Cagoule Fleece

Cagoule Fleece was started in 1993 in Portland, Oregon, more specifically on the floor of founder Peter Julber's living room. They had only four things going for them: a big, scary pair of scissors, a puny home sewing machine, a roll of fleece the size of a VW Beetle, and some seemingly impossible ideas about making outdoor accessories that were perfect from all perspectives.

As things turned out, they weren't the only ones fantasizing about fleece gear that fit right, felt right, and warmed both body and soul faster than a fresh pint of stout. People all over Portland began to clamor for Cagoule and soon the piles of fleece were spilling into the kitchen and out into the yard. Eventually, Peter wanted his house back so they moved the whole operation down to the basement and soon after that to a little workshop where they could actually see the sun again and didn't have to worry about banging their elbows on the water heater.

Today, they're still a really small company and everything they make is still created from superbly soft fleece itself made from post-consumer recycled materials. At Cagoule, they recycle absolutely everything they can and run the entire show with waste reduction firmly in mind. Portand's cool, wet climate is the perfect proving ground for their products, and they personally test everything they make on nearby trails of the biking, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding kind. In short, they love what they do. And they're quite sure that once you get your hands on some Cagoule stuff you'll love what they do, too.

Info on materials, from the Cagoule website:

If we've learned one thing in the last few years (aside from the fact that one should never use the shop's comfy chair as a pin cushion), it's that not all fleece is created equal. That's the sort of wisdom you acquire when your chosen vocation involves testing every kind imaginable. And so it is that after enough study to qualify for a Ph.D. in Fleeceology, we've identified the very best kind of fleece available.

It’s called BottleFleece™, and it’s made from 85% post-consumer recycled fibers obtained from plastic soda bottles and post industrial waste. Though it's a tad more complicated than we're making it sound, soda bottles are collected by recyclers, then shredded, melted, and extruded into fibers which then become ultra-plush fleece. There are about 2 one-liter bottles in every BottleFleece hat, and that works for us, especially when you consider the end result - a fabric that strikes a nearly perfect balance of superior softness, cozy warmth, and fun-proof durability.

The environmental savings we achieve with BottleFleece™ don’t stop with our use of the material itself. Our in-house zero-production waste policy means we literally never throw any of it away. Ever. It sounds impossible, but it’s true. By donating (or simply giving away via Craigslist or Freecycle) all our in-house scraps to educational and arts organizations, and employing creative means to recycle things like supplier packaging, we’re able to make our in-house produced products 100% waste-free.

All Cagoule products, with the exception of the Stockholm Gloves, are made in Oregon. Within Oregon, about half of the items are produced in-house, and the rest are made in Salem, Oregon.

Made in the USA, made in Oregon, made in OR, made in Portland, made in Salem, buy local Oregon, buy local Portland, buy American