what is patagonia fleece

The Patagonia R2 is the ultimate combination of form and function — stretchy, high-loft fleece

traps heat where you need it, and stretchy side panels allow moisture to vent while you’re working hard in the backcountry. This is superior, lightweight warmth when worn under a shell jacket or down outerwear.

Full Answer

What is the story of fleece?

What was the first fleece sweater?

What was the fabric that Yvon discovered?

What is fleecelab?

Is there a shortage of ideas at Patagonia?

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What is Patagonia fleece made of?

recycled polyesterWhere We Are. We began making recycled polyester from plastic soda bottles back in 1993—the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to transform trash into fleece.

How can you tell Patagonia fleece?

Each Patagonia product has a unique five-digit style number printed on the white tag stitched into the garment. It will have STY, ITEM or STYLE in front of the number, and sometimes it will have letters and numbers behind it—those denote the season and year it was made. So, the tag might say: STY54321FA18.

What is the purpose of a fleece?

Fleece is a synthetic insulating fabric made from a type of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other synthetic fibres. It is very comfortable due to its light weight and anti-perspiration qualities, and allows moisture to evaporate, while blocking humidity from the outside.

What does fleece fabric mean?

1a : the coat of wool covering a wool-bearing animal (such as a sheep) b : the wool obtained from a sheep at one shearing. 2a : any of various soft or woolly coverings. b : a soft bulky deep-piled knitted or woven fabric used chiefly for clothing.

Which fleece is warmest?

Heavyweight fleece is the least flexible of fleeces, but also the warmest and most insulating. This can be stifling if worn when exercising or exerting yourself physically, as you're bound to overheat quickly.

What age group wears Patagonia?

Patagonia is strong with middle-aged users, as well, with over 43% of their enthusiasts being between ages 35 and 54. The North Face, however, even more so attracts those age brackets.

Is fleece better for winter or summer?

Fleece is pretty much synonymous with the winter time. Fleece is infinitely comfortable and relatively lightweight, so it's a great, warm fabric to use in casual, everyday coats and jackets so you can stay warm on the go.

Should a fleece be tight or loose?

The over-all fit of the fleece, depends on its intended us. If worn over other layers, the fleece should have enough room underneath, so not to restrict movement. A fleece used as a mid-layer, should be relatively snug fitted to maximise heat and breathability.

Is fleece warmer than wool?

Fleece Vs Wool: Key Traits Both are great insulators, but wool wins out on overall warmth. The moisture wicking ability also makes it win for a variety of temperatures.

What are the two types of fleece?

Types of FleeceCotton or cotton blended fleece. The most commonly used fleece for sweatpants and sweatshirts, fleeces made from cotton or cotton blends have a smooth outer surface and a plush inner nap.Polyester fleece. ... Lycra spandex fleece. ... Microfleece. ... Polar fleece. ... French terry fleece. ... Slub fleece. ... Sherpa fleece.

Which is better polyester or fleece?

Cotton fleece and polyester fleece differ in warmth, breathability, durability, and comfort. Generally, polyester and poly-blend fleeces will be warmer more durable, and better at wicking moisture but cotton fleece is more breathable while cotton itself is generally considered comfortable.

What is better cotton or fleece?

Cotton doesn't make a great insulator. It is too breathable and doesn't do a good job of trapping body heat. The clear winner for insulation is fleece. It has all the great insulating qualities, whereas cotton lacks them.

Where is the Patagonia certificate ID?

The tag may be located in the inside back collar, the inside side seam of the garment, or along a sleeve.

Why is there an R on my Patagonia?

(The R stands for “regulator,” as in the ability to manage body temperature.) In the 20-plus years since, the brand has expanded on the Regulator concept with hybrids and higher-loft spinoffs. Dozens of other brands have launched their own grid fleeces.

How can you tell if a sweater is fleece?

On the outside, sweatshirt fleece looks like any other knit—it's flat and maybe noticeably thicker than jersey. On the inside, it's fuzzy.

How can you tell if a Northface fleece is real?

Authentic The North Face jackets have a red tag that displays the product code, product style, barcode, price, and place of manufacture. The style printed on the tag should match the actual style of the jacket. Being familiar with the product styles/names should help you in this department.

Why Is Patagonia So Expensive? Are Their Jackets Worth It? | Casual ...

Technologies. Fabrics alone are quite lacking when it comes to weather resistance, as such, specialized fabrics that are able to remain dry, windproof and breathable are a necessity for outdoor adventurers. Aside from its affiliation with the Bluesign® technologies since 2000, Patagonia has also made great strides in developing DWR products that are PFC-free and have the least environmental ...

