How fleece got fashionable and made its way onto the catwalks

That fleeces are cosy and functional won’t surprise the winter dog walkers among us.

But fashionable?

Not a word that springs to mind when I think of the one my dad’s worn for the past 20-odd years.

Yet, somehow, this humble jacket has made the move from the dog walk to the catwalk.

Yes, fleeces are having a fashion moment.

At London Fashion Week, Burberry and Chloe were among those to send a fleece-clad model down the catwalk.

Actress Florence Pugh even wore one with open-toed boots, miniskirt and oversized sunglasses to the recent Paris Couture Week, a move that, admittedly, raised a few perfectly plucked eyebrows — even if the oversized white fleece in question was an AUD$1700 (£890) number from French brand Patou, owned by fashion powerhouse LVMH.

She’s not the only A-list fan; Sienna Miller, Taylor Swift and model Kaia Gerber have all been seen out in fleeces in recent weeks.

And now the trend is trickling down to the High Street, with John Lewis reporting that searches for oversized fleeces have jumped 15-fold year on year.

Meanwhile, M&S’s colourful cropped Borg Printed Fleece jacket AUD$87 (£45) has been flying off shelves since its launch last month.

The fashion crowd prefer to call it ‘borg’, perhaps realising that it’s quite a leap for many of us to separate the word ‘fleece’ from the image of a pair of dad trainers and a bracing hike.

But while the growing popularity of the so-called ‘quiet outdoors’ trend (think stealth wealth’s love of tasteful neutrals meets the great outdoors) means more of us are willing to supplement our athleisure-wear with a fleece, Florence and co show that a fleece doesn’t have to be dressed down.

Chloe’s voluminous cream fleece — an eye-watering AUD$ 7100 (£3680) — was gathered at the waist and worn with a caramel leather skirt, proving that you don’t have to don a camel coat to be chic and warm.

Sweaty Betty has a host of softly toned neutral options starting from AUD$87 (£45), while Baukjen’s white fleece with black pocket costs AUD$268 (£139).

Meanwhile, North Face’s Cragmont style, AUD$120 (£62), which comes in multiple colours, offers a more elegant jacketed style with quilting and buttons.

Admittedly, polyester fleece is not the most eco-friendly choice.

However, there are recycled options, such as an AUD$174 (£89.99) Adidas animal print number worn by Taylor Swift in New York last month, so you can be cosy with a clear conscience.