Trashy Cat Sunflower Review

[Nanci]

So I got my Trashy Cat on sale red sunflower jersey and shorts a couple days ago. Wore them for the first time today.

Jersey: Excellent style. Didn't think I needed a zipper pocket, but then used it so I could leave my Camelback off for a short ride. Very long in back- nice. No elastic at the bottom, but still felt quite fitted- probably because I am not quite small enough for it. Liked the fabric. Seemed breatheable enough. Nice long zipper. But- after I washed it, on delicate, there was a tiny snag on the front. So maybe it isn't going to hold up. I've never had a bike top get damaged by the washer- how strange...

Shorts: Cut lower in back than the Primals I usually wear. I thought I wouldn't like this, but I did. Waist didn't roll, and if it was going to, on me, it would have. Leg grippers were kind of weird- that clear elastic like they put on thigh-high nylon stockings. I am reserving judgement till more rides. They definately stayed put. I'm used to eight panel shorts, so these four panels felt weird. And the fabric was thinner than what I'm used to, though nice and silky. I didn't wear underwear (and I ALWAYS wear underwear!) because they would have showed everything. The chamois was very comfortable- unnoticeable. Very fitted- I hate it when there's a huge chamois that bulges out in the back. I think these might have looked better if I had fashion model legs instead of big quads.

Both items: lots of loose, dangling threads. Also, black fabric was stiched with white thread, which was very apparent in the seams.

Customer Service: I ordered this on the web. When I got my e-mail confirmation, like two minutes after the transaction, I noticed I had typed my address wrong by one digit. I panickedly called the 800 number and got an answering machine. (Normal business hours.) I also sent an e-mail immediately. About five minutes later I got a second e-mail notice saying the order had shipped, and giving me a tracking number. The next morning, I had an e-mail from the company telling me to contact UPS or it would be going to the wrong address. Not very helpful or friendly, I thought. I think they just didn't want to be bothered to generate a new label- I don't think it could have shipped that fast.

UPS- I called with the tracking number, and a very helpful woman told me to call back the actual day of delivery, and they would send a notice out to the truck driver. So I did, and got some woman who was very unhelpful, who said I would have to wait until a delivery attempt had been made, and that the sending company should have taken care of it, not me. Like how would I even know when they tried to deliver it to someone else's house? And what if the people just kept it and didn't tell anyone? She wouldn't even stay on the line long enough to get my correct address. So I called back _again_, after the REAL customer service was open, and a nice man said he would notify the delivery guy, and they would try to catch it before it even got out to the truck, than a bit later, another man called me to confirm the address change, since he had the package, and when I got home, there it was.

So, I would have said I loved the whole outfit, if it wasn't for the problem with the fabric and the washing machine...

Nanci

[Pedal Wench]

I have the same sunflower jersey in purple, and I've washed it quite a few times (gentle cycle, woolite) with no problems. I have a few others of theirs: sleeveless signature, sleeveless solid in blue and in black, the Wild Cat II leopard one, long sleeve solid in blue and in black - oy - I better stop before I look pathetic - but anyway, they've held up okay with gentle machine washing. But, I don't use the dryer - I drape them over my sofa to dry!

[Nanci]

Maybe just bad luck, then. I managed to get the tiny thread pulled through to the back, and glued down.

I _wish_ I had a dryer to not dry them in- but it died a couple years ago (or actually, its outlet did) and hasn't been fixed, or really missed, for that matter.

I've got a bunch of Shebeast jerseys, that seems to be what I love the most.

Nanci

[Nanci]

Now, after a couple more washings on delicate, there's some weird pilling going on on one leg. I just don't think the fabric is tough enough, which is a shame, since I love the outfit and the fit and everything...

Nanci

[Steph_in_TX]

We had a jersey snag in the wash once (on delicate) so we've started washing them in one of those mesh bags. We've never had another snag. I've never had shorts do that, though.

Happy washing...

[Pedal Wench]

I've never tried their shorts. The model on the Trashy Cat webpage is so silly-skinny that I'm intimidated to even try!

[Nanci]

That's what I thought at first, too, but they got good reviews on here, and the satin shorts won that Editor's Choice award for Bicycling magazine or whatever, so when they went on sale, I thought I'd try them. And I love everything about them, except how the fabric is holding up. I'm 5'2", 155 pounds- certainly nothing like their model...Unfortunately, most of the size Lg are out of stock.

I think what I like is they are just _different_ from solid black. It's kind of cool to have matching shorts and jersey.

Nanci

[Pedal Wench]

Nanci,

I just got back from a ride, wearing my Trashy Cat signature series jersey. Guess what? Loose threads - right on the hem on the bottom. It's not really the hem holding everything together, but the one above that. Not sure what it's called, but it's coming undone. I have about 6 of their jerseys, so I hope this is a one-time incident!