The Melanzana Micro Grid fleece is a casual and warm midlayer. As someone not wearing it for any serious hiking or physical activity, it’s appeal is being a cozy fleece for chilly SF mornings.
The sweet spot for the Melanzana as an outer layer is very narrow—temperatures in the low to mid-60’s when walking around the city. Anything colder and the lack of wind resistance makes it too chilly. Anything warmer and it’s easy to overheat after 10 minutes of walking uphill.
Unless I’m wearing it around the house, I much prefer using it as a mid-layer underneath an unzipped jacket in cooler temperatures (50’s). That way it’s comfortable, doesn’t overheat, and looks nice.
At 10-12oz it’s easy to throw it in a bag or pack it when traveling. It would also make a decent airplane hoodie.