Curated Camo: John Elliott Fleece Jacket Review

This website is made possible by readers. We may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through the links in this article at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

Review Summary

There is a vast variety of fleece out there ranging from your generic, scratchy, thin, rough polyester all the way to a more comfortable and soft Polartec®. The John Elliott line of fleece was constructed from Polarfleece® (iteration of Polartec® shearling) utilizing blends of polyester, virgin wool, and acrylic which differs depending on the specific model and design. I was lucky enough to acquire three different John Elliott fleece jackets, all in unique patterns from different seasons.

As you would imagine, the design and fit of each John Elliot fleece is pretty amazing. Each fleece comes in a trim fit that is slim throughout the body with the hem hitting right around the natural waist. Sleeves are the perfect length to avoid any stacking and cuff ends fit very snug around the wrist. YKK Japan zippered pockets can be found on both the left and right sides with a full length zipper running down the middle. The stand collar is always a nice touch as it provides additional heat retention towards the top. If you’re in the mood, you can opt to wear this fleece in a reversible fashion with a solid black nylon lining, however, I’ve yet to wear this configuration.

From a style standpoint, it doesn’t get much better than this when considering fleece. The moonlight camo jacquard, lynx, and buffalo plaid are three distinct prints that are sure to make a memorable statement and are easy to wear. If you’re contending with the elements, the heavyweight Polartec® shearling material is sure to provide a good deal of warmth during mild to moderate winter days. All in all, the John Elliott fleece is an expensive and beautiful melding of form and function.

Buy at SSENSE

Review Ratings

Pros:

Moonlight camo jacquard Polarfleece® features one of the most incredible textured patterns I’ve seen on any piece of outerwear
Proper fit that is snug around the torso with a length that is perfect for layering
Fully reversible with zipper enclosed pockets on the fleece side and a kangaroo pocket on the nylon side
Heavyweight shearling fleece with elastic cuffs and stand collar provide extra warmth and style

Cons:

Price point can be a bit shocking when purchased at full retail
Seasonal items that are no longer available for purchase

John Elliott Fleece Jacket

Buy at SSENSE

Review Details

John Elliott Fleece Sizing

I’ve found that John Elliott sizing is always a bit tricky with the various types of fits that the brand offers. Some garments are oversized and relaxed while others are snug and trim. With a price point that your wallet is sure to feel, it can be a bit daunting to pull the trigger with any doubt or uncertainty. When it comes to the brands fleece range, I found that selecting your normal size should serve you best. In each and every fleece that I own from John Elliott, I’ve opted for the size 3-large. For context, I am 5’11” and 170 pounds with a normal to athletic build. I typically wear a size 32 in denim and a size large in shirting and outerwear.

One of the key qualities that keeps drawing me back to John Elliott is the proper fit for my proportions. In what might be a contrast to your typical outerwear fleece jacket, the John Elliott fleece range features a very trim fit that in my opinion, is far more presentable than a baggy pullover. The sleeve length is perfect with no stacking whatsoever, yet enough length to allow you to extend your arms without the cuffs sliding up. The overall sleeve width is also on point. There’s no billowing of any kind, just slim throughout with the underarm attaching to the torso near the actual armpit. Oftentimes a dealbreaker of mine is a wingsuit type fit. I’m being a bit dramatic, but I strongly dislike any garment where the sleeve attaches too far away from the actual armpit.

The overall length of the John Elliott fleece is mildly on the shorter side compared to a casual hoodie or other forms of outerwear. While occasionally I’ll select a fleece that is a bit longer in the torso (such as the Haven Ascent half zip), I think the shorter length plays nicely with the overall aesthetic of this jacket. Layering becomes inevitable with endless possibilities. With the size 3-large, there is plenty of space throughout the body for wearing a lightweight hoodie underneath, while still avoiding an overly fluffy appearance.

When worn fully zipped, the elastic hem is loosely snug around the waist with the rest of the torso lying close to the body. There is no constriction in movement or discomfort from this more narrow fitting cut, just a proper fit that serves the dual function of providing warmth and style. I can say with confidence that the John Elliott fleece is definitely one of if not the best fitting fleece jackets currently in my rotation.

John Elliott Fleece Construction

There are a handful of proprietary fleece types and weights to choose from when designers delve into outerwear. The product description on the John Elliott website mentions these fleece jackets are made from Polarfleece®, however, after some additional digging, it seems that the base for much of the Polarfleece® range is in fact Polartec® shearling. This is a classic knit, napped, and sheared finish fleece that is rather heavyweight in comparison to some of the other Polartec® offerings. The beauty of shearling fleece is its ability to dry quickly, remain durable, and avoid pilling, all while maintaining a decently soft texture.

The lining of each John Elliott fleece is a lightweight black nylon twill fabric that is sleek and relatively soft on the skin. I quite prefer a nice lining like this as opposed to the bare backside of fleece as it helps moderate heat and provides additional comfort. This nylon lining also doubles as an outer layer when worn in a reversible manner. All tags on this fleece have been incorporated into the pockets to allow for this jacket to truly be worn as intended, or inside out. While worn inside out, you are left with a solid black simple jacket that has a kangaroo pocket in the middle. Details are minimal on the nylon side, however, I can see this functionality may come in handy if caught in wetter weather.

