This is more a rant than the rest, and a bit removed from the dialogue of hiking, and hiking clothes for women. Yes I'd love to start out a clothing company of my very own which would also have it’s personal “social mission” so to talk. Clothing companies targets are making money by targeting girls. In the process nearly all of clothes companies make the world worse for girls. It is as whether it is an agenda in opposition to girls. Probably most women’s types are designed and conceptualized by men from the drawing board to the ultimate sewing collectively of the apparel item. The few ladies who are in the women’s clothes design trade apparently are doing little or nothing to instigate a development towards better clothes designs for girls who need practicality, dignity and perform in their clothes. And that is where the dilemma comes in for plenty of girls who don’t care about “Looking younger” or “Being girly.” Ladies who simply want practical, comfy clothes are really underrepresented . Sure, a lot of people would say “Not so. Since a variety of low-rise or pores and skin-tight jeans, and cleavage-revealing shirts and crotch-size shorts, and tastelessly-quick skirts are the kind of clothes that probably nearly all of girls buy (judging by the prominence and availability of such clothes) , then it means those are the kinds that may proceed to be manufactured and furthermore these kinds of “feminine styles” will make their means into all sorts of women’s clothes, even the ones which can be alleged to be for function not trend. ” So their women’s shirts are designed with “princess seams” and curve-enhancing stitches and so on. It's not the only clothes company that makes “active-women’s wear” that incorporates style into perform. It brings us back to the place we started. As quite just a few women who posted right here on “Hiking Lady” have mentioned, they resort to men’s clothes for better match, higher comfort, higher freedom of motion and higher sturdiness. I would say that basically unisex sizing is one of the best solution to go with some options that may assist accommodate individuals who might have a bit extra hip or belly (both women and men). Nearly all of women’s “active wear” just don’t have it. ’s clothing. Men’s sizes are larger even in the case of “small” sizes for males. I doubt this is unimaginable. Usually, women can fit into men’s clothes this manner. The scrubs have been offered by the facility. I recently was working in a research facility and was required to wear scrubs. I told her that on the subject of scrubs, a measurement small pant does not fit me and it is unusual as a result of most small-dimension men’s pants fit me. The provision particular person mentioned she thought a dimension small would match me. The availability individual stated that it is because girls have hips and men don’t. I advised her that evidently a variety of small-sized men would find it hard to fit in most small-sized scrubs too. What a lot of people appear to forget is that some males do have fairly-outstanding hips and the vast majority of men’s clothes are meant for males with perfectly straight hips. In fact when males get older, of their 40s they fairly often develop larger hips. Years in the past, I recall a radio industrial for a special type of Levis jeans which have been meant for older males and it was said that the features had extra room in the hip and thigh. But males have a better deal in the case of clothes. Women’s clothes is at all times made to incorporate trend moderately than function. EMS and REI and Sierra Trading Submit, and Moosejaw, and Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Guide, and numerous different such stores, or on-line stores have a few of the better kinds of clothing meant for hiking and other out of doors activities. Manufacturers equivalent to Ex-Officio, Arctryx, The North Face, Sherpa, Marmot, Mammut, Mountain Hardwear, Columbia and varied others. These brands are inclined to have the best possible materials, and the most effective options. They have one of the best mixture of fabrics so as to be lightweight as attainable for hot days and which might protect in cold days with out a number of bulk. They are inclined to have SPF built in to guard the wearer from the sun’s rays. I had to use a big 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 just was uncomfortable to put on and just had a very awkward look to it. But, I have seen such absurdly-reduce jackets for girls by The North Face. It was “merely” meant to enhance the feminine kind whereas being “useful” for outside activity, or that's what the designers had in thoughts and yet I need to surprise what they were pondering by making a jacket like this. It felt tight and limiting after i moved. I don’t know the way it ever got manufactured and possibly 1000's have been made and it seemed to be a waste of time and materials and it seemed as if the “quality management people” missed some major design flaws. I wish I wrote down the fashion quantity so that maybe I may discover a link to it within the web and perhaps you all can see for yourself. There are other women’s energetic put on that is probably not as extreme but leggings sports bra set which still have enough lack of perform so that almost all energetic women simply cannot use them. The Gap and Previous Navy will not be particularly for lively wear however they have small line of such clothes. I think that they're terrible in materials and design. The Hole, Previous Navy, Modell’s, Goal, K-Mart and different such shops, basically solely have clothes fabricated from cotton ( with a number of exceptions). Modell’s is presupposed to be a “sports store” however it carries exercise clothes for girls which is made by Nike, Addidas (and so forth) and although these are nicely-identified model names, I discover that they actually put too much trend into clothing on the expense of function. They went out of business years in the past however additionally they had clothes for girls that I discovered to be impractically designed. In New York City the place I live there may be one REI and two EMSs and one not-as-properly-identified