Men's French Terry Sweatshirt

French terry is a knit whose inside face is covered in small standing loops that nobody has cut. That is the whole definition, and because it names a fabric rather than a shape, french terry arrives as a crewneck, a hoodie or a zip-up. Held beside brushed fleece of the same weight, the difference is visible from a foot away.

Skipping the brushing stage changes four things at once. The cloth weighs less for the warmth it gives, usually landing between 240 and 320 gsm where brushed fleece starts higher. It dries in two or three hours instead of most of a day, since no dense pile is holding water. Almost no lint comes off it in the wash. Above all it barely pills, because brushing is what cuts fibers short and short fibers are what work loose and roll into balls. Exposed loops do have one weakness: a hook and loop strap or a rough watch clasp can drag a single loop into a run.

Brushed fleece at the same weight feels warmer and softer the day you buy it and looks worse a year later. This is the trade at the heart of this whole category. At the far end of that scale sits the Heavyweight Fleece Hoodie. Set against a Long Sleeve Tee from Men's Polos & T-Shirts, terry gives you real structure and roughly twice the warmth while still fitting inside a jacket sleeve.

Mild climates, shoulder seasons and anyone who wears the same sweatshirt several times a week should start here, since it survives frequent washing better than anything else on this page. From about 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit it works alone, and below 45 it needs help. Warm offices and hot sleepers do well in it. If what you want is the sensation of stepping into something soft, brushed fleece delivers that and this does not.

Turn it inside out and look for even, upright loops with no flattened patches, since crushed areas were abraded before you ever bought it. Rub the inside face against itself for ten seconds and watch for fuzz, as early fuzz means short fibers and short fibers mean pills. Long-staple or combed cotton on the label is worth paying for here in particular. Protect the loops by washing cold with the garment inside out, and keep softener away, since it fills the spaces between them and cancels the airflow you chose the fabric for.