The Capo Cortina Wind Vest stands out from most of its women's-specific competition with a trim, well-refined cut that lays down nicely where it should, never bunches or flaps, and does a superb job of blocking out the cold winter wind.
The sleek fit is aided by the tailored armholes and the Windtex Flight Plus 2 fabric, which improves on older Windtex materials with its softer hand and added stretch. This allows for a trimmer cut while still having enough give to accommodate the usual winter layers. Additional versatility comes with the breathable mesh back, which lets sweat evaporate when effort levels increase. If things really heat up, the vest is highly compressible and easily tucks into a standard jersey pocket.
Getting into your jersey pockets underneath the vest is made easier by the non-elasticized waist and a slightly flared lower hem that allows the vest to fall gracefully over the hips. While the mostly black design is appealing and refreshingly free of pink or baby blue hues, it isn't ideal for nighttime visibility. Capo at least include a line of reflective piping along the sides of the back for evening rides.
Overall construction quality is excellent, as is attention to detail: the zipper not only has a fabric "garage" that protects delicate skin from cold metal at the neck, it's also backed by an extra flap of Windtex fabric to stop drafts from getting through when the zipper is up. The Cortina vest is expensive at US$129.99 but still a somewhat rare find in the still-developing world of high-quality women's cycling clothing with its quality cut and serious styling. With such sturdy construction it'll likely last for many seasons to come, too.