Polartec is bringing its iconic, American-made, military-issue fabric technologies and finished garments directly to all Americans. The foundation of today’s GEN III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (E.C.W.C.S.)––the standard issue cold weather apparel system in the U.S. Army––is the Polartec Military Issue Collection. This system provides soldiers with a multi-layered, performance driven clothing system that’s designed to be versatile and adaptable to varying operational and environmental conditions.
For more than a decade there have been GEN III E.C.W.C.S. labeled military garment designs for sale online and from select military retail stores. While some of these items are authentic surplus garments, it remains an unregulated gray area. Foreign imitations continue to pop up in their various forms, and even outdoor sporting and hunting brands have adopted military issue garment nomenclature into product descriptions.
Now available directly from the source, these authentic Polartec fabrics and designs are proudly made in America and shipped directly from the same U.S. cut and sew manufacturers that have been creating these garments since 2007. Polartec GEN III E.C.W.C.S. products and the Polartec Military Issue Collection includes:
E.C.W.C.S. Level I Silkweight Shirt and Pants, the foundation of the modern GEN III E.C.W.C.S. layering system, made of a soft and comfortable Polartec® Silkweight fabric for versatile next-to-skin performance that includes fast wicking action and dry times, high durability and compressibility
- E.C.W.C.S. Level II Grid Knit Shirt and Pants, the legendary “waffle” shirt, made of iconic (and patented) Polartec Power Grid™ bi-component knit fabric, which maximizes warmth, breathability, wicking action, compressibility and versatility, while minimizing dry-times and weight.
- E.C.W.C.S. Level III High Loft Jacket, the “smoking jacket,” made primarily of Polartec High Loft™, the ultra soft and compressible fleece for warmth without weight, with Polartec Power Grid panels
- Micro Fleece Cap, small enough to stash anywhere for critical warmth, made of warm, highly compressible and lightweight Polartec Micro series fleece in a durable three-panel construction
“We have long noticed veterans, active military, or even just the tactically-inclined reaching out to us directly, in search of these authentic military grade products,” says Polartec President Steve Layton. “No one should have to roll the dice on a blurry eBay photo or questionable shopping link to get a new pair of their favorite long underwear, “waffle” grid mid-weight top, or favorite “smoking jacket” design.”
