The zip fleece has a branding problem and most of the market made it worse. For a long time the category was dominated by logo-heavy outdoor gear that looked fine on a mountain and awkward everywhere else, or worse, the kind of corporate fleece that ends up in a welcome pack at a conference. Neither is what we’re after here. What we want is a zip fleece that fits properly through the chest and shoulders, comes in colors that work with the rest of a wardrobe, and doesn’t announce itself. Worn over a crew neck or under a heavier jacket, a good one is one of the more useful pieces you can own from October through to April. We’ve been looking specifically at options where the fabric has some weight to it, the zipper hardware doesn’t feel cheap, and the overall silhouette stays clean without being structured. Fleece done well is genuinely effortless. These are the ones that prove it.