When was Patagonia's Snap T fleece first introduced?

Given how ubiquitous Patagonia's Synchilla Snap-T Fleece Pullover is, it's easy to forget that when the company first introduced it in 1985, it was revolutionary. Far harder to imagine that, in all the years since, one of its few features is still mostly unknown.

What is a Synchilla pullover?

The Synchilla Snap-T Fleece Pullover is one of Patagonia's most iconic products, and it has a little-known quirk. By Tanner Bowden.

Where did Synchilla originate?

Synchilla's origin lies in Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard's search for an alternative to the wool sweaters that mountain climbers typically wore. As the story goes, he pulled inspiration from the synthetic sweaters North Atlantic fishermen favored, but it was his wife, Malinda, who found something similar at a store in LA's garment district — ...

Is fleece a square one?

Perhaps not very, unless you design functional outdoor clothing for a living. Early fleeces had a square one, which bothered Bob Kettenhofen, a designer who put together Patagonia's first sailing collection.

Does Patagonia have a fleece pullover?

Yet Patagonia's first fleece prototype didn't have one at all.

What is fleece used for?

Now, first things first: A fleece is mostly used for either of these two reasons: 1 Casual everyday wear, 2 A mid-layer (or in some cases, outer-layer) to fine tune the warmth - breathability balance during outdoor adventures.

What fleece comes with DWR coating?

When choosing best Patagonia fleece for you, make sure you keep in mind that only the R2 Techface Hoody in this review come with DWR coating.

Is fleece one fit all?

Some fleeces lean toward the former and some to the latter. This is why it's impossible to give one-fleece-fits-all. Rather, it makes more sense to lay out best picks for each type of uses (which you'll see in the chart below).

What is a retro x fleece jacket?

Based on the original 1970s fleece jacket, the retro-x model is made in a thick-pile bonded sherpa fleece. It’s warm and windproof, so perfect for the cool and blustery weather. It’s not the cheapest on the list, but it will last you decades; vintage versions of this fleece jacket sell for hundreds of dollars. In terms of jazzy features, there’s a centre-front zipper with a wind flap, zippered handwarmer pockets and y-joint sleeves for ease of movement. It’s available in a variety of different colours, including the iconic pelican cream with a colour block pocket. From $199.

Is Patagonia a good brand?

There are hundreds of brands to choose from, but Patagonia still sets the benchmark for quality and design. The brand boasts serious eco-credentials too. In 2019, it was named a UN Champion of the Earth, owing to its green initiatives such as a self-imposed ‘earth tax’ and commitment to using recycled materials. With over two dozen fleece jackets to choose from, we’ve selected six of the best men’s and women’s Patagonia fleece jackets based on design, comfort and value for money.

Which Patagonia fleece jacket is the lightest?

The Regulator collection of Patagonia fleece jackets is your best bet. The numbers work just like Patagonia Capilene: R1 is the lightest, R4 is heaviest, so you can dial in just the right amount of heat retention for your activity and conditions. Patagonia R1 pullover (men’s)

What is a Patagonia R1 jacket?

Patagonia R1 jackets are made from a Polartec Power Dry fabric exclusive to Patagonia; this is a gridded fleece that’s incredibly efficient at trapping heat while still being lightweight and breathable. My R1 is my go-to fleece jacket for use as a mid-layer when hiking in cold conditions. Also available as a Patagonia R1 vest, Patagonia R1 hoody and Patagonia R1 full-zip jacket. Click here to browse the full Patagonia R1 fleece jacket collection, which features a slim fit.

What is a Patagonia R2?

The Patagonia R2 is the ultimate combination of form and function — stretchy, high-loft fleece traps heat where you need it, and stretchy side panels allow moisture to vent while you’re working hard in the backcountry . This is superior, lightweight warmth when worn under a shell jacket or down outerwear.

What is the best fleece insulation for mountaineering?

Are you in search of fleece insulation for active use climbing or backpacking or mountaineering, the kind that will fit comfortably beneath an alpine shell jacket and retain maximum warmth for minimum weight? The Regulator collection of Patagonia fleece jackets is your best bet. The numbers work just like Patagonia Capilene: R1 is the lightest, R4 is heaviest, so you can dial in just the right amount of heat retention for your activity and conditions.

What is a Patagonia Los Gatos Vest?

The Patagonia Los Gatos Vest is the fleece for you. Formerly called the Los Lobos, this was one of our best-selling Patagonia jackets year after year. It looks fantastic, layers well with your favorite long-sleeve shirts, and comes in a jacket version as well (link above) if you’re just not the vest kind of girl.

