Custom Fleece Jackets

The word fleece covers fabrics that behave very differently under a needle. Before choosing a jacket, it helps to know which kind you are looking at, because the right logo for one can look muddy on another. The good news is that every one of them takes embroidery well when the setup matches the fabric.

Classic brushed fleece has a raised, fuzzy pile on the outside. Thread wants to sink into that pile, so the embroidery is built up with an underlay that flattens a bed for the stitches to sit on.

Sweater-knit fleece looks like a heathered wool sweater on the outside and feels soft and brushed inside. Its smooth knit face takes lettering more cleanly than a fuzzy pile does, which makes it the better pick when your logo includes a tagline or a small town name under the icon.

Soft shell is not fleece at all on the outside. It is a smooth stretch face with a thin fleece lining bonded behind it. That stretch means the logo needs a firm backing behind it so the fabric does not shift and ripple as the machine works.

Across all three, simple shapes win. A bold icon with one or two words reads on any of them. Thin script, outlined letters and long phrases are where fleece embroidery struggles, and we will tell you on the proof if a detail is going to fill in.

Our fleece jackets with company logo come from Columbia, Eddie Bauer, Carhartt and The North Face, plus a value full-zip and a sweater-knit fleece for bigger runs. We buy them through authorized apparel distributors, so every jacket is a genuine garment from its maker.

Each maker keeps its own small logo on the jacket, and we leave it alone. Yours sits in the space the maker kept clear, the left chest on every style we carry, and most also accept a second mark on a sleeve or across the upper back.

Carhartt and The North Face fleece is only sold decorated, so every one of those jackets leaves with your logo on it. On large orders, either brand may also want to approve your logo first. That approval runs through the distributor and can add time before production, so plan the bigger orders early.

Choosing between makers is mostly about the look your team wants. Carhartt reads as a work brand, The North Face and Columbia read as outdoor gear, and Eddie Bauer sits somewhere between the trail and the office. Colors change with the season, so check what shows live in the studio before you settle on one.

Field crew in one maker and the office in another is a smart split, and the same logo file works across both. Each style and color is its own run of 24, with any mix of sizes inside it.

Custom jackets with your logo are a seasonal buy. Guide companies want them before the fall shoulder season, ski shops before opening day, schools before the first cold recess and offices before the holiday gift list closes. Standard turnaround is about 14 days from proof approval, and the weeks before that disappear while sizes get collected.

Fit depends on what goes underneath. A fleece worn over a tee wants its usual size, while one that has to fit over a hoodie or under a parka may need a size up. Hand out a short sizing form, and if a few people stay quiet, order an extra medium and large rather than guessing at everyone else.

Fleece wears in predictable places. Pilling starts at the cuffs, the hips and wherever a pack strap rubs. Washing fleece with towels loads it with lint, and a hot dryer melts the tips of the fibers so the pile goes flat and shiny. Cold water, inside out and a low tumble or a hang dry keep it soft much longer.

Zippers take a beating on jackets that get pulled on and off all day. Closing the zipper before washing protects the teeth and the fabric around them. The embroidery itself is rarely the first thing to go, and well backed stitching usually looks good long after the fleece around it has started to pill.

For a team that works outdoors, plan a second round each fall for new hires. New staff need jackets, and the original crew wears theirs out. Save the approved proof, and the reorder starts from the same art with no new setup questions.