Craft has been on the scene for some time and has established itself as a brand that produces high quality apparel at an amazing price point. Based in the Scandinavian country of Sweden, Craft didn’t quite start out the same way as other cycling brands. Originally the Swedish clothing manufacturer produced underwear for their national Air Force. Craft’s baselayers were designed to be worn comfortably under flight suits providing fast and effective wicking of moisture. From all accounts a flight in a fighter jet can certainly create a bit of a sweat. The microfibres created by Craft were ideal for wicking away perspiration produced from the most intense flights and were even able to put up with the hardships of a pilot ejecting. Upon ejecting from a plane pilots can expect to experience temperatures of around -50 degrees C, not what you want if your wearing sweat soaked under garments, but the revolutionary Craft technology didn’t mop up sweat keeping the pilot warm leaving the pilot to worry about more pressing matters.

Craft’s highly functional clothing was later adopted by skiers who were looking for a baselayer that would help regulate body temperature without compromising comfort during times of vigorous physical exertion. Craft later diversified into other sports where cyclists began to adopt the technical wicking properties available. Craft currently manufacture the jerseys for the professional cycling team RadioShack Nissan Trek. Riding in the pro peloton demands clothing that utilises fabric to help the wearer deliver peak performance time after time. The bodies of athletes quickly begin to cool when clothing comes in contact with the skin, becoming wet with sweat. Performance drops at pace with the cooling of an athlete’s body, disturbing the fluid balance even more.

Craft clothing has been worn by countless World Champions and Olympic medals winners. From flight suits to skin suits, over the last 40 years Craft has become a byword for unique functionality and has come to be worn by ever increasing circles of athletes worldwide, ranging from top class athletes to keep-fit enthusiasts. This year’s Autumn/Winter range adheres to the same ethos of high quality, performance apparel which helped save the lives of countless Swedish fighter pilots. So enough of the history lesson, let’s take a look at some of the new range in action.