Jersey Poll

[quint41]

I'm going to attempt a poll here. I know this subject was touched on recently, but I want to conduct an official poll. The question is:

DO WOMEN LIKE OR DISLIKE HAVING ELASTIC IN THE "WAISTBAND" OF THEIR JERSEYS?



I just received a couple of jerseys that I had ordered from Primal Wear and am very disappointed that they put elastic in the "waistband." Which, actually, ends up around my hips, which happen to be (guess) WOMAN hips, which means they are curvy (size 8-10). The size XL jersey is going to cut off the circulation to my legs if I don't take it to a seamstress and have the elastic removed!! Or return the jerseys and get my money back!

I've had a short conversation with a sales rep at Primal about sizing, and I'd like to see what the majority opinion is on elastic specifically.

Thanks to all.

[roadie gal]

Waistband aside, Primal tends to run very small from my experience.

[teigyr]

Yes, Primal does run very small. I made the mistake of trying on a medium and I practically had to peel it off! I am a 10...and apparently a men's large in that brand.

[RoadRaven]

I voted yes because I really dislike the jerseys riding up when I am riding, and because I am bent forward in racing positions, not in a more upright position, this happens.

I also wear tee shirts when riding the flats in front of my house (to save wear and tear on my cycling jerseys) as a recovery ride, and I dislike the way tees flap about.

[Suzi-Sue]

either way for me...but the elastic can be annoying sometimes:rolleyes:
cool poll btw!

[Aggie_Ama]

I voted no, because for the most part I don't like it. There are exceptions, a Pearl Izumi jersey I bought recently has an elastic that isn't as tight and does what I think elastic is supposed to (keep the jersey in place?). Primal Wear is wayyy to tight and I am looking into removing mine from three Primal Jerseys I own. I have one jersey without elastic and I really like it!

[maryellen]

Saying "no" to elastic at the bottom hem is only way I manage to keep my jersey wardrobe to a semi-manageable size.

[bmccasland]

But if they're going to put elastic in the hem of the jersey, the least they could do is have some sort of non-slip type (like on hems of riding shorts), so there's a chance the jersey doesn't work it's way up to my waist. I'm a woman with curves too...:cool:

Good thing I have a nice sewing machine and know how to use it. Have removed the elastic from several jerseys (not all mine).

[VeloVT]

It depends. For me it's not so much whether a jersey has elastic or not, but whether the torso has adequate length or not. If a jersey is on the borderline of being too short, elastic makes it ride up, for me. However, if there's enough length, elastic tends to be ok. It depends on the overall cut of the jersey too, not sure exactly what works and what doesn't, but I have some jerseys with elastic that are fine (Castelli, Sugoi), some with elastic that ride up (Pearl...), and some without elastic that ride up (Shebeest...). The Terry jerseys without elastic look to me like they would fit well (haven't tried any yet).

I voted "I don't care...". Which isn't the most precise way to describe my attitude :) , it's not that I don't care if there's elastic or not, more that I think it's more the cut than the elastic per se that determines whether a jersey will ride up on a given body :D .

[songlady]

Generally I am a no elastic kind of girl (big waist to hip ratio). However, on the last two Sugoi and Shebeest jerseys I purchased, the inside of the elastic had a grip to it, similar to short legs, and it stayed in place nicely.

[Pax]

No elastic for me, I found some PI jerseys (mens) that are loose fit, have three pockets (one zips!), and NO elastic. http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb217/Deepliquid/clap.gif

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I detest elastic hems. I am pear shaped, and all it does is make the elastic edge immediately slide upwards and seek the smaller circumference- my waist! For me the elastic hems do exactly the OPPOSITE of keeping the shirt down...they make it zoom up to my waist and it is infuriating. :mad:

[Starfish]

Another elastic-hater here, too. :mad:

[equus123]

no aaahhhhhh i hate the elastic waistband on jerseys!!!! :mad:

[Crankin]

I HATE elastic. I am a small person with hips. Not huge, but compared to my waist, bigger. I remember the first jersey my husband bought me. It had elastic in the hem AND at the waist. I wore it once and threw it out.
I only buy Terry jerseys without the elastic. Oh, and I have the sunflower jersey in the women's club cut, that also doesn't have elastic.
I have bought 2 Shebeest jerseys; both are way too big in the top. The shoulders are loose and so are the necks. I bought them because they didn't have elastic, but their sizing just isn't for me.