Is Patagonia Synchilla fleece recycled?

It’s simple, breathable, durable, comes in plenty of fun colors, and the polyester fleece is 86% recycled.

Is Patagonia fleece breathable?

These Patagonia fleece jackets are warm, breathable, and most feature a regular fit for wearing casually or underneath your favorite shell jacket. Patagonia features many recycled fabrics in their fleece jackets, and all are recyclable through the “common threads” program… but it’ll probably be decades before you can successfully wear any of these styles out!

How many pieces of clothing were used in the Patagonia experiment?

The experiment involved five pieces of apparel: three Patagonia fleece jackets, each with slightly different construction, as well as a nylon shell jacket that contains polyester insulation, plus a fifth specimen—a “budget” fleece jacket made by an undisclosed brand. Replicates of each jacket were washed multiple times, both in front-loading and top-loading washing machines. The effluent from each cycle was collected and put through a two-step filtration system that captured fibers with both a 333- and 20-micrometer mesh screen.

How many synthetic fibers are shed in a fleece jacket?

During laundering, a single fleece jacket sheds as many as 250,000 synthetic fibers—significantly more than the 1,900 fibers Browne first recorded. Based on an estimate of consumers across the world laundering 100,000 Patagonia jackets each year, the amount of fibers being released into public waterways is equivalent to the amount of plastic in up to 11,900 grocery bags.

How much fiber is lost from a fleece jacket?

After a 2013 European Commission–funded research program called Mermaids found that surfactants in detergents lead to much higher fiber loss—on the order of 1 million fibers shed from a single fleece jacket—textile specialists in Spain and Italy were tasked with developing a special coating or impregnation that would be applied to the fabric during manufacture and, in theory, reduce the amount of fiber loss. More details on the program are expected in December, but researchers say the coatings being tested and developed are environmentally benign.

What is the story of fleece?

The story of fleece actually begins with Yvon Chouinard’s favorite wool sweater. This warm, durable layer served as the preferred choice of insulation, but it became heavy when wet, was slow to dry and difficult to clean. So he started looking around for a miracle fabric—a synthetic solution with the same warmth and strength of wool fibers, but lighter and with faster drying properties.

What was the first fleece sweater?

Standing over the shoulder of Val Franco—then seamstress and now manager of The Archives, plus keeper of Patagonia history—Yvon shared the design in his head for what would become the very first prototype of a fleece sweater. It was best described as “heather blue,” with a simple zipper front, no pockets and an outer fabric that started to pill after its first wash. But it seemed capable of being everything wool could be, and more. It weighed far less, held less than 1 percent of its weight in water, was machine washable and dried quickly, both on the line and in the field. Patagonia then partnered with Massachusetts-​based fabric maker Malden Mills, now Polartec, to create the first light, strong pile fabric out of polyester, which we then used to make the very first fleece sweaters. Soon after, the world fell in love with fleece.

What was the fabric that Yvon discovered?

In the early ’70s, Yvon discovered an acrylic pile fabric at a textile dealer’s store in Canada that looked bad and smelled bad but was water-phobic and therefore had promise. Inspired by this find, Malinda Chouinard went to the fashion district in Los Angeles on a hunt for a roll of similar fabric. What she returned with was made of polyester and intended for toilet seat covers, but she saw the potential for a sweater. The bolt sat dormant, along with other samples that had been collected, until one day Yvon rediscovered it and took it to the sewing room.

What is fleecelab?

To feed this need, in early 2018, the product team launched fleecelab, an incubator program for the design and material teams to explore new concepts and continue researching how to lessen the impact of fleece. Through collaboration and experimentation, they release limited-edition collections of new styles that incorporate blends of recycled synthetic and natural materials, including recycled wool. For our material developers, that means going to the mills, presenting problems, asking them to dream up solutions and bringing back an array of concepts for potential new fabric constructions. The designer decides on the ultimate material mix, and then the mills build the fabric. The result is a selection of garments cut from custom-made fabrics and fibers, released outside of our regular seasonal timelines.

Is there a shortage of ideas at Patagonia?

There’s never a shortage of ideas at Patagonia. Tinkering is encouraged, to seemingly no end. “That’s what we do as a brand—we challenge the status quo. Even our own,” says Nicholas Hartley, one of our material developers. “Is it uncomfortable? Yes, it’s sometimes a nightmare, but it’s what we need to do. And so we have to keep evolving and changing. It’s just who we are.”