An Homage to Fleece (and Snuggies . . . kinda)

The New York Times Magazine had an interesting little piece about the history, development, and use of polar fleece.  It is worth the read simply as a brief history of a relevant, if often overlooked, product.  Who would have thought that something as simple as plastic fibers could be so useful as a means of staying warm (and enjoying the pleasures of something fuzzy)?

I like fleece.  I won’t say I love it, but I do enjoy it’s ability to keep me warm. Over the years I have owned my fair share of fleece products; jackets, hats, socks, blankets, etc.  it is , unquestionably, successful at its intended purpose (in the case of blankets it can be almost too successful, easily making you way warmer than you initially desired).  Its availability and relative inexpensiveness, along with its general durability, make it a very worthwhile product (though I have heard rumors that it might be a little too durable and could theoretically be around for a long while).

Personally, in my present life, I really enjoy two types of fleece products.  First is the pair of fleece socks (which I refer to as my “airplane” socks because of the jets on their bottoms).  Fleece socks are awesome.  They are exceptionally warm and perfect in the winter months.  Second are various fleece blankets.  I really enjoy them, again because of their warmth, but also because they are kind of lighter (like physically light) and smaller than other blankets and thus easier to move about.

In regards to enjoying fleece blankets, I have a particular fondness for the fleece Snuggie that was given to my by my step-daughter (before she was my step-daughter) a few years back.  Snuggies are really great things and work about as exactly as I would assume they are supposed to.  Though, honestly, if I needed to improve upon the Snuggie in any way, it would be to just make it into a real long fleece poncho so that you are constantly wrapped in warm fleecy delight (just sayin’).

Any, here some sharing for you this Monday.  Must be the rainy weather . . . making me want to put on my airplane socks and wrap up in my Snuggie.  

As a note, I can’t decide whether or not I like the name “synchilla” mentioned in the NYTimes article.  On one hand I give it cred for the general cleverness, however, when I see the word, for some reason my mind asks “which STD is that again?”  which is, from a marketing perspective, never the thought you want your customers to be having.  Maybe that is why we don’t refer to it as synchilla anymore.

~ by Nathaniel on November 28, 2011.