Here in Massachusetts, one wardrobe piece every child needs is a fleece hoodie to keep them warm during the 50-ish degree months when a winter coat is just too heavy. This fleece needs to be warm, a little bit stretchy to fit over sweaters and sweatshirts, but not too bulky in order to use as a layer under another coat when needed. The Eddie Bauer Kids Girl's Fast Fleece Hoodie seems to meet all those requirements.
The Fast Fleece Hoodie comes in five different colors, all with a coordinating contrast stitching. Our daughter chose the Raspberry color. She usually wears a size 5/6, so I followed the sizing chart and ordered the size XS for her. I was a little nervous about whether I had made the correct choice in size because I did not want her to outgrow this hoodie before winter was over.
(Click any photo to enlarge)
Well, it turned out that the size XS was the perfect size for our 5-1/2 year old. In fact, the sleeves and the body are slightly long, so she has room to grow. This fleece hoodie will easily last her through the end of the upcoming winter. Two problems I had with her fleece hoodie last year (made by a different brand) was that she had trouble zipping it up on her own and that the hood did not cover the top of her forehead. I am happy to find that neither of those things are an issue with the Fast Fleece Hoodie.
I also want to point out that this hoodie is very stylish with the contrast stitching across the chest, down the front, on the shoulders, and on the hood. There is also colorful detailing in both the zippers and zipper pulls on the front of the jacket and the two side pockets. This jacket also includes two interior pockets.
Although our daughter loves to look cute, what she really cares about when it comes to a hoodie is that it is cuddly soft, which this is. We have washed this fleece in cold water and dried it on high heat. I was happy to see that there were no signs of shrinking, fading, or pilling.
To view the Eddie Bauer Kids' full selection of fall and winter clothing for boys, girls, infants, and toddlers, visit www.eddiebauer.com. Through August 28th, 2012, you can receive Free Standard Shipping on orders of $99 or more when you checkout using Code: BLUEFISH.
Thank you to Eddie Bauer for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.
