This is more a rant than the rest, and a bit faraway from the dialogue of hiking, and hiking clothes for women. Sure I would love to begin a clothing company of my very own which would also have it’s personal “social mission” so to speak. Clothing firms aims are earning money by focusing on girls. In the process nearly all of clothes firms make the world worse for women. It's as if it is an agenda towards ladies. Probably most women’s styles are designed and conceptualized by males from the drawing board to the ultimate sewing together of the apparel merchandise. The few ladies who're within the women’s clothes design business apparently are doing little or nothing to instigate a development towards higher clothing designs for girls who want practicality, dignity and function in their clothes. And that's the place the dilemma comes in for a whole lot of ladies who don’t care about “Looking younger” or “Being girly.” Girls who just want functional, snug clothes are truly underrepresented . Positive, a lot of people would say “Not so. Since lots of low-rise or pores and skin-tight denims, and cleavage-revealing shirts and crotch-size shorts, and tastelessly-short skirts are the form of clothes that in all probability the vast majority of girls buy (judging by the prominence and availability of such clothing) , then it means these are the kinds that may continue to be manufactured and moreover these kinds of “feminine styles” will make their way into all varieties of women’s clothes, even those which might be alleged to be for function not vogue. ” So their women’s shirts are designed with “princess seams” and curve-enhancing stitches and so forth. It's not the only clothes company that makes “active-women’s wear” that incorporates trend into function. It brings us again to the place we began. As fairly a couple of ladies who posted here on “Hiking Lady” have mentioned, they resort to men’s clothes for higher fit, better comfort, better freedom of motion and better sturdiness. I'd say that generally unisex sizing is the very best strategy to go along with some features that may help accommodate people who might have a bit more hip or belly (both women and men). Nearly all of women’s “active wear” simply don’t have it. ’s clothes. Men’s sizes are bigger even when it comes to “small” sizes for men. I doubt that is impossible. In general, ladies can match into men’s clothing this way. The scrubs had been supplied by the power. I not too long ago was working in a research facility and was required to put on scrubs. I advised her that when it comes to scrubs, a measurement small pant doesn't fit me and it is unusual as a result of most small-dimension men’s pants match me. The provision person said she thought a dimension small would match me. The provision individual mentioned that it's as a result of ladies have hips and males don’t. I informed her that evidently a lot of small-sized men would find it laborious to slot in most small-sized scrubs too. What lots of people appear to forget is that some men do have pretty-outstanding hips and nearly all of men’s clothes are meant for males with perfectly straight hips. In reality when men get older, in their 40s they fairly often develop bigger hips. Years ago, I recall a radio business for a particular sort of Levis denims which had been meant for older males and it was said that the features had more room within the hip and thigh. But males have a better deal in the case of clothes. Women’s clothes is all the time made to incorporate vogue slightly than perform. EMS and REI and Sierra Trading Put up, and Moosejaw, and Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Guide, and numerous other such stores, or online stores have some of the better types of clothing meant for hiking and other out of doors actions. Brands corresponding to Ex-Officio, Arctryx, The North Face, Sherpa, Marmot, Mammut, Mountain Hardwear, Columbia and numerous others. These brands tend to have the absolute best supplies, and the very best options. They've the most effective mix of fabrics so as to be lightweight as doable for hot days and which might protect in chilly days with out plenty of bulk. They are likely to have SPF inbuilt to guard the wearer from the sun’s rays. I had to use a large measurement to have room for my shoulders and arms however then the a part of the jacket that was below the waist bellowed out and simply was uncomfortable to wear and simply had a very awkward look to it. But, I've seen such absurdly-cut jackets for ladies by The North Face. It was “merely” meant to boost the female type while being “useful” for out of doors exercise, or that is what the designers had in thoughts and but I must surprise what they have been pondering by making a jacket like this. It felt tight and limiting after i moved. I don’t know how it ever bought manufactured and doubtless thousands have been made and it appeared to be a waste of time and materials and it appeared as if the “quality management people” missed some main design flaws. I wish I wrote down the style number in order that perhaps I may discover a hyperlink to it in the internet and maybe you all can see for yourself. There are different women’s active wear that is probably not as extreme but which nonetheless have sufficient lack of perform so that most energetic ladies simply can't use them. The Gap and Outdated Navy are usually not notably for active put on but they have small line of such clothing. I believe that they are awful in materials and design. The Hole, Outdated Navy, Modell’s, Target, Ok-Mart and other such stores, primarily solely have clothes fabricated from cotton ( with a few exceptions). Modell’s is presupposed to be a “sports store” but it surely carries bra and leggings exercise clothes for ladies which is made by Nike, Addidas (etc) and though these are nicely-known brand names, I find that they actually put too much fashion into clothes at the expense of operate. They went out of enterprise years ago but additionally they had clothing for women that I found to be impractically designed. In New York Metropolis where I reside there may be one REI and two EMSs and one not-as-well-recognized retailer in decrease Manhattan which sells all sorts of outdoor/camping/hiking tools and clothing. There used to