The zip fleece had a difficult decade. Somewhere between the corporate away day and the school run it lost its way, and for a while the only people wearing them confidently were fell walkers and men who had stopped caring. Which is a shame, because a well made fleece at the right weight is one of the most genuinely useful things you can put on between September and April.

What we were looking for here was specific. No logo storms. No aggressive technical branding. No fabric that makes you look like you are about to brief the sales team in a Travelodge. Just clean lines, a collar that sits properly when zipped up, and a weight that works either as a midlayer or on its own. The colour has to be right too. Navy, earth tones, washed greys. Things that sit with the rest of a wardrobe rather than fighting it.

These are the ones that earn their keep without announcing themselves.