We tend to wear a lot of pullovers during this time of the year. It’s the perfect midlayer piece, after all, bringing plenty of warmth under a winter jacket when you’re out and about, while looking nice enough to wear on its own once you’re indoors. The Paka Pakacloud Fleece is a new take on the pullover that uses an innovative fabric blend based on alpaca fibers.
That’s right, this garment’s fabric is made from alpaca wool, which boasts natural moisture management, antibacterial, and thermoregulating properties, making it an excellent sustainable alternative to synthetic fleece. According to the outfit, over 95 percent of fleece in the market are currently made from synthetics, making them a major source of microplastic pollution, which is why a more natural alternative like this one is much needed.
The Paka Pakacloud Fleece isn’t made from pure alpaca wool. Instead, the fabric it uses is a blend of 42 percent alpaca wool, 14 percent Merino wool, 30 percent recycled polyester, and 14 percent recycled nylon. Basically, it’s still using synthetics, albeit with less of it than a purely synthetic fleece. Paka claims this particular fabric blend on its own can reduce microplastic shedding by over 50 percent, which still isn’t perfect, but should prove much better than the heavy shedding found on other fabric blends.
Aside from the reduce pollution, the garment has a skin feel that’s softer than even cashmere, all while boasting superior heat retention, courtesy of the hollow air pockets found in natural alpaca fibers. This results in twice the warmth of standard synthetic fleeces, allowing you to stay warmer with less materials, so you’re also carrying a lot less weight around. Basically, you’re getting the warmth of a much thicker garment while wearing something a lot more comfortable to move around in.
The Paka Pakacloud Fleece puts the innovative alpaca-based fabric on a warm pullover that looks set to serve as an excellent midlayer during the colder months of the year. The garment itself features raised collars to keep the cold air off your neck, a quarter zip for those times you need to cool down a bit, and gusseted armholes that should allow for better movement and ventilation. It has flatlock seams that keep it comfortable next to the skin, adjustable hem drawcords on the left and right sides for adjusting the fit, and a pair of zippered hand pockets for storage. Other features include elastane binding at the neck and cuffs, reverse coil zipper with chin guard, and the outfit’s signature handwoven Inca ID on the back.
Truth be told, this alpaca fleece sure sounds like a great deal. Like many things, though, there’s a catch. In this case, it’s the fact that it’s not really ideal for machine-washing. As such, they recommend either hand washing or putting it in a gentle cycle at a maximum temperature of 30 degrees, then laying it flat to air dry. Yeah, that’s not very convenient. On the upside, the fabric is antimicrobial, anti-odor, and sweat-wicking, so it’s probably not going to require frequent cleaning.
The Paka Pakacloud Fleece is available now in three colors (oat, black, and navy blue), priced at $165.