be a retailer in NYC called Herman’s and another referred to as Robbin’s. Removed from it. I've seen ladies in these stores speaking to sales associates and saying that they have seemed in every single place for extra sensible designs . There's a company that plenty of you in all probability have heard of called “Title 9.” They strictly make women’s lively wear. There are numerous Modell’s and one Sports activities Authority, and some Outdated Navy’s and It would appear that there are a number of shops that may have something for every lady. Guess what? It doesn’t work. The majority of their kinds are meant to “enhance figures” and make the wearer “look feminine” whereas taking part in sports or partaking in rugged outdoor activities. Why do I at all times notice that the clothes that come the closest to being useful and rugged and practical are those which are discontinued and changed by those that aren’t? Their women’s bathing suits are actually useless. They are meant for ladies who have excellent figures , even who're skilled models and the bathing suits are sexist in my opinion. They might proceed a certain style for a number of seasons or they may substitute the fashion and never revive it. Why ought to any bathing swimsuit be “hi-cut” or like a thong and the top be meant to reveal cleavage? Title 9 has had certain kinds of designs referred to as “Grab and Go” meaning that the clothes are so virtually designed that you can simply grab them, throw them on, and stroll out the door to exercise or do anything. Are you going to go swimming or browsing , or are you going to work in a “gentleman’s club” ? I want that it was as advertised to be. All through my life I've gone from retailer to store during certain occasions of the year in search of the best rugged and purposeful clothes for winter or summer time. It's at all times exhausting to search out something close to what I want. It usually goes for shoes and slippers and different footwear too. I usually must take no matter comes closest and that's usually in the men’s section. There are designs which I'll go to my grave scratching my head over concerning why they have been made the best way they had been.. I once found some comfy slip-ons made by Teva. But the absurd factor was that the soles have been designed with fairly-deep grooves that were very intently spaced and so they had been throughout the sole . Just why aren’t sneakers and footwear made to be cleaned? They're the main piece of clothing that can be touching the bottom and going via all sorts of disgusting stuff. I've had a fantasy of designing shoes which are meant to be cleaned and are easy to scrub. I can’t for the life of me perceive why such a design was made. To allow climbing on rocky or uneven surfaces, and but it doesn't work on any sort of foot wear like it works on a Jeep’s tires. I know that hiking boot soles are made like a Jeep’s tires are made. Why hasn’t any clothing manufacturer noticed this? With footwear, small rocks and mud and leaves and branches (and so forth) get stuck in the grooves of hiking boot soles. With a Jeep’s wheels, the constant and intense rolling of the tires means that a number of the debris will be hurled off. No human can create that kind of bodily drive to repeatedly power the mud and pebbles and debris to be hurled out of the shoe’s soles. The way that the grooves are designed it only makes the soles hard to wash. It implies that the grooves on the soles of hiking boots will likely be crammed up with debris and would not help much in serving to the wearer to successfully climb; that is that if the grooves on the soles of hiking boots are literally meant to enable the wearer to climb. It appears to me that if the soles are fabricated from rubber there isn’t a necessity for such elaborately designed grooves that only gather dirt. I wonder why there aren’t chemists and clothing technicians engaged on a greater sort of rubber that grips on all surfaces or grips better on rocky surfaces or wherever hiking sneakers are used, and it might make it pointless to make grooves on the soles of shoes. I have seen some unusual designs that don't contribute to function. It seems to me that grooves are just placed on the soles of shoes for trend purposes. This goes for sneakers too. Numerous sneakers which can be good in design in other methods, have very impractically designed soles. So far as sweatpants , scrub pants , and other such sorts of pants, there are those which have “elastic waist” or “comfort waist” and there are those with drawstrings. Of course I'm not an expert in making footwear or shoe-soles and i could possibly be wrong , however I am enough of an expert in sporting shoes meant for active lifestyles and I feel that plenty of shoe manufacturers are specializing in the wrong factor. I wonder why any pant is designed with a drawstring when an elastic waist would make it pointless . Now-a-days a majority of drawstring-waist are made so that the drawstring is stitched into the back of the pants waist space. I hate something with a drawstring waist. I think it makes the drawstring much less effective and it defeats the purpose of the drawstring. Underwear: I have been in shops resembling K-Mart and Goal the place there are a big variety of women’s underwear. It is difficult to seek out the sort of briefs that most of our grandmothers used to put on, not “hi-cuts,” not ” boy shorts,” not thongs. All are horrible for my part. I favor consolation, sturdiness and straightforward-care. All that does not speak for me. Something that gets stuck you-know-the place is unacceptable. I have been in the underwear part of department shops and other shops (I need to admit I never seemed in Victoria’s Secret but I don’t count on to seek out anything sensible there), and I've seen older women trying to find one thing that is age-appropriate and dignified and , again, practical. There is little aside from these hi-cuts. See one of the links under for an article in regards to the historical past of women’s underwear. Even “briefs” will not be modest sufficient. It appears it has always been about physically limiting women. That’s the way I take a look at it. Additionally one of many links below lead to an article about how there shall be a women’s like of clothes which will be