A Tail Of Two Fleeces

Somewhere between fifteen and twenty years back I bought two North Face fleeces. Both are made of Polartec, one thicker and warmer than the other. I have worn these jackets every winter since I got them. They have been through the wash hundreds of times and as far as I can tell are still usable. The thinner one I wear on every walk when it's above 10 degrees C, the thicker when it's colder. The thinner one is getting a bit worn and the lining on one of the sleeves is coming loose. I have looked at getting new fleeces over the years but could never take my hand off my heart and splurge when I have two perfectly decent, broken in versions.

It was with great joy and happiness that my lovely daughter (bdo) stopped over in London on her way back to Israel from Houston. She had been vacationing with her US family among the gaggle of girl Ostrins. She had a great time (Thanks family, you are definitely keepers). Quite unexpectedly she presented me with a gift - a brand spanking new North Face fleece. Softer than the old ones, even more space-age Polartec "wind pro" material. It quickly moved into first place among my fleeces. Black. Of course.