At 62, the Cosy Fleece That Still Looks Nice
At 62, the cosy fleece that keeps me warm and still looks nice
Six things the Fenna gets right that cold-weather jackets get wrong, from a woman who is not a fashion writer.
Caroline Richards · Customer · Nottinghamshire · 5 min read
Let me be plain about who is talking. I am Caroline, I am 62, I live in Nottinghamshire, and I have never once sat down to write about a jacket in my life. What I have done is spend every winter shivering at the gate in the same thin anorak, or hiding indoors in a scruffy old fleece I would not want the neighbours to see. So this is not a review. It is a woman who finally found something warm she is also happy to be seen in, saying why.
The one I am writing about is called the Fenna, from Nottingham Boutique, a small boutique that has been quietly dressing women our age for a few years now. I first saw it on a woman out walking her dog on a frosty morning, and when the boutique later asked if they could put my letter up for others to read, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
A fleece. I can hear you, because I said the same to my friend Sue. A fleece is a shapeless, scruffy thing you wear to take the bins out, I thought. Then I saw how snug and how smart she looked in the soft camel teddy fleece, and I changed my mind. Read on.
Here is what a lifetime of cold mornings taught me. For the coldest days we tend to have two things. The thin pile, the anoraks and light jackets that look tidy enough but let the wind straight through and leave you frozen. And the scruffy pile, the old shapeless fleeces that are warm but look like something you would garden in. I have owned plenty of both and never once had one that was warm and presentable at the same time.
A thin jacket that let the cold straight through, or a scruffy old fleece I would not be seen in. Those were my winter choices, and neither would do.
The Fenna is the first thing I have owned that is both, and having barely had mine off since the cold set in, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
The morning it arrived. Soft as anything in the hand, with a cosy hood and a proper zip.
IT IS PROPERLY WARM, LIKE A BLANKET
The warmth is the whole point, and this delivers it. It is a soft, fluffy teddy fleece, thick and cosy, and putting it on is like being wrapped in a warm blanket. On the frosty mornings when my old anorak used to let the wind cut straight through, the Fenna keeps me warm through and through. I have not shivered at the gate once since it arrived.
So warm it is like wearing a duvet. I used to be frozen on my morning walk and now I am cosy the whole way round.
Christine B., West BridgfordTHE ZIP AND HOOD MAKE IT EASY AND PRACTICAL
It fastens with a proper zip up the front, so it is easy to get on and off without dragging anything over your head, and you can zip it up to your chin or open it as the day changes. And there is a soft cosy hood, so when the wind picks up or the drizzle starts on a walk, you have your head covered without carrying an umbrella. Simple, sensible things that make all the difference.
The cosy hood and the easy zip. Warm and practical for a walk in any weather.
The zip is so easy on my hands and the hood keeps the wind off my ears. Just what I needed for the dog walks.
Margaret E., SouthwellIT IS LONG ENOUGH TO COVER YOU PROPERLY
So many jackets stop at the waist and leave a cold gap across your back and your hips. This one is a good length, coming down past the hips, so it covers you properly and keeps the warmth where you want it. No more tugging it down or feeling the cold creep in at the back. It is such a relief to be covered and warm all the way round.
The length is perfect, it covers my hips and my bottom so there is no cold gap. Warm all the way down.
Dorothy S., BeestonIT HAS TWO BIG POCKETS TO WARM YOUR HANDS
There are two large, deep pockets at the front, and I cannot tell you what a comfort they are on a cold morning. My hands go straight in and stay warm, and there is room besides for my phone, my keys and a poo bag for the dog. Warm hands and everything to hand, which when you are out in the cold is worth a great deal.
Two big pockets to keep your hands warm, with room for your phone and keys.
Lovely big pockets, my hands stay toasty and I can fit everything in. No need for gloves most mornings now.
Pauline H., ArnoldIT IS FLATTERING, AND IT LOOKS SMART, NOT SCRUFFY
This is the part that surprised me. It has a relaxed, easy fit that skims rather than swamps, and the soft camel colour looks smart and considered, not like a scruffy old fleece at all. I am happy to wear it to the shops and to meet a friend for coffee, not just to walk the dog. Warm and cosy, but still something I feel nice in.
It actually looks smart, not like a scruffy fleece. I wear it to the shops and for coffee, not just the garden.
Eileen T., NewarkIT IS EASY TO WASH, IN FOUR LOVELY COLOURS
It goes in the machine and comes out soft and fluffy as new, so there is no fuss and no special care, which at our age is exactly what you want. And it comes in four lovely colours, the warm camel like mine, a blue, a green and a soft pink, so there is one to suit everyone. I have the camel. I am half tempted by the green for my sister.
By the door, ready to grab on the next cold morning.
It washes beautifully and comes up like new, no fuss at all. Such a lovely warm colour too.
Maureen C., BinghamThe Fenna, against the jackets you have been shivering in
You can find a winter jacket for thirty-odd pounds almost anywhere. I know, because I have a peg full of them, most of them either too thin or too scruffy. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
Thin, and lets the wind straight through
Or a scruffy old fleece you hide in
Stops at the waist, cold gap at the back
Small pockets, cold hands
Warm but not remotely presentable
Thick teddy fleece, warm as a blanket
Zip front and a cosy hood for the weather
A good length that covers hips and bum
Two big pockets to warm your hands
Cosy and warm, and smart enough for the shops
About the price
The Fenna is £34.95 at the moment. It was £70.00.
I will pass on what the boutique told me, which is that the popular colours and the middle sizes are the first to go, and once a size in a colour has gone it can be a wait for it to come back. Their words, not mine. What I can tell you from my side is that half price is usually where I start asking what is wrong with a thing, and I have found nothing wrong with this one.
And I do not trust perfect scores, so I read the reviews before I ordered. Just over three hundred of them, sitting at 4.2 stars, which sounded like real women rather than robots, so I read on. The same six things I have just walked you through come up in them, over and over, in other women's words.
Folded away, ready for the next cold morning that catches me out.
If you spend the cold months shivering in a thin jacket or hiding in a scruffy old fleece, and you would like one that is warm, cosy and smart enough for the shops, this is the one I would put on your shoulders myself, while your size is still there. Stop dithering and go and have a look.
Caroline
FENNA | WOMEN'S FLEECE JACKET
- Soft, thick teddy fleece, warm as a blanket
- Zip front with a cosy sherpa-lined hood
- A good length that covers hips and bum
- Two big pockets to warm your hands
- Relaxed, flattering fit that looks smart
- Machine washable, four colours
- UK sizes S to 3XL
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
Popular colours and middle sizes go first.