retailer in lower Manhattan which sells all sorts of outdoor/camping/hiking equipment and clothes. There was once a store in NYC called Herman’s and one other referred to as Robbin’s. Far from it. I have seen women in these stores speaking to sales associates and saying that they've regarded in every single place for extra practical designs . There's a company that quite a lot of you probably have heard of called “Title 9.” They strictly make women’s energetic wear. There are various Modell’s and one Sports activities Authority, and a few Previous Navy’s and It would seem that there are numerous stores that might have something for every lady. Guess what? It doesn’t work. The majority of their types are meant to “enhance figures” and make the wearer “look feminine” whereas enjoying sports activities or engaging in rugged out of doors activities. Why do I all the time discover that the clothes that come the closest to being functional and rugged and practical are those which might be discontinued and changed by people who aren’t? Their women’s bathing suits are really useless. They are meant for girls who have good figures , even who are professional fashions and the bathing fits are sexist in my view. They could proceed a sure style for a number of seasons or they could substitute the type and by no means revive it. Why ought to any bathing go well with be “hi-cut” or like a thong and the highest be meant to reveal cleavage? Title 9 has had sure sorts of designs called “Grab and Go” that means that the clothes are so virtually designed that you would be able to simply seize them, throw them on, and stroll out the door to exercise or do anything. Are you going to go swimming or surfing , or are you going to work in a “gentleman’s club” ? I wish that it was as advertised to be. All through my life I've gone from retailer to retailer during certain instances of the 12 months looking for the most effective rugged and useful clothes for winter or summer time. It's always hard to search out anything near what I need. It often goes for footwear and slippers and different footwear too. I often must take whatever comes closest and that's usually within the men’s section. There are designs which I will go to my grave scratching my head over regarding why they have been made the way they were.. I once found some comfortable slip-ons made by Teva. However the absurd thing was that the soles have been designed with fairly-deep grooves that were very carefully spaced they usually have been all over the only real . Just why aren’t sneakers and footwear made to be cleaned? They're the main piece of clothing that will likely be touching the ground and going via all sorts of disgusting stuff. I've had a fantasy of designing footwear which can be meant to be cleaned and are easy to scrub. I can’t for the life of me understand why such a design was made. To allow climbing on rocky or uneven surfaces, and yet it doesn't work on any kind of foot wear like it really 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 producer observed this? With footwear, small rocks and mud and leaves and branches (etc) get caught in the grooves of hiking boot soles. With a Jeep’s wheels, the fixed and intense rolling of the tires implies that a lot of the debris shall be hurled off. No human can create that sort of physical pressure to continually force the mud and pebbles and debris to be hurled out of the shoe’s soles. The way that the grooves are designed it solely makes the soles exhausting to scrub. It means that the grooves on the soles of hiking boots shall be filled up with debris and wouldn't assist a lot in serving to the wearer to successfully climb; that is that if the grooves on the soles of hiking boots are literally meant to allow the wearer to climb. It appears to me that if the soles are made from rubber there isn’t a need for such elaborately designed grooves that only accumulate dirt. I wonder why there aren’t chemists and clothes technicians working on a better kind of rubber that grips on all surfaces or grips higher on rocky surfaces or wherever hiking shoes are used, and it will make it pointless to make grooves on the soles of sneakers. I've seen some unusual designs that don't contribute to operate. It seems to me that grooves are simply put on the soles of footwear for trend functions. This goes for sneakers too. Quite a lot of sneakers which could be good in design in different ways, have very impractically designed soles. As far as sweatpants , scrub pants , and other such kinds of pants, there are these which have “elastic waist” or “comfort waist” and there are those with drawstrings. In fact I am not an expert in making footwear or shoe-soles and i could be improper , however I'm enough of an knowledgeable in wearing shoes meant for active lifestyles and I feel that plenty of shoe manufacturers are specializing in the unsuitable thing. 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 again of the pants waist space. I hate anything with a drawstring waist. I believe it makes the drawstring less efficient and it defeats the aim of the drawstring. Underwear: I've been in shops resembling Ok-Mart and Goal the place there are a big number of women’s underwear. It is hard to search out the form of briefs that the majority of our grandmothers used to put on, not “hi-cuts,” not ” boy shorts,” not thongs. All are horrible in my view. I choose comfort, sturdiness and straightforward-care. All that doesn't speak for me. Something that gets caught you-know-the place is unacceptable. I've been in the underwear part of department stores and different stores (I need to admit I never seemed in Victoria’s Secret but I don’t anticipate to search out something sensible there), and I've seen older women looking for something that's age-acceptable and dignified and , again, practical. There is little other than these hi-cuts. See one of many hyperlinks below for an article concerning the history of women’s underwear. Even “briefs” usually are not modest enough. It seems it has at all times been about physically limiting ladies. That’s the best way I look at it. Also one of many links below