The Stio Thermop Fleece Is My Most Versatile Shirt
Warm, cozy, and stylish
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
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.