Fleece

Introduction

Fleece, which is sometimes referred to as 'polarfleece', is a synthetic material which is usually made from polyethylene terephthalate. Also abbreviated as 'PET', it's a synthetic fibre which can be made into a host of items, fleece being but one. It's a relatively new creation, and was invented by Malden Mills from Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA in 1979.

As the word 'polarfleece' indicates, fleece was created to improve upon some of the properties of traditional wool, the most obvious being it's light weight. Because it's a purely synthetic material, it's also an alternative for vegans to wear, and people which do not want to wear clothing made from animal products. Some manufacturers use recycled bottles as the source material, which makes fleece a 'green' product.

Guides

• Pros and Cons
• Microfleece
• Polarfleece

What fleece can be made into....

A lightweight fleece top, ideal as part of a layering system for the winter and activity sports. For spectator sports like Rugby and Football it can be placed under a jacket.

Can be worn like any other sweater, but is more functional and ideal for winter conditions.

Fleece jackets can either be worn as an individual jacket or zipped into any inter active shell. All the while being versatile, durable and breathable.

Provides that extra insulating heat, for the part of the body that releases the most heat of any. It's a winter essential, be it a long walk, raking snow or leaves, watching sport, or building a bonfire.

Other less common items

The above four apparels are the most common fleece items. You can buy unbrushed fleece trousers, but because fleece is prone to tearing, it has a slight risk of embarrassing the wearer. On the whole fleece is usually made into upper body garments, tops and sweaters being the most popular. Hats and scarves are slightly more of a niche market.

Because fleece is more of a functional material, rather than an attractive material, it's commonly used as an under garment and part of a layering system. That's why top layer garments like coats and trousers are rarely made from fleece, it just does not have the flair and attractiveness of other materials

Privacy Policy

The information contained within this site is general in nature, and may not be applicable to all fleece clothes. We can also not guarantee the accuracy of the information.