Polar fleece

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Polar fleece, more often called just fleece, is a soft napped insulating synthetic wool fabric made from PET or other synthetic fibers. One of the first forms was Polar Fleece created in 1979 by Malden Mills, a new, light and strong pile fabric meant to mimic and in some ways surpass wool. Fleece has some of wool's finest qualities but weighs a fraction of the lightest available woolens.

Fleece is primarily used in casual jackets, hats, sweaters, jogging bottoms/sweatpants, gym clothes, hoodies, and inexpensive throw blankets. Fleece is a vegan alternative to wool that can be made entirely from recycled plastic bottles and is very light, soft and easy to wash.[1]

Contents

[edit] Manufacturers

As of 1998, the following companies manufactured fleece in America: Malden Mills, Dyersburg Corporation (leader in fleece manufacture today), Menra Mills, Huntingdon Mills, Siltex Mills and Glenoit Mills.

Fleece garments traditionally come in different thickness: micro, 100, 200, and 300, with 300 being the thickest and least flexible.

[edit] Advantages and Disadvantages

[edit] Advantages

Advantages of fleece are that it is:

  • Soft, very comfortable to wear and are extremely warm even with a relatively thin layer of material.
  • Has a rich texture and an attractive appearance.
  • It is seen by some as being environmentally friendly as it can be made from old plastic PET bottles.
  • Easy to care, as it needs just a cool wash (30-40°C), line-dries quickly (certainly compared to wool), minimum or even no iron required.
  • It is a good alternative for those who are allergic or sensitive to wool.

[edit] Disadvantages

Disadvantages of fleece are:

  • Can be damaged by high-temperature washing (30 to 40°C is recommended), tumble drying and ironing (only a cool iron).
  • The fabric doesn't absorb moisture as well as natural fiber fabrics such as cotton and wool [2][3][4]. This can lead to a sweaty feeling in some circumstances.
  • It tends to generate very high static electricity charges.
  • Not windproof

[edit] References

  1. ^ Polar Fleece history and the history of pile fabrics
  2. ^ Columbia Layering Guide for Warmth and Comfort by Frank Ross
  3. ^ Choosing and Using a Quarter Sheet
  4. ^ Moisture Buffering

[edit] External links

de:Fleece (Stoff) ja:フリース nl:Fleece ru:Флис sv:Fleece

Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/Polar_fleece"
Views
Personal tools

Toolbox