Fashionable Fleece?

I’ve never really understood why people are willing to pay such a premium for Arc’teryx gear. But when I saw this Arc’teryx Covert Zip fleece sweater on sale, I decided to buy it and try it out. The truth is, I needed a few more fashionable sweaters for work, but I hate wool sweaters because they’re too hard to clean and we have moths in the house. Since then, the Covert Zip has become my favorite sweater to wear for work, and I’ve had to buy still more sweaters, so people don’t remember how many times I wear it each week.

While this sweater is very comfortable for casual wear, it is simply too warm for outdoor hiking, even in winter when layered under a shell. My winter layering system is based on wearing several thin porous layers like a Patagonia R1 fleece and Capilene 1 jersey, and as long as I keep moving I stay warm, even in extremely cold conditions.

But for wearing around town, this fleece sweater is the bees knees, and I still get compliments about it. A size XL weighs 17.8 oz and retails for a whopping $150. But if you get a chance to find it on sale, buy it.

Disclosure: The author owns this product and purchased it using their own funds.