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review
Jerseys - casual
Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee Chapeau Dry Tech Tee
2021 Chapeau Dry Tech Tee

Chapeau Dry Tech Tee

6
by Steve Williams
Wed, Jul 21, 2021 19:45
1
£34.99

VERDICT:

6
10
Performance fabric combined with casual looks, but the cut and finish could be better
Fabric breathes and wicks well
Loose but not flappy fit
Casual looks
Tail doesn't drop far
Stitching quality – the pocket scrunches the front, which doesn't hang right
Weight: 
171g
Contact: 
chapeau.cc
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Chapeau! Dry Tech Tee is a stylish, gravel-oriented casual top that wicks and cools very well. The barely dropped tail and stitching issues undercut both its on-bike performance and cafe-stop looks, though.

Chapeau! describes the fit as 'loose but not baggy,' and that's as good a description as any. It hangs slightly away from your body, though is nowhere near loose enough for the relatively thick fabric to flap.

I find the fit pleasingly close and almost tailored, though the short sleeves are on the verge of being tight – they leave little extra room at the hems, which is fine when standing, but can pull ever so slightly when I'm stretched to the handlebar.

2021 Chapeau Dry Tech Tee - Deep Ocean - sleeve.jpg

There's little stretch in the fabric, too, so if you've any sort of paunch (or big upper arms) you might want to size up to maintain that slight looseness all over.

Despite its middling thickness – it should survive the odd gravel crash pretty well – the fabric breathes quite impressively. If you do get very sweaty it gets a slippery, slimy feel I didn't personally love, but it wicks efficiently and dries fairly fast. Once back to merely damp it feels normal again.

The biggest issue for me with this tee is the rear hem, which is only very slightly dropped. I found it barely overlapped the waistband of my shorts, even in a relatively relaxed riding position, which can feel draughty and leave a gap for groundwater to be fired through.

2021 Chapeau Dry Tech Tee - Deep Ocean - back.jpg

I also found the finishing a bit disappointing, with several loose ends of thread that needed snipping away and the chest pocket being sewn in a way that permanently scrunches the main fabric.

2021 Chapeau Dry Tech Tee - Deep Ocean - pocket.jpg

Okay, the pricing is hardly premium, but it's a little disappointing all the same. On the upside, the seams are all solidly joined and it feels built to last – these are purely cosmetic issues.

At £34.99, the Dry Tech Tee is relatively cheap. The Endura GV500 Foyle T is a similarly relaxed, gravel-orientated top and is £59.99, for instance, while the 7mesh Desperado Merino Henley is £70. The Chapeau! is more comfortable to wear than the 7mesh, too.

> Buyer’s Guide: 30 of the best summer jerseys

Overall, the Dry Tech Tee is a good-looking top that performs pretty well from a fabric point of view, but it needs a longer tail to do it justice on the bike. If the pocket was sewn on more neatly it would score a little higher in the style stakes, too.

Verdict

Performance fabric combined with casual looks, but the cut and finish could be better

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Chapeau Dry Tech Tee

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

Chapeau! says: 'A regular fit technical shirt, the Chapeau! Dry Tech Tee is for when you need a more relaxed style.

'Looser than lycra, but not "baggy", the Tech Tee is cut for comfort and speed on all terrains. It's quick to dry, lightweight and super breathable to keep you comfortable when you're on the bars, whilst a subtle chest pocket and logo adds a dash of style.

'Whether you're on gravel, dirt or tarmac the Tech Tee is the perfect pairing of high-performance tech and casual style. Made to be worn with our Gravel Shorts.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Chapeau! lists:

Moisture wicking

Odour resistant

Relaxed fitting

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Quality fabric, but the stitching leaves a little to be desired.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Effective wicking and cooling despite the relatively thick fabric, but the short back can ride up and feel breezy.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

Comes up loose but pretty close – it feels quite nicely tailored.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
7/10

Just right if you're slim, but close fit and lack of stretch means you may want to size up otherwise.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10

Fine for the style.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
7/10

Pleasingly cool (temperature-wise), but the short rear can be draughty.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Cheaper than many casual technical tops, if not quite as effective.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

No issues.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The fabric performs really well and the casual fit is mostly really good, but the only gently dropped tail can be an issue in all but the most upright positions.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The close fit, the cooling fabric.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The stitching quality of the pocket, which scrunches the front up, and the tail isn't dropped enough.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

At £34.99, the Dry Tech Tee is relatively cheap. The Endura GV500 Foyle T is a similarly relaxed, gravel-orientated top and is £59.99, for instance, while the 7mesh Desperado Merino Henley is £70. The Chapeau! is more comfortable than the 7mesh, too.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, but not for cycling...

Would you consider buying the product? No – the tail isn't long enough for my liking, even if the poor quality pocket stitching is a one-off.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No

Use this box to explain your overall score

This T-shirt gets a lot right, especially given the price. It's comfortable, breathes well and should last. It really needs a more appropriately dropped tail for use with shorts, though, and because looks are extra important with this kind of top – casual style is why it exists – it's hard not to be disappointed with the line-spoiling scrunch caused by the pocket stitching.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 183cm  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,

Chapeau Dry Tech Tee 2021
Chapeau Dry Tech Tee
Chapeau 2021
Chapeau

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1 comments

Avatar
RobD | 2 years ago
3 likes

I wouldn't describe £35 as cheap for a t-shirt, I'd expect the finishing to be near perfect at that price, it's hardly a complicated shape after all, and it's only a single material by the looks of it.

The 'technical t-shirt' is definitely an area that some companies take the mickey with price wise, and the fact that this is seen as an affordable option is testament to that. Maybe I'm just grumpy today, but making something that's usually half the price in cotton out of a slightly more sports orientated fabric doesn't feel like it justifies the price.

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