This is more a rant than anything else, and a bit removed from the discussion of hiking, and hiking clothes for ladies. Yes I might love to start a clothing company of my own which might even have it’s personal “social mission” so to speak. Clothing firms goals are earning profits by concentrating on women. In the method the majority of clothing firms make the world worse for girls. It is as if it is an agenda towards women. Probably most women’s styles are designed and conceptualized by men from the drawing board to the ultimate sewing together of the apparel item. The few girls who're within the women’s clothing design trade apparently are doing little or nothing to instigate a pattern towards higher clothing designs for ladies who want practicality, dignity and operate of their clothes. And that is the place the dilemma is available in for a variety of ladies who don’t care about “Looking younger” or “Being girly.” Ladies who just need useful, comfortable clothes are truly underrepresented . Sure, a lot of people would say “Not so. Since loads of low-rise or skin-tight jeans, and cleavage-revealing shirts and crotch-size shorts, and tastelessly-brief skirts are the type of clothes that in all probability nearly all of ladies buy (judging by the prominence and availability of such clothes) , then it means those are the types that can continue to be manufactured and furthermore these kinds of “feminine styles” will make their method into all kinds of women’s clothes, even those which can be purported to be for operate not style. ” So their women’s shirts are designed with “princess seams” and curve-enhancing stitches and so on. It isn't the one clothes company that makes “active-women’s wear” that incorporates trend into function. It brings us again to where we started. As quite a couple of girls who posted here on “Hiking Lady” have said, they resort to men’s clothing for better fit, better comfort, higher freedom of movement and better durability. I would say that on the whole unisex sizing is the perfect method to go together with some options that might assist accommodate individuals who might need a bit more hip or belly (both women and men). The majority of women’s “active wear” just don’t have it. ’s clothing. Men’s sizes are larger even when it comes to “small” sizes for men. I doubt this is unattainable. Usually, ladies can match into men’s clothing this fashion. The scrubs had been offered by the power. I lately was working in a analysis facility and was required to wear scrubs. I informed her that on the subject of scrubs, a measurement small pant doesn't match me and it's unusual because most small-dimension men’s pants match me. The availability person said she thought a measurement small would fit me. The supply particular person said that it's because women have hips and males don’t. I advised her that it appears that evidently a lot of small-sized males would find it hard to fit in most small-sized scrubs too. What a lot of people appear to forget is that some men do have fairly-distinguished hips and the majority of men’s clothes are meant for men with completely straight hips. Actually when men get older, in their 40s they fairly often develop bigger hips. Years ago, I recall a radio business for a special type of Levis jeans which had been meant for older men and it was mentioned that the options had extra room within the hip and thigh. Yet males have a better deal in relation to clothes. Women’s clothes is all the time made to include trend slightly than operate. EMS and REI and Sierra Buying and selling Post, and Moosejaw, and Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Guide, and various other such shops, or on-line stores have a few of the higher sorts of clothing meant for hiking and other outdoor activities. Manufacturers resembling Ex-Officio, Arctryx, The North Face, Sherpa, Marmot, Mammut, Mountain Hardwear, Columbia and varied others. These manufacturers are likely to have the absolute best materials, and the most effective features. They've the best mix of fabrics in order to be lightweight as potential for sizzling days and which may protect in chilly days without a variety of bulk. They are inclined to have SPF built in to protect the wearer from the sun’s rays. I had to make use of a large dimension to have room for my shoulders and arms however then the part of the jacket that was under 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 girls by The North Face. It was “merely” meant to reinforce the feminine type whereas being “useful” for out of doors exercise, or that's what the designers had in mind and yet I should surprise what they have been pondering by making a jacket like this. It felt tight and limiting once i moved. I don’t know how it ever received manufactured and possibly thousands were made and it seemed to be a waste of time and supplies and it seemed as if the “quality control people” missed some main design flaws. I wish I wrote down the model number so that maybe I could discover a hyperlink to it in the web and maybe you all can see for yourself. There are other women’s lively put on that will not be as excessive however which still have sufficient lack of operate so that the majority energetic girls simply can not use them. The Hole and Previous Navy are not notably for lively wear however they have small line of such clothing. I feel that they are awful in material and design. The Hole, Previous Navy, Modell’s, Target, Ok-Mart