Branded Softshells: The Smart Team Jacket

If you only branded one jacket for your team, it should probably be a softshell. It’s the layer that works most of the year, looks smart enough for a client visit, and isn’t a heavy coat that lives on the back seat. Here’s how to choose the right one.

What a softshell actually is

A softshell is a bonded fabric — a tough, slightly stretchy outer face fused to a soft fleece-backed inner. That construction makes it wind-resistant and water-repellent (it shrugs off a shower, but it’s not a fully waterproof coat), breathable enough to wear all day, and warm without bulk. Think of it as the middle ground between a fleece and a waterproof jacket: more protective than the first, far more comfortable than the second.

Who it’s for

Softshells suit any team that’s in and out all day — field sales and reps, site and trades, estate agents, events crews, groundskeeping, anyone moving between a vehicle, a building and the outdoors. It looks professional over a polo for a client meeting and still does a job on a cold morning. That versatility is exactly why it’s the most-ordered branded jacket.

Lighter or heavier?

Lighter two-layer softshells are ideal for spring and autumn and for active wearers who run warm. Heavier bonded or three-layer styles add real winter warmth for teams outdoors in the cold. If in doubt, the mid-weight all-rounder covers the most of the year — which is usually the point of buying a softshell in the first place.

Decorating a softshell

The structured woven face is made for embroidery — a left-chest logo lands crisp and reads premium, which is the look most teams want on a jacket. Back logos and role titles work well too, by embroidery or transfer depending on size and colour. Keep huge full-coverage prints off technical faces; the classic chest crest plus an optional back is what looks sharp and lasts. If you’re deciding between stitch and print, we broke it down in DTF vs embroidery for workwear.

Don’t forget fit

Offer a women’s cut alongside the unisex fit and check the size range covers the whole team — a jacket sizing out half your staff defeats the point. Leave a little room for a fleece or mid-layer underneath in winter. If you want something lighter and warmer-indoors rather than weather-facing, a branded fleece may be the better call.