We think of polar fleece as a cold case…at least that’s how Le Futiloscope saw it until just recently.  That was, until we realized that youngsters who wore them in kindergarten – preferably from Gap on top of jeans with an elastic waist, which dates them more efficiently than carbon dating – are now proudly renewing this questionable trend.  And it’s troubling, esthetically speaking.  Frankly, it’s just not that cold in co-working sites. A little trip to Japan last December convinced us even more of the capital importance of this phenomenon.  All the “in” kids from the cru movement near Shimotikazawa parade around in zip up neon fleece jackets.  Or, for the more timid girls, in fluffy jackets with leg o’mutton sleeeves like the fabled Uniqlo model seen everywhere.  It’s the absolute best seller over there, Parisians have seen them from time to time in passing, but nothing like the Tokyo invasion.  Le Futiloscope Paris is part the in crowd – we can sniff out these things! – And we’ve never seen anything so popular with the under twenty-fives.  “Where did you get it?” they continually ask young women in army boots with their caps pulled down low over their eyes…

How did this happen?  How did the polar fleece, an article of clothing so evocative of the worst of the 1990’s become the biggest trend of today? And why do the white-collar workers of the digital age love it so much, those that dress themselves as Dutch campers or from the sports stores like retirees?  The culprit is a name, created by the New York Times in May 2017 – it’s becoming a habit -- its “Gorpcore”.  The etymology of this charming little name is a bit confusing for Europeans:  a variation of normcore – the word “norm” is replaced by “gorp” a tasty trail mix most Girl Scouts will be familiar with.  The message is clear:  in the city you wear what you would wear in the great outdoors, that great outdoors a bit hostile, kind of a winter trek in Lapland.  

You’ve probably seen it yourself in high tech areas, like "Silicon Sentier" in Paris, a proliferation of North Face parkas and super techno back packs – the Normcores prefer trail fanny packs- and brand new Timberlands, items that they most certainly don’t need in their everyday lives.  They may be of some use in a New York winter, but not as much as all that…it’s probably that these young city dwellers, glued to their screens, are looking for their interior woodsman, buried under their curcuma latte or hidden in the avocado toast.  The woodswoman of your dreams is probably a little more rare, but she exists as well.  Is all this new to Le Futiloscope and we’re just telling you about a trend that is already a year old?  Not at all…we told you all about it in June 2016 in a post entitled “Pourquoi les garcons des villes se prennent pour Davy Crockett? (Why do the guys on the street think they’re Davy Crockett?)”   But to witness the polar fleece massively invade youngsters bodies, by the way of Urban Outfitters rather than through sports stores, THAT is the stuff of nightmares, whod’a thunk?  And when we end up by thinking we look chic wearing it…. it’s just too much…

Photo : Uniqlo