and different such shops, primarily solely have clothes made of cotton ( with a couple of exceptions). Modell’s is alleged to be a “sports store” but it surely carries train clothes for ladies which is made by Nike, Addidas (etc) and though these are well-recognized brand names, shorts bra I find that they actually put too much trend into clothes on the expense of perform. They went out of enterprise years ago but additionally they had clothes for girls that I found to be impractically designed. In New York Metropolis the place I dwell there is one REI and two EMSs and one not-as-properly-recognized store in decrease Manhattan which sells all sorts of out of doors/camping/hiking tools and clothing. There was once a store in NYC referred to as Herman’s and another referred to as Robbin’s. Removed from it. I have seen ladies in these stores speaking to gross sales associates and saying that they've seemed in every single place for extra practical designs . There may be an organization that plenty of you in all probability have heard of referred to as “Title 9.” They strictly make women’s energetic wear. There are various Modell’s and one Sports activities Authority, and a few Old Navy’s and It would seem that there are a lot of shops that may have one thing for each girl. Guess what? It doesn’t work. The vast majority of their styles are meant to “enhance figures” and make the wearer “look feminine” whereas taking part in sports or participating in rugged outdoor actions. Why do I all the time discover that the clothes that come the closest to being purposeful and rugged and sensible are the ones which might be discontinued and changed by those who aren’t? Their women’s bathing suits are really ineffective. They are meant for girls who've good figures , even who're professional fashions and the bathing fits are sexist in my opinion. They might continue a certain fashion for a number of seasons or they could replace the model and by no means revive it. Why ought to any bathing suit 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” which means that the clothes are so practically designed that you could simply grab them, throw them on, and walk out the door to exercise or do anything else. 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. Throughout my life I have gone from store to retailer throughout sure times of the year on the lookout for the best rugged and practical clothes for winter or summer season. It's at all times laborious to find something near what I want. It typically goes for shoes and slippers and other footwear too. I typically have to take whatever comes closest and that's often in the men’s section. There are designs which I'll go to my grave scratching my head over regarding why they were made the best way they had been.. I once discovered some comfortable slip-ons made by Teva. But the absurd factor was that the soles have been designed with pretty-deep grooves that were very carefully spaced they usually had been all over the sole . Simply why aren’t sneakers and footwear made to be cleaned? They're the principle piece of clothing that will likely be touching the ground and going by means of all kinds of disgusting stuff. I've had a fantasy of designing sneakers that are meant to be cleaned and are easy to wash. I can’t for the life of me perceive why such a design was made. To enable climbing on rocky or uneven surfaces, and yet it does not work on any type of foot put on like it works on a Jeep’s tires. I do know that hiking boot soles are made like a Jeep’s tires are made. Why hasn’t any clothes manufacturer seen this? With footwear, small rocks and mud and leaves and branches (and so on) get caught in the grooves of hiking boot soles. With a Jeep’s wheels, the fixed and intense rolling of the tires signifies that lots of the debris will likely be hurled off. No human can create that type of physical pressure to continually 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 arduous to wash. It signifies that the grooves on the soles of hiking boots will be crammed up with debris and would not help a lot in helping the wearer to effectively climb; that is that if the grooves on the soles of hiking boots are actually 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 solely accumulate dirt. I ponder why there aren’t chemists and clothing technicians engaged on a better kind of rubber that grips on all surfaces or grips higher on rocky surfaces or wherever hiking footwear are used, and it could make it unnecessary to make grooves on the soles of footwear. I've seen some unusual designs that don't contribute to operate. It appears to me that grooves are simply placed on the soles of shoes for fashion functions. This goes for sneakers too. 