of core insulation is needed, or for rides at either end of the day when the temperature has a certain chilly mood about it.

Verdict

It's expensive, it's very Rapha, it's also very lovely, stylish and so exquisitely tailored that you could wear it at a dinner party, maybe. But in spite of that, and because of that, it's become a firm favourite and an essential companion when layering up for any ride that might encounter some kind of chill and the core needs cosseting, leading to miles of thought spun on how life had been possible without one. Sometimes a piece of cycling kit just works, this is one of those times.