It looks faded because I took a horrible picture but it's a true black like in the photos from the website) By far the best long sleeve jersey I've worn. It breathes like a jersey, meaning that you don't overheat like you might with a jacket. Of course if the temperature is below 40°F degrees you'll need a jacket but anything from there up to 60°F and you'll see how amazing this performs. I have two, one in black and one in navy blue. I'm 5'8", 165 lbs and large fits great. Compressive but I can move around freely like if I had a summer jersey on. In a more lose Le Col fit like the hors categorie jersey I wear a medium. If you know le col, you know there is little that compares to their level of quality. Any questions feel free to ask.