There was a brisk struggle in the mail room when this neat little top from Dakine arrived, such was its immediate appeal. An understated and casual style combined nicely with a beautifully soft and pliable polyester in an earthy range of colours and flattering not-too-tight cut, so it was immediately pounced upon by the ladies present before being whisked off for some hard work.
Over the coming months it proved to be very versatile too, getting many and varied uses by the test team. Although primarily aimed at more casual cycling days out it was also called into action as a running top, a base layer in winter and, of course, just as a good looking tee shirt pulled on for everyday use.
Fortunately for our friends, it benefits (as do they, come to think of it) from a Polygiene treatment. Using silver salts embedded in the fabric to inhibit the growth of those smelly sweat-encouraged bacteria, the Polygiene treatment definitely worked for us, with the Roslyn not developing that perma-smell so often associated with synthetic garments on the front line of the layering system. Of course you still 'glow' after exercise, but the top wouldn't carry that on between washes as most untreated synthetics will.
Beyond that, features were few and far between, really topping out at the handy glasses wipe sewn into the hem and - more for style than practicality - a small chest pocket. But then that was what appealed to us about it in the first place; a no frills, good looking top. We more than squeezed £25 of value out of it, and it continues to be worn, smell free, on the front line of our wardrobe.
