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Fleece jackets are made from synthetic fabric and today are available from many high street retailers and online stockists. Fleece jackets are the clothing item of choice for many hikers and backpackers as they are warm and lightweight.
History
Synthetic fabrics have been around since the early 19th century when English
and German scientists developed a method for extruding liquid from certain
chemicals, and then pushing them through metal spinets which had fine holes
in them. In the 1880s a Frenchman called Count Hilaire de Chardonnet
invented artificial silk by treating wood cellulose with nitric acid and
extruding it though a nozzle. In the 1920s US scientists at the Du
Port laboratories developed nylon, and then in the 1940s British scientists
extended the research that had been carried out by the Du Port laboratories
to make Polyester. Polyester can otherwise be known as PET and is
created by combining terephthalic
acid with ethylene glycol at extremely high temperatures and then forcing
the thick syrup through a spinet to make thin fibres.
It was not until the 1980s that a textile mill in Malden Mills, Massachusetts developed polyester fleece. Prior to this development Malden Mills had produced fake fur garments until they faced bankruptcy in the 1970s, then through research and experimentation they were able to create polyester fleece. Malden Mills patented polyester fleece and began producing it under its trademark name polar fleece or polartec. A majority of fleece products that are available today comprise of Malden’s polar fleece.
During the first few years after fleece had been created it was only available in three different grades of thickness, 100, 200 and 300 with the underlying principle being that the thicker the fleece the more insulation and warmth it provides. In today’s market Malden Mills continues to develop and improve the functionality of fleece jackets and have created hundreds of different types of jackets which include:
The many different types of fleece mean that there is a fleece jacket that can be worn for any occasion, and by men women and children. Fleece materials are also used a lining for sweatshirts which has moved them into the mainstream fashion market.
© Fleeces.org 2009
