De Marchi, named after the founder Emilio De Marchi, have been making cycling kit since 1946. Still run by the same family, they might well be the oldest cycling clothing manufacturer in the world.

All the kit is lovingly hand made in Italy, and the range consists of an array of deliciously vintage wool jerseys, as well as a select few technical pieces.

The Turismo jersey comes from the technical range. I had to double check the material details multiple times because it does have a softness about it that I’ve never found in a polyester garment. This tweed look jersey feels gorgeous next to the skin, but is definitely made of quick drying polyester.

The fit is great, too, with darts in all the right places to make for a  flattering silhouette. You can tell De Marchi are passionate about quality by the attention to detail, with the embroidered logos, and Italian flag sewn into the rear pocket.

There’s a full zip, and a lovely high necked collar, and the “pied de poule” inspired tweed is quirky without being brash. I also quite like how the combination of white and black means dirt probably wouldn’t show up, but you’re pleasantly visible on the road.

I’ve only got one criticism of this jersey…

I don’t go out riding with everything but the kitchen sink in my pockets. I usually take with me: mini pump, CO2, phone, house keys (detached from all other keys = lighter), debit card, multitool. Spare tube and tyre levers are generally in my saddlebag.

These items really pulled down on the back of the jersey. They were deep enough so that nothing flew out of them, but the comforting stretchy-ness of the fabric really worked against me in the form of bouncing pockets.

The problem was exacerbated the day I got a puncture and had to stuff the old tube into the back pocket, and when I was riding hill reps on a local climb – in the end I decided to simply leave everything at the bottom of the hill.

Overall, this is an really beautifully designed jersey that’s flattering, fits really well, and feels great against the skin. It’s only let down is the stretchy pockets, but if you’re more inclined to putting your kit in a larger saddle bag, this shouldn’t be a problem at all and I’d definitely recommend it.

De Marchi Turismo Cycling Jersey: € 90.00, available here

Size reviewed: Small. Sizes available: XSmall, Small, Medium, Large