Fashion Fleece Takes Centerstage

This fall, manufacturers have added slimmer fits, kiss zippers, distressed edging, lighter fabrics and full-zip styles to the once-basic hoodie recipe.
Aug 1, 2008

What comes to mind when you hear the word "fleece?" In today's fleecewear market, you should be picturing sleek, full-zip hoodies instead of bulky, oversized sweat shirts. The fashion-forward looks that infiltrated the T-shirt market a couple of years ago have overtaken the fleecewear niche. Now, manufacturers are producing fleece collections to target fashion-conscious consumers who not only want to stay warm, but look good doing so.

NEW ARRIVALS
Just in time for fall, manufacturers' new fleece styles incorporate the basic hoodie in a full-zip format. Ontario, Calif.-based Beimar Inc. added two styles for 2008: a full-zip version of its contrast-color hoodie, as well as a kids' contrast-color hoodie. Independent Trading Co., San Clemente, Calif., is debuting a quilted nylon-lined zip hoodie for both men and juniors, while Imprints Wholesale, Denver, is adding three full-zip fashion fleece styles this fall: a men's thermal knit fabric-lined hoodie with sherpa fabric on the inside; and men's and ladies' premium heavyweight fleece-lined hoodies with sherpa fabrics.

Some manufacturers are looking to stylistic features such as kiss zippers to give decorators a greater edge. (Editor's note: Kiss zippers on hoodies are designed so the fabric on each side meets so closely that it's easy to screen print right over the zipper.)

California Basics' new hooded kiss zipper is light in weight, more fashion basic, very soft and features an updated look, says Gene Samson, sales manager. "Hoodies with kiss zippers are the main business in fleece now," he adds. The Santa Fe Springs, Calif., company's lightweight fleece is perfect for mobility and layering "unless you are in Montana in January," he quips. Anaheim, Calif.-based Apparel Whiz is debuting a new full-zip fleece hoodie made of 80% cotton/20% polyester fleece. "This kiss zipper hoodie has a concealed zipper to allow for a continuous printing surface on the front, making it a hot commodity for printers and designers alike," says Fred Tahan, director of marketing and product development.

For 2009, Heritage Sportswear is picking up a few new microfleece styles. "Microfleece is less heavy than fleece, therefore, it extends the wearing season," says Cindy Sims, public relations and promotions manager of the Hebron, Ohio-based distributor. "In general, hooded full zips, although basic, continue to be popular. Kiss-close zipper [styles] are easy to decorate and a basic hooded sweat shirt can make a huge (yet comfortable) fashion statement."

Barry T. Chouinard, Northfield, Vt., is adding a twist to the typical full-zip fleece hoodie by distressing the edges for up-to-date styling. "Our current fleece styles are tried-and-true traditional styles that we've had for 10 to 11 years, and you know, styling does change," says Kevin Camisa, national sales manager. This new distressed fleece is an 80% cotton/20% cotton blend that is garment dyed with a silicone finish and enzyme washed for a soft hand. "We decided to go to The Gap and buy a really nice sweat shirt," he says. "This is what it looked like. So it's a retail trend. We are strong in the resortwear industry — that's where we concentrate — so that's the market we see it selling to."

ORGANIC DEBUTS
Having infiltrated the T-shirt and placket niches, organic styles are now showing up in the fleecewear market. Royal Apparel is debuting organic fleece this fall with a unisex full-zip pullover hoodie made of 100% organic cotton. "We wanted to extend our organic line and we got a lot of requests for it," says Morey Mayeri, president of the New York-based company. "We've produced it as private label [in the past], but now we're adding it to our stock line." Independent Trading Co. also carries organic fleece, which is certified by ECOCERT, according to Brett Runge, marketing director.

"Organic can be tricky," says Judy Wong, general manager of Beimar. "We find that there are many countries producing goods that they call organic, but it must be properly monitored from when the seeds are put into the ground to the finished product. I feel there must be a real commitment to Mother Earth to do it properly, not because it's trendy."

On the horizon, several companies are adding new fleece styles for the future, including Heritage Sportswear, Apparel Whiz and Imprints Wholesale. "For 2009, we'll carry Anvil sustainable fleece styles," says Larissa Carlson, marketing specialist for Imprints Wholesale. "Each style is made of 55% certified organic cotton and 45% post-consumer, recycled polyester-blended fleece." The new styles include a full-zip hooded pullover, a long-sleeve crew neck and a hooded fleece pullover. "With strong consumer interest in eco-friendly apparel, the fleece styles are a great addition to Anvil Sustainable products," she adds.

