Zip training top: half zip or full zip?

A zip is the smallest detail on a top and the one that decides the most. It decides how you take it off, how it sits at the collar and how it looks when you stand still. We sew four zip tops in the Edge collection, and they are different for real. Here is the difference.

What is the difference between a half zip and a full zip?

A half zip runs from the collar down to the chest. It goes on over the head, sits like a sweater and opens when you get warm. It is the most used shape in the gym, because it keeps the heat in during the warm-up and lets it out when the session starts.

A full zip runs all the way down. Then it is a jacket. It comes off in one movement, hangs open over a tank top and closes on the way home. It suits you if you change temperature often, between outside and inside, between the bike and the office.

Which half zip suits which day?

Edge Half Zip is the light one. The fabric is smooth and cool against the skin, moisture-repellent and quick-drying in ECO Circle, a polyester that is mostly recycled. The cut is loose on purpose. Tie it at the front for a shorter, more shaped line, or wear it straight. The gold metallic half zip sits at the front. This is the top for the session and for the warm day.

Edge Cozy Half Zip is the warm one. Cotton with a brushed inside, a high collar and a lightly crisp surface that holds its shape. The same gold half zip, but an entirely different piece. It is for the walk in October, for the sofa after the session, for the day you are not going to sweat but want to look as if you could.

Is there a third option?

Yes. Edge Casual Zip Sweater has the zips on the shoulders instead of the front. It gives a clean shoulder line in the silhouette without showing from a distance. The fabric is micro-brushed and unusually soft, with a matte surface that holds its shape. The cuffs are slim, the body airy. It is made to be worn without feeling like training wear, with jeans as readily as with leggings.

When should you choose the jacket?

When you want to take it off without pulling anything over your head. Edge Training Jacket Gold Zip has a full gold metallic zip centred at the front, a fitted cut and faux leather details along the sleeves. The fabric is the same ECO Circle as the Half Zip, soft and moisture-repellent with four-way stretch. It is the jacket that goes over a tank top in the morning and over a blouse in the afternoon.

How do you style a zip training top?

Let the zip be the only thing that shines. With black leggings the Half Zip becomes a set that looks intentional without being a set. The Cozy Half Zip with the zip up and the collar high works as a thin sweater under a coat. The Casual Zip Sweater with straight trousers and a slim shoe is an office look nobody takes for gym clothes. The jacket open over a black tank top is the simplest of them all.

Which size should you choose?

Your usual. The Half Zip is loosely cut and can be tied, so it forgives. The Casual Zip Sweater is airy in the body and slim at the cuffs. The Cozy Half Zip is stretchy and follows you. The jacket is fitted, go up one size if you want it over a thicker layer. Sizes from XS to XL depending on the model, the jacket also in XXL.

How do you wash them?

All four: inside out, in a laundry bag, max 40 degrees, and hang to dry. No tumble dryer.

All four belong to the Edge collection. See also all training jackets for women and training tops.