Ana Nichoola Star Jersey

'Ride Loud' is the motto of Ana Nichoola's new spring/summer range and indeed, shrinking violets might want to pass on the Star Jersey. Available in Gothic black and purple with white stars or white with pastel stars it's a jersey that, as the manufacturers say, shouts 'look at me!'.

It's a fully featured short sleeved jersey, with some detailing that makes it a little bit different, in common with most of Ana Nichoola's kit. The short, elasticated sleeves have just a bit of puff in the shoulder, there are two generous, attractively curved rear pockets, each with a press stud to keep them from sagging open, and one with a zipped security pocket big enough for a mobile phone or wallet. The black/purple option has an invisible 3/4 length front zip while the white/pastel version has a full length zip with a cute brass star zip pull. When asked, pure aesthetics was the reason quoted for the difference between the two. The hem is elasticated all the way round.

It's a comfortable jersey to wear, with the fabric feeling pleasant next to the skin, and wicking moisture well, even in pretty warm conditions, which was quite a surprise as it's not an especially lightweight jersey. This does make it useful for most of the British spring/summer and autumn seasons however, especially if combined with A.N's arm warmers. The fit is not quite as 'loose fit' as the description would have you believe, but isn't shrink wrap neat either. The medium (10-12) fitted my size 12 quite happily, with a nice non-baggy fit. It DOES get you noticed- the first ride I wore it on, someone said "nice jersey"!

The only problem with the jersey that I encountered was the fabric. It's a lovely silky feeling fabric, but it is prone to snagging and abrasion. Keep it away from Velcro at all costs and steer away from any webbing straps etc that may rub on it, or (with the purple option) the white backing to the fabric starts to show through in tiny dots. This was a shame as it's really an otherwise good quality jersey, and the fabric performs well.

It's a little on the expensive side, but only on a par with the upper mid priced labels like Gore, Odlo and some of Pearl Izumi's higher end jerseys. It's a good piece of kit and you're paying a small premium for the fact that it's a designer jersey, with just a little bit of extra pizzazz.

Verdict

An undeniably stylish jersey with some nice quirky little features. Good quality but a bit of a shame about the snaggability of the fabric.