result in an article about how there might be a women’s like of clothes which will likely 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've found to what I desire is a sure Jockey brand temporary “Elance.” It has “banded” legs and waist which is the better kind of design to get. Elastic that's merely sewn ONTO the waist and legs tends to be less rugged and the stitching can come undone more easily . I have to order a measurement larger than I normally 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 understand the real function of “athletic bras” the way they're designed. I certain don’t care about “standing out.” ( I truly don’t in any case, and that i don’t care). Bras meant for active lifestyles should hold them in, nothing extra. I have heard of bras meant to “lift and separate.” I've seen some feminine runners who look like high heavy and still they're very fast but I ponder if they are going to develop back problems later in life. I know that I may not be addressing the wants of women born with certain sizes, or who've particular wants akin to after surgery, however sport bras should be made to have enough comfortable tension to stop bouncing. There is a need for bras that do what some jock straps are speculated to do. I would like to design shirts and vests with tension constructed into the right area that might make bras unnecessary. It could be fantastic for warmer weather and for simplicity, so you don’t must bother with attaching a bra and then a shirt. Simply keep “them” from transferring. Just slip into your shirt (and different clothes ) and you'll exit to stroll , jog or whatever. Why isn’t there such a thing? I believe I mentioned in one in every of my previous posts that Coolibar had a fairly good pant for girls called Sun Pant. I'm sure quite a lot of girls would want such forms of clothing. I then installed an elastic band to offer extra tension because the waist band could be a bit too massive otherwise, and the pant is virtually a dream. I did have to change the waist myself by taking out the drawstring which involved slicing into the back of the waistband area since the drawstring was sewn into that space. It is extremely sensible for a whole lot of actions. It is not so lengthy that the hem drags on the floor. It isn't for very very popular weather but that can rely by yourself means to tolerate hot weather. It's of a fabric blend that's not like cotton. All pants ought to have pockets, but sometimes the way the pockets are designed make them ineffective anyway. I find it is a very individual factor. That is how most hiking pants should be designed. It's a teensy bit too dense for very hot weather very very similar to the unique Coolibar Sun Pant. It is meant to be used with a belt but I find that I don’t want one to put on this pant. I discovered a pant on Cabela’s that is for males, however which matches well and it's named “The utility Pant” (see one of many last two hyperlinks below). It stretches a bit so it does not get tight whenever you bend or move. After all not everybody has the identical determine as I accomplish that others might have a special opinion. But in general this is an efficient sort of pant . In the event you do prefer it you need to write to the company and inform them to cling on these pants. One flaw with this pant is that the entrance pockets are designed so as the openings are slits nearly fully parallel with the waist. I feel they are going to discontinue it so you might want to give it a attempt. The material stretches so it isn't as bad as if it had been with jeans with these kinds of pockets. It is an impractical design and that i don’t know why clothing designers make pant pockets like this. With these sorts of pockets you have to maneuver your palms in a extra unnatural manner and even lift the hem of your shirt to put your palms in your front pants pockets. It has to be for style, nothing else. Pockets needs to be a line down the thigh, or a diagonal line is nice too. It's a good suggestion to have zippered pockets. Anybody who has ever gotten his/her open pocket caught on a door knob or the handlebar of a bike while passing by too shut will know what I imply. However sometimes zippers can cause scrapes to the back of the hand when you set your arms in. There's a must design zippers of non-scraping material for this goal. There is also one other men’s pant from Columbia. I think I mentioned them earlier than (see certainly one of the 2 hyperlinks under). Why aren’t any clothing designers working on this? They are of a good materials for sizzling days, however for me, I discovered myself eradicating the belt and sewing an elastic band within the again of the waistband area so as to make the belt pointless. I ride a bike. I hardly ever use shorts even after i jog. However again, I need to settle for whatever comes close to what I need. I got here throughout a working brief known as Brooks Sherpa IV. I tend to only go to clothing shops to look at designs and materials . What I did like about it was the lightweight material. I just questioned why common long pants should not made of such a cloth. It could be excellent for a hiking pant meant for highly regarded weather. The fabric was very much like a really very lightweight softshell. There's one from the North Face referred to as The Prolix jacket. I love softshell clothing. It is very lightweight, not very good for chilly weather by itself but you can put layering beneath it. It is flexible and suits excellently and allows freedom of movement. But softshells are made for winter, spring and fall, not summer season. Also , why aren’t there any actually really virtually-designed vests? The Brook’s Sherpa IV would make a terrific summertime softshell. There must be a vest for touring. I discover myself wishing for such a thing. It doesn't exist. Why not make one among lightweight and stretchy materials? I know that I have said to much on this put up. I'll cease for now. I hope I did not bore anyone. I've a lot of concepts for the better design of clothing and I will probably publish again with my ideas unless I'm told to not. I could have been a bit political too.