Fleece
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A knit fabric with a smooth outer face and a brushed, napped inner surface that traps air for warmth — the fabric of hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts and sweatpants. It comes in three broad grades: open-loop French terry with no brushing, standard brushed fleece, and heavy polar fleece knit from polyester. The nap is the decorating consideration: it is soft and uneven, so prints need a heavier ink deposit than on jersey, and embroidery usually wants a topping to stop stitches sinking in. Fleece weight is quoted in ounces like any other fabric, and 8-10 oz is the usual sweatshirt range.
Brushing is the whole trick
Fleece starts as a knit — usually a loopback, where extra yarn is carried on the inside face as loops. Brushing drags those loops open into a soft nap, and the nap traps air. Trapped air is what makes fleece warm, not the fabric itself.
That is why fleece is warm for its weight, and why a flattened or matted fleece stops being warm: the loft has gone.
It also explains the hand. The outer face stays smooth because it was never brushed; the inner face is the one that feels soft.
The three grades you will actually meet
French terry is the loopback knit with no brushing, or very little. The loops are visible on the inside. It is the lightest, most breathable and the best of the three for printing, because the outer face is smooth and stable.
Standard brushed fleece — what a hoodie or crew sweatshirt is normally made of — is the same construction with the loops brushed open. Warmer, softer, heavier.
Polar fleece is a different animal: knitted from polyester and brushed on both faces, with no smooth side. Warmest by a distance, and the hardest to decorate.
Which to buy
For a printed hoodie that has to look sharp, French terry or a lighter brushed fleece. The smoother the outer face, the better the print.
For warmth in a garment nobody is printing a fine logo on, polar fleece.
For the usual middle case — a sweatshirt with a bold print that has to feel like a sweatshirt — standard brushed fleece, which is what most blanks in the category are.
Watch the composition. Fleece is sold in cotton-rich, 50/50 and all-polyester versions, and they behave differently at the press and in the wash.
Common questions
- What is fleece fabric?
- A knit fabric whose inner face has been brushed into a soft nap that traps air. The trapped air is what makes it warm. It is the fabric of hoodies, crew sweatshirts and sweatpants.
- Is fleece warm?
- Very, for its weight, because the brushed nap traps air. That also means a fleece that has been flattened or matted loses much of its warmth — the loft is doing the work.
- What is the difference between French terry and fleece?
- The brushing. French terry is a loopback knit left largely unbrushed, so the loops show on the inside and the fabric is lighter and more breathable. Brushed fleece is the same construction with the loops opened into a nap.
- Is fleece good for printing?
- French terry and lighter brushed fleece print well, because the outer face is smooth. Polar fleece is brushed on both sides and is much harder to print cleanly.
Where this comes up
See also
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