impressed by “Barbie.” Isn’t this 2014? It means that the elastic is sewn into the “hem” of the legs and waist. The closest I have found to what I want is a certain Jockey model transient “Elance.” It has “banded” legs and waist which is the better type of design to get. Elastic that is merely sewn ONTO the waist and legs tends to be much less rugged and the stitching can come undone extra simply . I must order a measurement larger than I usually would in order that the waist would not be too tight. One major flaw with “Elance” is that the waist is designed to be tight. And, I don’t perceive the real purpose of “athletic bras” the way in which they are designed. I sure don’t care about “standing out.” ( I really don’t in any case, and that i don’t care). Bras meant for lively lifestyles ought to hold them in, nothing more. I've heard of bras meant to “lift and separate.” I have seen some female runners who appear to be high heavy and nonetheless they're very quick however I wonder if they'll develop back issues later in life. I do know that I will not be addressing the needs of girls born with sure sizes, or who have particular wants reminiscent of after surgical procedure, but sport bras should be made to have sufficient comfortable tension to stop bouncing. There's a need for bras that do what some jock straps are supposed to do. I want to design shirts and vests with tension built into the proper space that might make bras unnecessary. It would be wonderful for warmer weather and for simplicity, so that you don’t need to hassle with attaching a bra and then a shirt. Simply keep “them” from transferring. Just slip into your shirt (and other clothes ) and you can go out to walk , jog or whatever. Why isn’t there such a thing? I feel I discussed in one in every of my earlier posts that Coolibar had a reasonably good pant for women referred to as Solar Pant. I'm positive loads of women would want such forms of clothing. I then put in an elastic band to provide extra tension since the waist band can be a bit too massive in any other case, and the pant is virtually a dream. I did have to alter the waist myself by taking out the drawstring which involved reducing into the back of the waistband space since the drawstring was sewn into that space. It is vitally practical for quite a lot of activities. It is not so long that the hem drags on the ground. It's not for very highly regarded weather however that can rely on your own capability to tolerate hot weather. It is of a material blend that is not like cotton. All pants should have pockets, however generally the way in which the pockets are designed make them ineffective anyway. I find it is a very particular person thing. This is how most hiking pants ought to be designed. It's a teensy bit too dense for extremely popular weather very much like the original Coolibar Sun Pant. It is meant to be used with a belt but I discover that I don’t want one to wear this pant. I found a pant on Cabela’s that is for men, but which suits effectively and it is named “The utility Pant” (see one of the last two hyperlinks beneath). It stretches a bit so it doesn't get tight whenever you bend or move. After all not everyone has the identical determine as I do so others might have a unique opinion. But in general this is an effective kind of pant . Should you do like it you need to write to the corporate and inform them to hang on these pants. One flaw with this pant is that the front pockets are designed so because the openings are slits nearly fully parallel with the waist. I believe they'll discontinue it so you might want to present it a attempt. The fabric stretches so it is not as unhealthy as if it had been with denims with these sorts of pockets. It's an impractical design and that i don’t know why clothes designers make pant pockets like this. With these sorts of pockets it's a must to maneuver your fingers in a extra unnatural manner and even lift the hem of your shirt to put your fingers in your entrance pants pockets. It needs to be for style, nothing else. Pockets must be a line down the thigh, or a diagonal line is nice too. It is a good suggestion to have zippered pockets. Anyone who has ever gotten his/her open pocket stuck on a door knob or the handlebar of a bike while passing by too shut will know what I imply. However generally zippers could cause scrapes to the again of the hand when you set your hands in. There's a need to design zippers of non-scraping material for this goal. There is also another men’s pant from Columbia. I think I discussed them before (see one in every of the 2 hyperlinks below). Why aren’t any clothing designers working on this? They are of a great materials for scorching days, but for me, I found myself removing the belt and sewing an elastic band in the again of the waistband area in order to make the belt unnecessary. I trip a bike. I hardly ever use shorts even after i jog. However again, I should settle for whatever comes close to what I need. I came across a operating quick called Brooks Sherpa IV. I tend to just go to clothes shops to look at designs and supplies . What I did like about it was the lightweight material. I just puzzled why regular lengthy pants will not be manufactured from such a fabric. It could be wonderful for a hiking pant meant for very hot weather. The material was very very similar to a very very lightweight softshell. There is one from the North Face known as The Prolix jacket. I really like softshell clothing. It is extremely lightweight, not superb for chilly weather by itself but you may put layering beneath it. It is versatile and fits excellently and permits freedom of motion. However softshells are made for winter, spring and fall, not summer. Also , why aren’t there any really really virtually-designed vests? The Brook’s Sherpa IV would make an excellent summertime softshell. There must be a vest for traveling. I find myself wishing for such a thing. It does not exist. Why not make certainly one of lightweight and stretchy materials? I do know that I have said to a lot on this put up. I will cease for now. I hope I did not bore anybody. I have a whole lot of ideas for the better design of clothing and I'll probably put up again with my ideas until I'm advised not to. I may have been a bit political too.