Whenever my father used to wear his tatty, vomit-green colored Berghaus fleece around the house when I was younger, I would recoil in disgust. A fleece? That must be the lamest garment of clothing ever produced, I thought to myself. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and I own more fleeces than I can shake a stick at. Go figure.
A brand that has been producing stellar fleeces since its inception in 2011 is US-based, Japanese-inspired label, Battenwear. Founded in 2011 by designer Shinya Hasegawa – who previously worked on the Woolrich Woolen Mills collection – Battenwear is a brand designed for the adventurer; a demographic in need of well-made, durable goods capable of handling the great outdoors, while looking unassumingly stylish, of course.
Fitting that bill is Battenwear’s Warm-up Fleece, a robust mid- and/or outer-layer that has been a hit for the brand in recent years. This year, its made from Polartec® Classic 200, a fabric the brand uses in abundance for its ‘Lodge’ collection. Made in the USA, Battenwear’s Warm-up Fleece features ribbed cuffs and wrists, a two-way zipper, and zip hand warmer pockets. It also comes in an array of neutral colors, so it’s impossible to get wrong and possible to pair with anything.
Available for $275 from Battenwear
