25 Years of Fleece

The industrial designer Dieter Rams has devoted a career to the creation of functional yet minimalist and beautiful designs. In his ten famous principles, Rams contends that good design: 1. Is innovative; 2. Makes a product useful; 3. Is aesthetic; 4. Makes a product understandable; 5. Is unobtrusive; 6. Is honest; 7. Is long-lasting; 8. Is thorough down to the last detail; 9. Is environmentally friendly; and 10. Involves as little design as possible.

Fleece took Japan by storm in 1998, most visibly in Harajuku. Side by side, our halfzip pullover from those days and our latest model, out this season, look essentially the same. The fact we haven’t seen the need to redo the design is clear proof that for the most part, it reached perfection twenty years ago. The microfleece is light, soft, and warm, while the piping provides added durability. The side pockets function as handwarmers, and the zipper can be adjusted depending on your choice of layers, working equally well with shirts and hoodies. The simplicity of the design accentuates its elegant functionality. No major changes, after all this time. We’re glad we’ve let this item be itself.

While these two garments seem to have no major differences, if you tried both of them on, you’d notice something right away. Our proprietary sponge fleece has evolved over the years, moving toward a softer, finer pile. The piping at the cuffs hugs the wrists, keeping out the chilly air and making the sleeves easy to roll up. The side pockets have been angled slightly downward towards the center, to let the hands slip easily inside. In the 1997 model, the pockets were lined with mesh, whereas the latest model uses a napped fabric. Warmth, plain and simple. A thin interfacing in the collar keeps it looking sharp. Look more closely, though, and you'll find all sorts of little things have changed. Areas prone to wear and tear have been chainstitched, for added strength. The seams of the lining have been tidied up, to keep them from feeling scratchy against your skin.A ball-shaped zipper pull has been added to the zipper, making it a breeze to open, even when wearing gloves.

Without making themselves known, these details tell the living history of the garment, all the little tweaks that bring it ever closer to the ultimate design, enhancing both its functionality and its beauty. Twenty five years after it first appeared, our standards continue to evolve.