Sherpa Fleece
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A knitted pile fabric with a deep, curly, high-loft face made to imitate shearling, normally in polyester and normally used as a lining rather than as an outer fabric. It is not a kind of fleece in the sweatshirt sense and it is not wool, despite both associations the name invites — the name refers to the look of the mountaineers' shearling-lined jackets it copies.
It imitates shearling, and it is usually polyester
Sherpa is a pile knit whose face is finished into a deep, curly nap that looks like the wool side of a shearling skin. The reference is to the shearling-lined jackets associated with Himalayan mountaineering, not to any material used by Sherpa people.
Almost all of it is polyester. There is wool sherpa, and it is rare and expensive, so assume polyester unless a spec sheet says otherwise.
It is a different fabric from the brushed fleece a sweatshirt is made of. Sweatshirt fleece is a brushed loopback knit with a smooth outer face; sherpa is pile all the way and has no smooth side.
Why it turns up as a lining
The deep pile traps a lot of air, which makes it very warm, but it also makes it bulky and prone to matting and shedding at the surface. As an outer fabric it looks tired quickly.
So it is used where the pile is protected: inside a hoodie, a vest, a flannel shirt jacket or a blanket-lined coat. The shell takes the wear and the sherpa does the insulating.
Where it does appear on the outside, it is a deliberate fashion choice and the garment is understood to be a seasonal piece rather than a workhorse.
You cannot print on it
A screen print needs a flat, stable surface. Sherpa is deep pile, so ink sits on the tips of the fibres, cracks as they move, and disappears into the nap.
Embroidery is the usual answer, and it needs backing to stop the stitches sinking. Even then, fine detail is lost in the pile.
On a sherpa-lined garment, decorate the shell. That is what the shell is there for.
Common questions
- What is sherpa fleece?
- A knitted pile fabric with a deep, curly face made to imitate the wool side of shearling. It is almost always polyester and is normally used as a lining rather than as an outer fabric.
- Is sherpa fleece wool?
- Usually not. Most sherpa is polyester. Wool sherpa exists but is uncommon and expensive, so assume polyester unless the spec sheet says otherwise.
- Is sherpa the same as fleece?
- No. Sweatshirt fleece is a brushed loopback knit with a smooth outer face. Sherpa is pile on the face with no smooth side, and it is warmer, bulkier and much harder to decorate.
- Can you print on sherpa?
- Not usefully. Ink sits on the tips of the pile and cracks or disappears into it. Embroidery with backing works, though fine detail is lost. On a sherpa-lined garment, decorate the shell instead.
See also
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