16 highlights from La Passione's new summer clothing range

Italian brand La Passione has reworked and expanded its summer range, introducing fresh new designs and contemporary colourways alongside existing favourites – and launching an all-new women’s collection as well as gravel-specific apparel.

If you haven’t come across La Passione before, they’re based on the southwest side of Lake Garda. Jealous? Us?. They design and manufacture their clothing in Italy. Selling exclusively via their website, La Passione say that their direct-to-consumer business model means you get premium clothing at a lower price because there are no distributors, agents or retailers pushing up the price.

La Passione also base their business on responsible manufacturing, screening suppliers, laundries and factories to ensure all their products are made under fair, sweatshop-free conditions and using the best possible fabrics that are fit for purpose with the least environmental impact.

So, let’s have a look at some of the highlights of the summer 2020 collection.

Feel Women’s Collection

The new women’s La Passione Feel collection has a clean aesthetic and a classic race fit. It is headed up by a the Feel Jersey that comes in short-sleeved, sleeveless and tank versions (£80, £66 and £58 respectively) that’s made from a combination of two premium two-way stretch fabrics and is designed for great breathability and quick drying. There are four bold colour ways, including acqua and azalea, plus a stealth plain black for the sleeved jersey.

Meanwhile, the Feel Bib Shorts (£94) come in black or blue and feature a multi-panel structure and a preformed waistband for greater abdominal comfort. The leg hem includes a front inner silicone gripper designed to keep the bibs perfectly in place without any constriction.

The Feel Bib Shorts use a women-specific Elastic Interface pad that was developed for extra-long rides. They’re also available in a bib-less waist-shorts version simply called Feel Shorts that have the same body and pad at £80.

The range is complemented by the Feel Socks (£12) that come in four colours to neatly match the jerseys.

Adventure Collection

La Passione’s new Adventure Tech T-Shirt (£64) is designed for a casual look and a high performance. Its more casual cut makes it perfect for bikepacking trips where versatile garments that work both on and off the bike are essential. It’s made from a four-way stretch woven fabric that is both tough and comfortable, and feature a slanted version of La Passione’s ‘hold the line’ logo on the chest and sleeves.

Matching the Adventure Tech T-Shirt with a more casual fit and style, the Adventure Shorts (£96, pictured above) are made from a four-way stretch woven and water-repellent fabric which not only supplies comfort but also a high level of resistance to scratches from branches, thorns and other undergrowth that would rip right through lesser legwear. They have two padded inserts and can be worn with or without La Passione’s Adventure Padded Inner Shorts (£40) and would also make ideal commuting kit. There are two colour options: stone and sand.

Also new are the Adventure Gloves (£38, below) and the Adventure Socks (£11, above). The socks are made with a high percentage of Italian organic cotton while the gloves have a stretchy Lycra and honeycomb fabric construction for all-terrain comfort and protection.

The Adventure Cargo Bib Shorts (£115) are designed to supply maximum muscular compression, breathability, an ergonomic fit and extreme abrasion resistance. Made from technical Italian fabric, they also dry very quickly and protect against UV. There are two mesh cargo pockets on the legs and back for stashing ride essentials. The Elastic Interface pad is designed for maximum support on the hardest gravel roads.

New PSN Jerseys

La Passione’s signature PSN Jersey (£80) has been reimagined in no less than 12 block colours from black to white via blue, pink and yellow neon. The PSN Jersey keeps the same pro cut as before, but is now made from a lighter-weight fabric with more stretch that ensures a close fit, and it now has longer sleeves.

There’s also a brand new PSN Ultralight Jersey (£72) that has the same design and features as the standard PSN, but it’s made from a new premium ultra-light perforated fabric which allows for greater breathability, extra comfort and is quick drying even at over 30°C, according to La Passione. It has a lower collar than the regular PSN. Weighing just 88g and available in five striking summer colours, the PSN Ultralight is ideal for heatwaves and high mountains.

Perfect for pairing with the PSN Ultralight are the new Prestige Lightweight Bib Shorts (£135), which are designed for long, hot, summer rides. An evolution of La Passione’s regular Bib Shorts, these hit the highest standards in terms of comfort and performance but have a lower weight.

They're made from a premium Italian fabric that La Passione say supplies muscle compression and resistance in addition to redefined breathability. The rear features a breathable mesh section which has a balanced vertical elasticity for increased stability on the saddle.

The newest Elastic Interface pad is designed to be comfortable for the longest days in the saddle and features a central channel to improve blood flow and reduce numbness. The bib part is white for an improved aesthetic under lightweight summer jerseys such as the PSN Ultralight, which is partially shear with its tiny perforations. There’s a raw-cut leg combined with a silicone inner band to keep the shorts in place, finishing off a super clean look.

PSN Rain Jerseys

It's very thoughtful of La Passione to design some stylish Italian gear for our sodden climes over here in the UK: new to the range is the PSN Rain Jersey, which comes in long or short-sleeved versions (£120 and £105 respectively). Made of three-layered membrane fabric that’s lightweight and stretchy, it supplies a high level of waterproofing and excellent aerodynamics thanks to the close fit. Like the regular PSN, there are three rear pockets and discreet reflectives front and rear. There’s a rear waterproof laser-cut storm flap with an anatomical shape and an internal silicone gripper to keep it in place. 

Accessories

If you’ve made the effort to match your La Passione jerseys and shorts, the brand’s range of accessories is designed to complete the look. The PSN Gloves (£24) come in 13 different colours that pair exactly with every La Passione jersey, with blue neon, pink neon and yellow neon newly added. The palm is made from a perforated suede microfibre with shock-absorbing inserts, they’re equipped with reinforced pull-off tabs and feature La Passione’s ‘hold the line’ logo on the backs.

Strengthening up its sock game, La Passione has added blue neon and pink neon colours to its PSN Socks (£12), which come in a total of 12 colours, again matching the jerseys. With a nice, high 15cm cuff, the PSN Socks are made from Meryl Skinlife, an Italian extra-light textured yarn that supplies a semi compressive fit for improving blood flow and muscle support. Underneath, a soft sponge insert directly over the cleat attachments enhances comfort.

See the whole range at uk.lapassione.cc.