STAPLE STYLES
Despite the influx of new styles coming to the fleecewear market, old favorites — much like your worn, but comfy, college sweat shirt — will remain all-purpose staples. Hooded fleece pullovers remain popular, and sales in full-zip hooded styles are increasing, Carlson says. Royal Apparel's staples include a unisex crew neck sweat shirt, as well as a men's and ladies' hoodie, Mayeri says.

Beimar, which caters to the team sports and collegiate markets, touts its Adult Contrast Hood and Adult Basic Hood as its best sellers. These products are offered in 21 colors and the fabric is pre-washed for minimal shrinkage and a super-soft hand, Wong says.

Moving on to bottoms, Apparel Whiz points to its ladies' garment-washed fleece pant as its most consistent fleece item. "It's made from super-soft, ring-spun combed cotton/poly fleece, which makes it very comfortable," Tahan says. "Also, it has a low to mid waist, making it trendy with up-and-coming fashions."

COLOR COLLECTIONS
Today's most popular fleece colors run the gamut, depending on the manufacturer and the market. For Royal Apparel, black reigns No. 1, with heather gray trailing close behind. Due to its team sports niche, Beimar also regards black as a classic color choice: "Black/red and black/gold combos in any style always seems to be a favorite," says Wong. Heritage Sportswear has added a slew of new school and team colors dyed to Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) standards, including royal, gold, purple, dark green, maroon, cardinal and orange.

But for fashion fleece, today's hottest colors are anything but hot. "The best- selling men's fleece colors are brown, crimson, denim, sandstone, blue jean, pepper, hemp and grass," says Chouinard's Camisa. "It's mostly earth tones, except for the blues." Apparel Whiz has added navy and olive color offerings for its new hoodie, which debuts this fall. "Charcoal is our most popular color," Tahan says.

Imprints Wholesale's color palette is driven by resort business at retail, says Carlson. The company offers earth tones in brown, gray, moss green, charcoal and natural. "The drive for eco-friendly wear makes people think 'earthy' colors, and that's what we see them shopping for," says Heritage's Sims.

FLEECEWEAR FABRICS
At one point in the fleecewear market, fabric content, weight and wash type were irrelevant, as most fleece apparel had a similar makeup. But today's manufacturers have honed in on consumers' preferences to create a variety of fleece apparel. Royal Apparel carries a ladies' hoodie made of 80% cotton/20% polyester in a 7.5-ounce weight, while the men's versions are an 11-ounce heavyweight. "This blend makes the garment warmer than an all-cotton garment," Mayeri says. Beimar's line also is made of 80% cotton/20% polyester. "It's about quality," Wong says. "We buy our own yarns to ensure there is consistency in our garments."

All of Chouinard's fleece is heavyweight — 10 or 11 ounces — with a few exceptions. The company's new distressed zippered fleecewear is 80/20 cotton/poly. The men's crewneck is 95% cotton/5% polyester and other fleece styles for men are 100% cotton, according to Camisa. "As we revise these 10-year-old men's styles, we'll move to an 80/20 blend fabric," he adds. "The marketplace is more accepting of that blend. For us garment dyers, we can't have polyester on the face of the fabric because it doesn't dye. It has to be in the backing yarns. But as a backing yarn, it does give more stability in the fabric. With 20% polyester, we can produce a softer feel on the inside, which is what lays against your body."

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
How has the economy impacted fleece manufacturers? Some say business is still booming, while others have felt the effects of a challenged economy, but are learning to adapt. "We haven't felt it yet," says Royal's Mayeri.

The economy affects all business — the manufacturer, the wholesaler, the decorator and the end consumer, says Heritage's Sims. "The key is your ability to align to the unique challenges it presents — knowing your customers and their needs, searching for the best price and delivering a quality product in a timely manner."

Though the economy has not impacted Chouinard's overall growth, Camisa says consumers are migrating toward products with lower price points. "When corporations cut back on their buying, instead of buying $10 sweat shirts, they buy $1.50 T-shirts," he says. In the resortwear market, which is a large percentage of Chouinard's business, fewer people will travel to resort destinations, Camisa predicts. "The idea of the 'staycation' will affect us," he says. "If you're from New Hampshire, you may go to Maine for vacation. But you've been going to Maine all your life, and you're not going to drag home a Maine sweat shirt. The 'staycation' trend could affect a lot of people who go to the same destination every year. As the economy tightens and your plane ticket and hotel cost more, will you bring home another $40 sweat shirt or do you look at the last two you bought and see they're still in great shape? Chances are, you probably won't buy another sweat shirt."

For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Haley at hhobson@impressionsmag.com.

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