This fall, I’m patiently waited to break out one of my most prized possessions: The Outdoor Voices MegaFleece.
It was one of the first pieces I had ever acquired from Outdoor Voices, way back in 2019, before co-founder Ty Haney made her dramatic exit from the brand. (Haney has since made her way back to Outdoor Voices as of summer 2025, however, the new OV Hike Collection doesn’t hold a candle to the early days, IMO).
The now-discontinued oversized pullover, made from the brand’s proprietary MegaFleece fabric — fluffy, recycled, thermoregulating wool — was a massive hit for the brand when it launched in the fall of 2018, and was editorialized as the anthesis to the finance bro uniform. This analysis made sense: The fleeces were brightly colored, had some chunk to them and featured fun details like hoods and large kangaroo pockets — very opposite of the the sea of slim, navy and grey Patagonia quarter-zips you’d see swarming Midtown Manhattan.
It’s why after nearly eight years, I look forward to unearthing my OV MegaFleece from my hallway closet each fall. Not only is it now a hard-to-come-by relic from a pre-pandemic world that makes me feel almost transported back to a perceived simpler time when I wear it, but it’s simply still a really cool-looking fleece. While I own it in a comparatively subdued light and dark beige colorblock colorway, it’s got those quirky little details like circular arm pockets and a very fluffy, very cozy, comfy vibe. It also does its job, in keeping me warm on my morning walks and trips to the grocery store after work when it is pitch dark at 5 p.m. — a development that makes me sad, but I persevere with my big, funky fleece.
Why have I just regaled you with a tale of a six-year-old jacket? Because this fall and winter, you should make sure to have a ridiculously warm, eye-catching layer of your own.
We love a fleece for its versatility during the colder months. You can conveniently throw the layer on before heading out to grab a cup of coffee, walk the dog or even to cozy up with your beloved on a romantic weekend getaway this season (just be prepared for her to steal it). I encourage you to stay away from drab-looking banker-type fleeces and strive for a multi-patterned, outdoors-y hiking hunk kind of guy, if you know what I mean. Less Stonewash Better Sweater and more Parks Project’s National Parks fleeces. (Patagonia has some tight patterns of their own, FWIW, but more on that below).
I’ve scoured the internet for the coziest, chunkiest, funkiest-looking fleeces I think you, a man, should be sporting this fall. All I ask is that you get kooky with it.
L.L.Bean Mountain Classic Fleece Pullover
L.L.Bean has some of the coziest fleeces in the game, and this fair isle print kicks that coziness up a few notches.
Topo Designs Vista Quarter-Zip Lightweight Fleece
A dizzying print I can’t help but be entranced by.
Marmot ’94 E.C.O. Recycled Fleece Jacket
Hitting the mountain soon? You’ll want to do so in Marmot’s cozy recycled fleece.
Parks Project Acadia Moose Full Zip High Pile Fleece
It’s hard to pick a single jacket from Parks Project’s entire collection of bold-colored and uniquely patterned fleeces, all of which are inspired by our country’s beautiful National Parks — but I am quite taken with this winter wonderland scene of Acadia’s snow-capped mountains and moose inhabitants.
Patagonia Classic Retro-X Jacket
I told you there is more to life than slim-fitting navy and gray quarter-zips. Patagonia’s iconic Retro-X jacket boasts windproof warmth, a fuzzy inner collar and that old-school fleece silhouette we love, in a very retro geometric pattern.
Drake’s Boucle Wool Half-Zip Fleece Jacket
A fleece you could wear to dinner, this beautifully color-blocked Drake’s layer was Made in Portugal and offers serious collegiate appeal.
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