Nema’s trademark neat styling is in evidence on the Emerald, where baby blue is saved from being insipid by bold black and red details.
The feminine cut is on the short side for taller riders or those long in the body and cap sleeves don’t offer much in the way of protection, but the fabric wicks effectively and sheds dirt in the wash without complaint.
The pocket arrangement brings up the usual conundrum of jerseys for female riders. Generally women have narrower backs than men and are thought not to favour the traditional three pockets, which end up too small to be of any real use. However, only having two pockets limits how you organise what you stash, ending up with an unbalanced load more often than not – and for that reason we’d rather see three.
The zip is also apt to rattle and, although it’s a small thing, it really bugged us on longer climbs where we had nothing else to focus our attention on.