The Stio Thermop Fleece is gear editor Ariella's most versatile shirt.
The Stio Thermop Fleece is gear editor Ariella's most versatile shirt.

The Stio Thermop Fleece Is My Most Versatile Shirt

Warm, cozy, and stylish

The Stio Thermop Fleece is gear editor Ariella's most versatile shirt.

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In winter I often wake up early for a prework dawn-patrol lap up the local ski hill. Starting the day with cold toes and a high heart rate makes sitting at a desk from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. all that much easier. (News flash: even Outside editors spend most of the week inside.)

The one thing that’s never fun: swapping merino base layers and fleece for office-appropriate jeans and a blouse. I’m constantly on the hunt for clothing that blends comfort with fashion. Usually I come up short since most lifestyle apparel errs too far toward comfort at the expense of looks, or vice versa.

Stio’s Thermop Fleece shirt ($149) has filled that void in my closet. Made from thin, waffle-knit fleece with stretch panels at the cuffs, this top combines the soft, sweatshirt feel of your favorite pile with classic button-up-shirt styling. With a collared neck, snap front, tailored fit, subtle drop tail, and muted solid colors, it’s like a mountain-casual spin on the oxford—clean, simple, classic, and practical when sweat is on the day’s agenda.

I wear mine to work on cold days, pack it in the car on weekends to throw on after a day of resort skiing, and even pull it on at home with sweats when I just want to be comfortable. (Stio also makes a pullover quarter-snap version that’s a little more sweatshirtish looking.)

Sure, the Thermop Fleece shirt is not exactly fancy attire, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend wearing it with a pencil skirt. But if you’re in the market for a casual, warm, sweat-ready top that doesn’t look like a sweatshirt (and isn’t a flannel), I doubt you’ll find anything better.

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