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Not a terribly long time ago only a handful of people would have chosen to be seen dead in a fleece jacket. The reason was very simple, after a very short period of wear they tended to become so bobbled and misshapen that the wearer often enough would look like they were wearing a brightly colored sheep rather than a relatively expensive piece of clothing. The price of early fleeces was also a point, they were at one point in time quite expensive mostly due to the limit number of companies that manufactured them.

Thankfully those days are now gone and the fleece jacket is now no longer the exclusive and almost iconic clothing choice of the mountaineer or rock climber. These days if you walk down any street in any city or town on a cold day you will undoubtedly see many people wearing what has become a fashionable but very functional piece of clothing.
Leaving aside the technical considerations for a moment a modern fleece can come in a bewildering array of styles. From thigh length with a hood to sleeveless vests to pullovers with a huge front pocket and a myriad of others they now come in any shape a customer could desire. Meaning that with a little patience and some careful shopping around you might just find something a little unique to wear.
The modern fleece jacket is available in just about any color you can imagine thanks to it's being made from plastic and also thanks to vast improvements having been made in manufacturing techniques it will now hold its shape for far longer. Costing as little as $20 for a budget fleece bought in any high street store to perhaps $200 for the top of the range mountaineering version these wonderful pieces of clothing have become affordable as well as easy to find.
There are however somethings to look out for when buying for yourself or another one of these deliciously warm and comfortable jackets.
Firstly as with most things in life you do get what you pay for. A $30 fleece will not last as long as a $100 one nor will it be as weather resistant.
Secondly the heavier the fleece the better it will hold it's shape with prolonged or frequent wearing. However a heavier fleece will be more likely to hold onto smells between washes.
Thirdly the lighter the fleece the quicker it will dry out if you get yourself caught out in a shower, but of course it will never be as hard wearing as a heavier one nor will it retain as much heat.
Finally you should always be aware that on cheaper fleece jackets the stitching or fastenings may not be of a particularly good quality. While this probably won't be a major concern for someone buying a fleece just to wear to the corner shop if you intend to wear it often or for long periods of time it may become a serious issue. There's little worse than on a freezing cold day stretching and hearing the sad sound of a seam ripping or pulling closed the zip on your favorite jacket only to find that it's given up the ghost.
Buying your fleece if it is to be more than a piece of fashion is a balancing act between the different advantages and disadvantages. However if rather than going to the high street for your fleece you go instead to an outdoor pursuit store you will most likely have access to the help and advice of sales assistants who have personal experience with fleeces. Ask their advice, balance it against your own common sense and you will be far less likely to buy something unsuitable to your needs.

Learn more about this author, Harper Gallagher.
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