[GLC1968]

I detest elastic hems. I am pear shaped, and all it does is make the elastic edge immediately slide upwards and seek the smaller circumference- my waist! For me the elastic hems do exactly the OPPOSITE of keeping the shirt down...they make it zoom up to my waist and it is infuriating. :mad:

Ditto, ditto, ditto!!!

I'd like to add that while I do hate flapping jerseys, with hips/butt like mine, even without elastic...there is no flapping unless the jersey is all-around too big.

[DebW]

I prefer elastic. It supports some of the weight of your pocket contents. Otherwise I often feel like I am being choked by my jersey when I zip it up all the way.

[mimitabby]

I prefer elastic. It supports some of the weight of your pocket contents. Otherwise I often feel like I am being choked by my jersey when I zip it up all the way.

um. how many pounds of stuff do you put in them pockets of yours girl?

[Eden]

I'm with RoadRaven - it drives my batty when a jersey flaps, so I'm firmly in the elastic camp. I'm also short torso'd so I rarely have any problems with them being too short. I think most of my jerseys have grippy stuff (just like on the legs of shorts) on the waist too so that they won't ride up.

[chickwhorips]

I like the elastic also. The flapping annoys me.

[DebW]

um. how many pounds of stuff do you put in them pockets of yours girl?

No more than I carry in my pants when I'm off the bike. Probably 6-12 oz of wallet, pocketknife, keys, bandana, cellphone. Obviously I don't wear pants that depend on elastic to hold them up.

[meridian]

I'm in huge favor of a silicon gripper substance (like the new stuff Castelli uses on their shorts) that doesn't have to bunch up in order to keep the fabric in place. I have no idea why they haven't started using this type of gripper material on jersey's ?!

Or maybe an old fashioned draw string jersey?? Best of both worlds.. tighten it up if you don't want the flapping, let it loose if you don't need it. :D

[Eden]

I'm in huge favor of a silicon gripper substance (like the new stuff Castelli uses on their shorts) that doesn't have to bunch up in order to keep the fabric in place. I have no idea why they haven't started using this type of gripper material on jersey's ?!

Or maybe an old fashioned draw string jersey?? Best of both worlds.. tighten it up if you don't want the flapping, let it loose if you don't need it. :D

My Hincapie jerseys do have silicon gripper at the waist! (they have elastic too)

[songlady]

My Hincapie jerseys do have silicon gripper at the waist! (they have elastic too)

Yes, this is what I was referring to in my earlier post. Both my new shebeest and sugoi jerseys have this stuff, I like it!

[quint41]

But if they're going to put elastic in the hem of the jersey, the least they could do is have some sort of non-slip type (like on hems of riding shorts), so there's a chance the jersey doesn't work it's way up to my waist. I'm a woman with curves too...:cool:


This is EXACTLY what happens to me with the elastic. I'm not large, but my waist is about 10 or 11 inches smaller than my hips. When I start my ride, I have the jersey pulled down to my hips. I ride a road bike with drops, not upright bars, and when I get off the bike the jersey has slid it's way up the lycra shorts and is at my waist! I don't see that happen to the guys, but then, they don't have curves either.

[emily_in_nc]

I just bought this jersey (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=006&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=160132449962&rd=1&rd=1) off ebay:

This is the first one I've bought with the silicone around the hem. It's a nice, long jersey, and I wore it for the first time this weekend. It's great! I could probably have used one size smaller, but I really like the silicone hem.

