A former member of Chanel’s haute couture design team is making their mark in cycling attire as the creative director of the American brand Jelenew that first appeared on the scene in 2021. They made quite an entrance too, with American actress Kat Graham strutting Jelenew’s cycling pants on the red carpet at the closing ceremony of Cannes last summer.
Jelenew calls itself “the world’s first performance cycling couture apparel and lifestyle brand with advanced protective technology made only for women”. The brand aims to combine sporting performance and haute couture aesthetics, claiming that its jerseys fit women’s bodies better and deliver higher performance..
The Glider Short Sleeve Pro Jersey is one of Jelenew’s lightweight summer jerseys – so it’s been interesting for me seeing how Jelenew’s offering stacks up against the best women’s cycling jerseys from cycling’s established big brands, which I’ve used over the years.
Jelenew Glider: construction
(Image credit: Future)
First, let’s talk fabrics. The Glider Short Sleeve Pro Jersey uses a 75:25 elastane/Lycra blend, which is comfortable to touch and provides a considerable amount of stretch.
This fabric is notably light and thin – if you hold the jersey up to the light, you can see through it slightly. Despite that minimalism, the jersey is still rated at SPF50+ – meaning there’s no need to wear sunscreen under the jersey, unlike some other ultra-lightweight models on the market.
The fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified and 100% Bluesign approved, too. These accreditations mean that the materials for the jersey have been sourced ethically from sustainable sources – which is something we always like to see.
Designed in Paris, France, Jelenew says it has used a Y shaped back panel which is specifically shaped to the female figure, providing a snug yet comfy fit. The brand creates activewear and lifestyle clothing for women only, so the design team is singularly focused on the female fit.
Instead of the traditional three pocket system at the rear, Jelenew has opted instead for two wider ones. These are flanked by two zipped pockets for valuables, one on the side of the left pocket and the other on the right.
These valuables pockets are a good size for carrying a card or notes on one side, and a set of keys on the other. They’re too small to store a smartphone, though. Plus they don’t have any additional resistance against rain or sweat.
(Image credit: Future)
There’s a thick…