We’ve admired the designs from German clothing maker Maloja for a few seasons, but hadn’t really had the chance to take a deeper look at how far their coordinated design language goes. But this year at Eurobike we had a chat with a couple of the folks behind the new line-up for next spring and summer, and were surprised at how far they tie-in. On both the women’s and men’s sides, Hawaiian-style prints get a lot of play, but both get unique design patterns that incorporate flora and fauna from closer to Malojas home in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. And while the prints can get a bit busy, they can always be tied in with simpler designs (like the jersey on the right) and even solids as well.
Join us after the break for a closer look at the alpine designs and where you will find them, as well as a bit of tech on their mixed weather One-beats-Two kit…
Maloja’a basic women’s alpine print line doesn’t include a lot of new technologies, but does offer a wide range of coordinated products. From technical tanks, tees, and traditional cycling jerseys made of light weight Pushlite and Airdry fabrics, to heavier long sleeve fleece-backed winter jerseys and stretchy baggy shorts, the line-up can be coordinated as deeply as the imagination allows. Their women’s kit also comes in more staid solid and color-block designs using the same color pallete to allow easy mix-and-matching.
The men’s side of the Mountain Hawaiian series gets the same breadth of technical tees, jerseys, and shorts with their own alpine design. Like the women’s side of things, this print sees it way into the Maloja casual Streetwear collection as well with long and short sleeved button-downs, sweatshirts and shorts, all ready to be coordinated.
The guys’ Alpine prints get alpine roses, edelweiss, and pinecones in place of the ladies’ more flower-heavy bird design. The 2016 Maloja collection gets named Rock & Roll, and the Mountain Hawaiian prints are a part of the overall 1950s and 60s inspired look that they see as an attitude against the status quo. While the flowery prints are striking, there also is a wide range of retro-looking geometric designs and even a few throw-back illustrations that look as good on a tee-shirt as they do on an XC kit or a DH jersey.
On the more technical sides, Maloja has a few new products that stand out. As one of a very select few companies worldwide with access to a new lightweight stretchy Gore Windstopper fabric, Maloja developed their One beats Two concept for the Hank jersey. The highly breathable fabric makes up the entire front and shoulders of the jersey to keep riders warm and comfortable down to about 10°C/50°F, while the back is a more open fabric to let heat out so it also works above 20°C/68°F. The short sleeve jersey also comes with a set of thin Windstopper arm warmers that aim to make this a single jersey setup that can often eliminate the need to pack a jacket or wind breaker on rides that start out cool or where cold weather looms. While the price point is expected to be about 50% more than their typical jerseys because of the expensive fabrics, it should still be a solid value if it could effectively eliminate the need for an extra wind vest or light jacket.
Also on the cold and wet side of things Maloja has a new Gore-Tex Paclite rain jacket and matching rain shorts. Both get a 2.5 layer Gore membrane for excellent waterproofing and breathability, plus fully taped seams and water repellent zips. Both shorts and jacket get cycling specific shaping for a proper anatomic fit while riding, reflective detailing, and are Bluesign certified. The heavy rain gear is also available in both men’s and women’s cuts and colors.
