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The cut is appropriately trim, leaving virtually no excess material to flutter in the breeze(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The silver and red shoulder area makes for a nice accent on the otherwise black body(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The three rear pockets are small and inconveniently shaped(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
Windproof material is used on the front surfaces of the jacket - only we found it to let more cold air through than we would have preferred(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
Styling is tastefully subdued overall but we could do without this rubber shoulder patch(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The Nalini Aguglia jacket provides a taut, road-specific fit but reserve it for late winter/early spring days as it isn't as warm as its premium price might suggest(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The Nalini Aguglia jacket provides a taut, road-specific fit but reserve it for late winter/early spring days as it isn't as warm as its premium price might suggest(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
Nalini's Aguglia jacket is a decent option for the moderately cold road rides of late winter. The cut is suitably snug yet still not overly restrictive thanks to the stretchy fabric, while the cuffs, neck and hem wrap tightly against the body to prevent drafts.
The form fit doesn't leave much room for layering but if you're careful about undergarments, the relatively simple construction still yields a fairly broad comfort range. Don a thermal base layer beneath the medium-weight shell and it's reasonably warm down to about 5°C (41°F) – as long as you're working hard and generating a lot of body heat. Alternatively, take advantage of the good breathability and pair it with a lightweight short-sleeved base layer up to nearly 13°C (55°F).
However, closer to freezing there just isn't enough insulation or protection against biting air in spite of Nalini's 'windproof' claims. To be fair, Nalini only recommend the Aguglia for use between 6-12°C (43-54°F) but therein lies the rub. The heady pricetag - US$290 - is more in keeping with far more tech-heavy and feature-laden true winter jackets and similar or better warmth can be provided by less expensive thermal jerseys and a proper windproof vest or shell.
Moreover, the feature set is decidedly sparse as there are no supplemental vents, zippered security pockets or other convenience bits like internal wire guides for music players. Stowage in general is minimal at best. There are three rear pockets but they're almost unusably small and built in a strangely tapered shape so even if you can manage to get a fully-gloved hand in there, it's still difficult to access smaller bits such as mini-tools and the like.
Construction quality is very good and the subdued aesthetics are likely to please a majority of riders but for the money, there are better options out there.