The full length opening down the middle as well as the left and right pockets are secured with YKK Japan plastic zippers with metal pulls. These certainly get the job done, however, I tend to prefer the quality and tactile feel of either YKK metaluxe or RIRI metal zippers. That being said, just having zippered pockets is always a win in my book. The full length zipper is somewhat concealed by the elastic nylon edging that lays atop and runs along all edges of the fleece. This provides a slight bit of stretch on the cuffs, hem and stand collar for a secure and comfortable fit. The pocket zippers remain exposed for a nice bit of detail.

I was surprised to find that the overall weight of each fleece jacket is a bit heavier than I had originally thought. I’m not positive of the technical fleece weight, but Polartec® shearling is generally more dense and thick than some of the newer lightweight synthetic fleece offerings. What I was not surprised about is the overall general construction of each garment. I have yet to have an issue with any of the John Elliott pieces that I’ve purchased and based on what I’ve seen from these fleece jackets, I don’t anticipate that to start any time soon.

John Elliott Fleece Style

The moonlight camo jacquard Polarfleece® was one piece of outerwear that initially evaded me. When I stumbled upon it, my size was long gone. That being said, I knew I needed it. After months of patiently waiting, I was able to find a perfect condition, brand new with tags John Elliott fleece on Grailed at an even more favorable price. I instantly snatched it up and opted to also grab the red buffalo plaid model as well as the lynx. For those unaware, there are some awesome deals to be had on grailed with some sellers consistently offering new old stock from previous seasons.

When they all arrived, it was pretty incredible to scour over the intricate differences in each fleece material. The moonlight camo jacquard had a modified shearling texture to it where each contrasting camo patch featured a subtly different height and thickness, greatly enhancing the camo effect. Gray hued sections are thick and chunky whereas the deep dark purple section is more long, thin, and free flowing. The black patches that wind their way throughout are short and tight making for a contrasting pattern that easily comprises one of my favorite garments in my closet. This John Elliott fleece absolutely gets worn the most, either with a nice black jogger such as the John Elliott Himalayan cargo pants or a washed black denim.

Red and black buffalo plaid is an iconic print that is most often associated with Paul Bunyan and other members of the lumberjack community. When this pattern is laid on Polarfleece® and tailored in John Elliott fashion, the result is pretty awesome. The exterior of this fleece is a traditional knit shearling that is consistent across the body of the garment, unlike the moonlight camo jacquard. However, just like the moonlight camo jacquard, I typically wear this fleece with black Himalayan pants (both cargo and regular) as well as Nudie waxed black denim. It’s easy to pair a gray or black shirt underneath or for extra layering, a lightweight hoodie in the same colors.

The lynx version is very unique in that it incorporates a brushed wool which gives the exterior of the fleece a slightly fuzzy texture. This fleece definitely has a different hand feel than the other two as it leans more on the wool and appears flat and smooth, more closely resembling Polartec® 200 or 300 as opposed to shearling. It does feel a bit lighter weight as well, however, I imagine warmth is still comparable given the addition of wool. The lynx pattern is bold, and if I’m to be honest, gave me pause initially. I find myself wearing it the least of the range as it’s difficult to pull off on a regular basis. I’ve found a light color denim and white shirt make for a nice visual or a black chino for more contrast.

I’m not generally a fan of reversible garment functionality and that holds true with the John Elliott fleece. I think the construction and engineering that goes into making a garment function as reversible is commendable, however, it generally feels more gimmicky to me than something I desire. With that being said, I have yet to wear any of the three fleece jackets with the nylon twill on the outside. In doing so, you would essentially be left with a somewhat regular looking stand collar black jacket with an incredible fleece lining.

As mentioned in the sizing section, these John Elliott fleece jackets hit right around the natural waist for a fit that begs for layering. A slightly longer shirt will easily hang out the bottom of the fleece which can bring about a nice contrast. During the colder months, I’ve also thrown on a lighter weight Reigning Champ hoodie to add an additional layer which can provide a bit more complexity and style.

John Elliott Fleece Value

What can I say, John Elliott is a semi luxury elevated streetwear brand that is not chasing the value angle. These fleece jackets start at $548 and extend up to $698 for the lynx version. In no world is that considered a great value for a non technical piece of outerwear. But this should come as no surprise as a level of exclusivity and style is to some degree what you’re paying for. Lucky for those with patience, these items tend to randomly popup on Grailed after a few seasons, however, banking on this is a gamble if it’s an item you really want.

If it’s any consolation, you can be sure that if you purchase a John Elliott fleece, it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. The style, design, and fit is timeless with the construction quality to match. The range of use spans so greatly that you’re sure to get a fair share of rotations. With value being a somewhat subjective measure that emotion can impact, I tend to lean on each individual for assessing this metric. In my case, it would have been incredibly difficult to not pull the trigger on these fleece jackets at any price point given my total infatuation.

Buy at SSENSE

Mentioned in this article: