Fleece Jackets

About

Summing Up the Fleece Jacket Few pieces work as hard through a British autumn and winter as a good fleece jacket . Light, warm when damp and endlessly layerable, fleece started life as a technical alternative to wool for climbers and sailors in the late 1970s and 1980s, and has since become one of the defining pieces of modern menswear. Our edit covers everything from deep-pile and sherpa styles with a heritage feel to lightweight technical fleece built for the hills, and wool fleece pieces that sit just as comfortably with tailoring as they do with cargos. How Do Our Fleece Jackets Stack Up Not all fleece is the same. The fabric, pile height and cut decide how warm it is, how it layers and how it looks: High-pile and sherpa fleece: the deep, textured fleece made famous by Patagonia 's Retro Pile and The North Face's Extreme Pile. Maximum warmth and that unmistakable outdoor heritage look. Classic polar fleece: the clean, mid-weight fleece of icons like The North Face Denali, often reinforced with nylon panels at the shoulders and pockets for durability. Technical and grid fleece: lighter, more breathable fleece from brands such as Norrøna and Ostrya, designed as a mid-layer that moves moisture during active days. Wool fleece: Universal Works wool fleece cardigans and bombers bring a softer, more tailored take that works with knitwear and chinos. The Urban Industry Take on Fleece Fleece is at its best as part of a system. On a dry, cold day a pile fleece is a jacket in its own right; when the weather turns, it becomes the warm mid-layer under a waterproof shell. For the classic outdoor look, pair a Retro Pile or Denali with straight-leg cargos or Gramicci climbing trousers; for something cleaner, a wool fleece cardigan over an oxford shirt does the job. On sizing, most heritage pile fleeces have a boxy, generous cut, so stay true to size for a relaxed fit or size down for a neater silhouette, while technical fleeces are cut closer to the body to layer under a shell.