Technically, the ZZ Top is a long-sleeve summer jersey, but we’ve used it all year round with great success, both under a gilet or fleece in mild or chilly conditions, or under a waterproof shell in the wet. It’s always worked well.
The Intercool fabric is soft to touch and one of the best wickers of sweat we’ve found in any base layer. We wore our test ZZ Top in the Alps recently and it quickly became a favourite, drying in the breeze as fast as our climbing effort was getting it damp.
The jersey is cut with raglan-style sleeves for a casual feel and the contrasting colourways make it great off-bike wear too, which doubles its usefulness. Only the small, discreet zip closure on the lower back gives away its cycling credentials.