Red Fleece Top – Buttons

I have several fleece tops of this style, in varying colours and patterns, admittedly the fleece tops I had seen in sports shops left a lot to be desired in my opinion, which is probably the reason I had not paid attention previously, as for style well that was not hitting the mark. The fleece tops I had noticed also appeared to be quite chunky in appearance making me think of teddy bears and the additional pounds it would add to my appearance, so I wasn’t really impressed.  To be honest I kind of turned my nose up to fleece, that is until I made myself a top in fleece and wore it, again and again!  I was quite surprised as to its versatility all a very humbling experience.

This is what I like about wearing a fleece top, they are warm, comfortable, the style of collar on my design keeps your neck warm so no need for a scarf.  They make you look so very chic when taking the dog for a walk, going to the gym on freezing mornings, great for travel, going for walks to get your steps in, and driving if you don't want to wear a jumper.  I sometimes wear them with a gilet or a lightweight jacket.

It would appear I was not the only person who thought fleece tops were not on the list of comfortable and fun at the same time; I had women stopping me and asking where I purchased my top, or I would go into shops and be quizzed they said they liked the fit and collar detail, I also received two orders from women who asked for my business card. As I researched the benefits of fleece fabric further it opened up a whole new world to me in terms of design, style and practicality.

Key elements for fleece fabric I found were as follows:-

• It’s versatile
• Wicks away water from the body when you sweat
• Water and wind resistant – thus keeping you warm
• Lightweight and warm
• Best not to use fabric softener as it will reduce its water repellent ability
• When washing turn inside out helps to reduce pilling

Not bad for a fabric I had not worked with before, and have grown to love because of its practicality.

Buttons is her name one of her style features, speaking of which the back of the top is purposely wider than the front, I found this allows more room for your derriere, the hemline edges are bound curved shaped a functional design detail for movement. The stylised shaped high neck collar keeps you warm around the neck, raglan sleeves allows comfortable movement with this type of fleece fabric.

Size: 12/14