We love fleece – it’s warm, breathable, and lightweight, making it a great fabric for jackets, sweaters, and hoodies. Problem is, fleece is made from synthetic textiles and, like any textile, can shed hundreds to thousands of microfibers in a single washing cycle. Because it’s synthetic, those microfibers are actually tiny plastic particles that eventually end up polluting waterways and water systems all around the globe. The Houdini Mono Air Houdi is an attempt to minimize this polluting effect of fleece.
Constructed with a fleece fabric that’s specifically designed for minimal shedding, the garment sheds 80 percent less microfiber than conventional fleece garments. Yes, you’ll still be polluting the waterways with that remaining 20 percent, but eliminating four-fifths of the waste a similar garment creates should make it a lot more sustainable, as it provides the same technical qualities as traditional fleece.
The Houdini Mono Air Houdi is made from a new fabric called Polartec Power Air Light, which boasts both warm and breathable qualities by trapping warm air in small pockets throughout the surface. It boasts an impressive warmth-to-weight ratio, along with four-way stretch, so you can move unrestricted when using this to cover up during chillier days. More importantly, though, it’s that new fabric that’s able to shed at a considerably lesser pace than regular fleece. Combined with the fabric’s recyclability (you can bring it to a Houdini shop for recycling when it’s worn out), it’s definitely one of the more sustainable pieces of cold weather clothing you can probably pick up.
It comes with an athletic fit that’s designed to layer underneath a puffy jacket during those freezing winter nights, although it can also serve as a light but capable outer layer all on its own. Features include a two-way front zipper, extended sleeves with thumb loops, zippered side pockets, and interior stash pockets.
The Houdini Mono Air Houdi is available now, priced at $200.