Rapha unveils women’s range

Rapha.cc has launched a women’s range of clothing for the first time this month.

The manufacturer said that the range was inspired by a gap it saw in the market for classic, elegant cycling for women. According to the firm, more than 30 per cent of cycling journeys in the UK are now made by women.

Rapha added that women were already buying its men’s clothing ranges, making the new lines a natural progression of that demand.

Among the new lines is a women-specific version of the Classic Jersey and the Stowaway Jacket. The range will also include cycling shorts with higher waist-bands – for comfort, avoiding exposed flesh on the back and a snug fit – and cut longer in the leg for a flattering silhouette.

“We had so many requests from women who love Rapha clothing and wanted the same but with a women-specific fit,” explained Rapha CEO Simon Mottram. “This was our inspiration and we are offering something befitting the class and style of the sport and the women who are involved in it.

“We realised early on that the women’s range should be an extension of the men’s one and we’ve avoided girly colours and floral prints. A passion for road cycling is at the core of everything Rapha does and as with the men’s clothing each product will contain a story label inspired by the legends and character of the sport.”

The new lines, available this month, will be joined by further women-specific iterations of Rapha menswear products. For more information head over to the Rapha site here.

For more on women-specific clothing, look out for the BikeBiz sector guide appearing in the May edition of the magazine.