Best 2012 Women’s Fleece Jackets

Womens Solid Fleece Zip Jackets are integral to a proper fall wardrobe.

If there is anything I have learned from my years of observing women, its that they will often prefer to look stylish over being warm. My fiance avoids her winter coat at all costs and will often brave the elements rather than pull a sweater over her hair.

This is all well and good when dashing from the car to some indoor location, but gets a bit annoying when participating in fun outdoor fall activities, like pumpkin picking, going to watch a game at the rink or field or even just going for a walk to see the leaves change.

Ladies warm and comfortable is more desirable than half naked and shivering (usuallly) but fortunately, bulky winter coats are not necessary yet and adding a few solid fleece zip jackets to your wardrobe can really extend your style options for cool Autumn nights. I wear my fleeces year round and often just layer rather than wear bulky jackets myself.

Ive been looking through the solid fleece zip jackets this season as an early birthday gift. I usually select between Amazon and eBay, I tend to check eBay first as I often get real steals by being a smart bidder. But, as of late, the uncertainty of bidding has become a chore and I will often just opt to purchase my items from Amazon and make sure I pick something with free shipping.

Either way, I do much better than I would have with retail.

I narrowed down my search to four leading brands of womens zip fleece jackets and included my research here.

• Calvin Klein Womens Solid Fleece Zip Jackets
• Express Womens Solid Fleece Zip Jackets
• North Face Womens Solid Fleece Zip Jackets
• Columbia Womens Solid Fleece Zip Jackets

The first two choices were selected for great style and from brand loyalty, Columbia and North Face are just great for any all weather , all condition gear. I go with those brands when Im out camping or watching a game on a cool day outside.

Anytime I see a nice fleece and I ask, ‘where did you get that’ or “who makes that” invariably its a Calvin Klein fleece. The styles that Calvin Klein favors tend to be very slim and form fitting while still maintaining very warm functional clothing. they do this by using all sorts of crazy techno fabrics and hybrids. The better fleece jackets will have details you dont notice until putting them on. Its the little things like lined hand warmer pockets and zipper covers that really make the Calvin Klein brand worth their name and slightly higher expense.

Calvin Klein fleeces usually fall under performance wear and have some pretty futuristic materials that keep them warm, soft to the touch and even sometimes water resistant without becoming bulky.

Express falls under the same quality and style standards as Calvin Klein. The Express line does seem to be a bit more trendy often with more vibrant colors and experimental designs. Unlike The Calvin Klein Fleeces which tend to be more subdued and classic.

The Express Fleeces are hard to find online outside of eBay. If I had to say something bad about Express it would be in their retail pricing, they often offer coupons and deals and then only allow you to use them on the highest price merchandise, rarely resulting in a feeling of actually getting a deal. The fleeces from Express, especially the Womens solid fleece zip up jackets rarely last long enough to hit teh clearance and sales racks in retail. So express is one brand I always buy from eBay. I often get last seasons items for gifts, New with tags! for only 10-20 USD. Not sure how the sellers are profiting, but it works for me.

When Im going camping or doing something a bit more rugged and warmth is a much higher priority than style alone, I always turn to North face and Columbia. North face has always made great Bubble vests and Bubble jackets and their Fleece jackets follow the same standards. They really focus on durability and warmth without sacrificing style.

Often the zippers are larger, so one can easily grab them while wearing gloves. I know both brands very well from relying on them while snowboarding at the warmer beginning and end of season. There are always enough pockets, functional rugged zippers options for waterproof or resistant materials and just about anything I can think of that I would need out of something that isi ntended to keep me warm and comfortable.

With North face – I am partial to the classic all black designs,

.