POSITIVELY PRIMAL

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 13, 2006 by DEB ACORD

When textile giant Malden Mills invented fleece in 1981, people were skeptical.

After all, wasn't fleece really just a different name for polyester, that cheesy man-made fabric forever linked with one of the biggest fashion disasters in recent history, the leisure suit?

Despite that public perception, the company knew it had something, says Malden Mills spokesman Greg Williams. So did the rest of the world. Time magazine named fleece one of the great inventions of the 20th century, and anyone who had ever suffered through a day of outdoor activities in a scratchy wool sweater rejoiced at the warm, comfortable alternative.

Since that time, fleece has evolved into a fabric so technical the Polartec Web site addresses the question, "When does fabric stop being fabric and start being equipment?"

Engineers and designers at the company that continues to dominate the fleece world have spent the last 25 years figuring out ways to reinvent the fabric that starts out as oil and is a close relative to plastic.

"We've come a long way," Williams says. "Fleece is such a versatile fabric in terms of breathability, weather protection, wicking."

Today, Polartec's 250 types of fleece repel water, resist odor, flames and wind, and protect the wearer from the sun.

But don't think that's all there is. Fleece has gone positively primal.

The evidence is all around us, in hairy, furry, fuzzy forms that make last season's varieties look old-fashioned and boring.

And the newest incarnations of this cold-weather staple aren't just fun to touch or look at. Buried in the furry exteriors are technological innovations that make the newest fleece warmer and more wind- and water-resistant.

Mountain Hardwear, a leader in the outdoor gear industry, has a long relationship with fleece.

"One of the first 19 items we introduced when the company started was our Chill Factor fleece jacket," says Mountain Hardwear spokeswoman Paige Boucher.

"We've believed it in since then, when it was actually kind of an upholstery fabric." The California-based company likes fleece, Boucher says, "because it has good qualities. It is lightweight and easy to take care of, unlike wool, which you have to wash carefully so it doesn't shrink."

"It dries really quickly, and you can use it in a variety of ways."

This year, Mountain Hardwear used Polartec fleece called Monkey Phur, a soft curly fur-like fabric that looks better suited to cover your child's stuffed animals than your torso.

That fabric, and another new fleece that will be used in Mountain Hardwear's 2006 collection, use a technology Williams calls "biomimicry."

"This fleece imitates animal fur with longer, thicker 'guard hairs' to create and maintain loft, with a dense 'under fur' of microfibers to trap warm air and provide a little wind resistance."

Williams says Polartec's customers, which include LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, REI, and hundreds of other companies along with Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia, are also looking to the future, asking for recycled and renewable-based fibers and fabrics.

Patagonia was the first company to use recycled fleece in its clothing, introducing it in 1993.

In the first six years, Patagonia diverted 40 million plastic soda bottles from landfills; for every 3,700 of them, the company manufactured 150 of its classic Snap-T fleece shirts.

That's not all Patagonia has done with fleece, however. "Innovation has brought us an entire collection of fleece offerings," says spokeswoman Coley Malloy.

"We offer everything from a basic after-surf fleece hoody to a technical fleece jacket that uses varying fleece densities made for alpine pursuits, and we now have over 70 pieces in our line that would fall into a fleece category."

Innovation is also the key at Malden Mills, says Williams.

Wool-blend Polartec fabrics called Power Dry combine the warmth of wool with the performance of fleece. Some new fabrics act like fleece (warm, lightweight, machine-washable and quick-drying) but look different (think corduroy and cable knit).

Garments can be "body mapped," with higher loft sections and lower loft sections of fabric strategically placed to vent heat, reduce bulk and improve range of motion. And a new technology that Polartec calls Hardface increases water repellency and abrasion resistance.

What does the future hold for fleece fans? "Everything will be lighter and more thermal," Williams says.

"And there will be some crazy things, too. How about integrating a solar panel in your fleece to power your iPod?"

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0264 or deb.acord@gazette.com

NEW MATERIALS FLOW FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES

Patagonia was the first outdoor manufacturer to use recycled fleece, introducing it in 1993.

From spring 1994 to fall 2005, the company diverted more than 98 million plastic soda bottles from landfills; 3,700 2-liter bottles can make 150 Synchilla garments.

For every 3,700 bottles that are recycled, a barrel of oil is saved and a half ton of toxic air emissions avoided.

The company offered more than 30 items made from PCR (post- consumer recycled) materials last fall.