The amazing success of the fleece jacket
Throughout the ages, humans have developed many different types of clothing to keep warm. The use of wool for clothing – usually shorn from sheep - dates back to some of the earliest civilizations. The natural fibre did however have weaknesses. Wool does not really keep you warm when it is wet. In fact, wool tends to absorb the water and can take a liong time to dry. Also it can turn out to be heavy as you need to wear several layers in order to provide necessary insulation in very cold weather.
Before the 1980's, wrapping up to brace the cold meant wearing layers of heavy fabric that restricted movement and performed poorly when wet. But in 1981 a company called Malden Mills invented Polarfleece, and later on Polartec, which forever changed the way the western world dresses for cold weather and has certainly caught on. All age groups and generations wear fleeces and enjoy the warm cosy feel of the fabric. From grandparents braving the outdoors to kids fleeces becoming school uniform, fleece jackets have now become a practical and fashion item of clothing. Even other uses have been found for polyester fleece fabric such as underclothing for astronauts, lining for clothing and even ear warmers for winter born calves.
The development of polyester fleece is also an important and ingenious modern solution as we need to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious. The synthetic fleece is based on recycled PET polyester, a type of plastic that is used for making packaging materials for some of our most common consumer products such as bottles and containers. In the UK alone, we throw away approximately 13 billion plastic bottles per year and the plastic can take up to 400 years to decompose in landfill sites. In an aim to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly, even public transport giant Stagecoach has adopted fleece jackets for its bus drivers across the UK. The new greener clothing made from recycled plastic bottles will be given to all drivers across the UK and as a consequence some 350,000 plastic bottles will be saved from landfill sites.
Modern day fleece is made from 100% polyester, much of which is from recycled plastic items such as soda bottles. Unlike wool fleece, polyester fleece doesn't absorb water, break down in appearance, or absorb odours. In fact, fleece insulates when wet and provides twice the insulation properties of wool and four times that of cotton. Also, modern day fleece is soft to the touch, extremely light-weight, and dries quickly. Like the plastic bottles it is made from, fleece is very durable and can last for years. Hence why childrens fleeces have become ideal for school uniform and out of school leisure wear.
As there are well over 100 types of fleece the consumer needs to pay special attention that they really are getting the quality end. Unattractive pilling or 'bobbles' can be avoided by not purchasing fleece jackets made of lower grades of polyester but making sure you invest in a quality fabric. Outdoor clothing stores can offer advice on which brands and types of adults and kids fleeces and which jackets are best to protect from cold, wet and windy weather.
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