Soon after its 1981 debut, fleece turned up in every ski town and campground in the country. And why not? The polyester fabric—soft, insulating, lightweight, quick-drying—was a revelation to the wool-and-flannel-clad masses. But as it transformed the clothes racks of America—$14.99 at Old Navy!—fleece became more commodity than cutting-edge, and over the last few years its lingering aesthetic of cozy frumpiness was eclipsed by sleek soft shells. Fleece had become the Paris Hilton of fabrics: It was seen everywhere but going nowhere.

Until now. Recent advances by textile makers and apparel designers have put the material back at the forefront of performance and style. Exhibit A: Polartec's Hardface technology, which employs a surface polymer to create a fabric that combines the best aspects of soft shells (weather and abrasion resistance, trim look) with the benefits of traditional fleece, like a high warmth-to-weight ratio and good breathability. Other innovations include body-mapping construction that puts more fleece where you need it and less where you don't, knitting techniques that mimic styles like corduroy and herringbone, and mix-and-match combinations that pair the fuzz with other fabrics. Whether you covet a new ski top or a jacket for casual Fridays, you'll find your fleece on the following pages.