Emily

[trekin']

Great poll, sis!

I'm looking foward to seeing replies by the makers of women's biking clothes (if they even care)...when are they going to realize there are a ton of women out there who are actively participating in sports who would like to dress appropriately, but can't find anything that fits?!? I scuba dive, and have the same problem, only worse.....I've had to have 2 wetsuits and a skin custom made because I am 1) not male 2) not 6 feet tall (not even close!)
3) not a size zero (also not even close) 4) Refuse to wear pink....according to the owner of our local dive shop, I apparently also am not viewed as a profit center, because they say there are not enough women like me to bother making off the rack items...yet I see more women who look like me in the sport than their target market (and that goes for biking, too)....let's face it...no sports company wants their logo to be seen on someone who doesn't cut the perfect figure...that would be bad advertising!

[hurleygirl]

Another "no" for elastic here. I'm fairly straight-figured and the elastic still creeps up to my waist, making the jersey billow out around my middle and sit too high.

I have never had a problem with jerseys "flapping" when there is no elastic. I wear tight "race fit" jerseys anyway. I remove the elastic if I have to, and the hem just stays put nicely.

Why oh why can't manufacturers figure out that not all women want elastic, and not all women want to wear "screaming pink" or other prints that shout to the world "I'm a chick!!!".

[RoadRaven]

Hurley - you are so right about pink... saw the new specialised women's road bike in a shop a couple of weeks ago - so beautiful - but why pink strips of paint all over it?

NZ bike shops (well, the local ones we have spoken to) try to avoid or minimise pink bikes - NZ women just are not into pink stuff.



I want to qualify my opinion on elastic too. I don't like tight elastic... I like the loose elastic that gives shape but doesn't pull in tight... my prorace jerseyd are like that.

[northstar]

I voted no on the elastic. I just got one of the Bellwether Crit Jerseys, which don't have the elastic, and it feels so nice! It's snug enough so it doesn't flap. But I do think it would be improved with the grippy stuff around the bottom, to anchor it a little more firmly. :)

[Crankin]

Frankly, the only women I see wearing jerseys with elastic that doesn't ride up when riding, are women who are "straight as a stick." There doesn't seem to be much difference in their waist/hip measurement. I have a 25 inch waist and 36 inch hips. I wear a very small size in regular clothes, but clothing manufacturers must realize that most women have bigger hips, because it has become easier for me to buy pants that don't gap at the waist in order to fit over my hips. I don't have issues with stuff falling out of my jersey pockets; the Terry jersey pockets are deep and some have a zippered space. They fit flat to my hips and definitely do not flap! And I put a lot of stuff in there, since my bike doesn't support much carry on stuff, except a small bag in the back. I tried buying a Terry jersey with what was advertised as "light" elastic, but that rode up to my waist, too.

[quint41]

Great poll, sis!

...according to the owner of our local dive shop, I apparently also am not viewed as a profit center, because they say there are not enough women like me to bother making off the rack items...yet I see more women who look like me in the sport than their target market (and that goes for biking, too)....let's face it...no sports company wants their logo to be seen on someone who doesn't cut the perfect figure...that would be bad advertising!

Thanks, sis! xox

Now THAT would be another interesting poll to bring to the clothing manufacturers ... a poll as to how many of us active women fall into different size ranges. That would probably be an eye-opener.

I shy away from the pink clothes, too. And the flowers. Actually, I'd be entirely head-to-toe visi-yellow if I could! :D

By the way, I sent an e-mail to that sales rep at Primal linking her to this poll. She responded that she'd pass it on to the powers that be over at primal. If anyone has an inside connection at any of the other manufacturers, feel free to do the same!

[SouthernBelle]

I just got a jersey from Twin Six and I really like it. No elastic anywhere but lays flat and has nice deep pockets. I think part of the reason it lays so well is that it is cut in at the waist.