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 sorts of pants, there are these which have “elastic waist” or “comfort waist” and there are those with drawstrings. In fact I am not an knowledgeable in making shoes or shoe-soles and that i might be unsuitable , however I am sufficient of an expert in carrying shoes meant for lively lifestyles and I feel that a lot of shoe manufacturers are focusing on the flawed 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 back of the pants waist space. I hate anything with a drawstring waist. I think it makes the drawstring much less effective and it defeats the purpose of the drawstring. Underwear: I've been in stores resembling Okay-Mart and Target where there are a large variety of women’s underwear. It is tough to find the sort of briefs that the majority of our grandmothers used to wear, not “hi-cuts,” not ” boy shorts,” not thongs. All are horrible in my opinion. I choose comfort, durability and straightforward-care. All that does not converse for me. Anything that gets caught you-know-the place is unacceptable. I've been in the underwear part of shops and different stores (I must admit I never regarded in Victoria’s Secret but I don’t count on to search out anything sensible there), and I've seen older ladies looking for one thing that's age-acceptable and dignified and , again, practical. There's little other than those hello-cuts. See one of many links beneath for an article concerning the history of women’s underwear. Even “briefs” aren't modest enough. It seems it has always been about bodily limiting ladies. That’s the way I have a look at it. Additionally one of many links below result in an article about how there might be a women’s like of clothes which will probably be inspired by “Barbie.” Isn’t this 2014? It signifies that the elastic is sewn into the “hem” of the legs and waist. The closest I have found to what I choose is a sure Jockey brand temporary “Elance.” It has “banded” legs and waist which is the better sort 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 easily . I should order a measurement larger than I usually would so 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 objective of “athletic bras” the best way they are designed. I sure don’t care about “standing out.” ( I truly don’t in any case, and i don’t care). Bras meant for lively lifestyles ought to hold them in, nothing extra. I have heard of bras meant to “lift and separate.” I've seen some feminine runners who look like top heavy and still they are very quick but I ponder if they'll develop back problems later in life. I do know that I might not be addressing the needs of ladies born with sure sizes, or who've particular needs reminiscent of after surgical procedure, however sport bras ought to be made to have enough snug tension to prevent bouncing. There may be a necessity for bras that do what some jock straps are imagined to do. I would like to design shirts and vests with tension constructed into the proper area that may make bras unnecessary. It can be fantastic for warmer weather and for simplicity, so that you don’t need to trouble with attaching a bra after which a shirt. Simply keep “them” from transferring. Simply slip into your shirt (and different clothes ) and you may exit to stroll , jog or whatever. Why isn’t there such a thing? I think I mentioned in one in all my earlier posts that Coolibar had a fairly good pant for girls referred to as Sun Pant. I'm certain numerous women would need such sorts of clothing. I then installed an elastic band to offer extra tension because the waist band can 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 space since the drawstring was sewn into that space. It is vitally sensible for a number of activities. It isn't so long that the hem drags on the flooring. It is not for very very hot weather however that can rely by yourself skill to tolerate hot weather. It is of a fabric blend that is not like cotton. All pants should have pockets, but typically the best way the pockets are designed make them ineffective anyway. I find it is a really particular person factor. This is how most hiking pants must be designed. It is a teensy bit too dense for very hot weather very very like the unique Coolibar Solar Pant. It is meant for use with a belt but I find that I don’t want one to wear this pant. I discovered a pant on Cabela’s that's for males, however which fits properly and it's named “The utility Pant” (see one of many final two links beneath). It stretches a bit so it doesn't get tight once you bend or move. Of course not everyone has the identical figure as I achieve this others might need a special opinion. However generally this is a good sort of pant . In case you do like it you should write to the company and tell them to hold on these pants. One flaw with this pant is that the front pockets are designed so as the openings are slits almost utterly parallel with the waist. I feel they are going to discontinue it so that you might want to present it a try. The fabric stretches so it isn't as bad as if it have been with jeans 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 you must maneuver your arms in a more unnatural manner and even carry the hem of your shirt to put your fingers in your entrance pants pockets. It needs to be for type, nothing else. Pockets needs to be a line down the thigh, or a diagonal line is nice too. It's a good idea 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 close will know what I mean. But generally zippers could cause scrapes to the back of the hand when you place your fingers in. There is a need to design zippers of non-scraping material for this goal. There can also be one other men’s pant from Columbia. I believe I mentioned them earlier than (see one of the 2 links beneath). Why aren’t any clothing designers engaged on this? They are of a very good material for sizzling days, however for me, I found myself eradicating the belt and sewing an elastic band in the again of the waistband area in order to make the belt unnecessary. I experience a bike. I not often use shorts even when i jog. But again, I need to settle for no matter comes close to what I need. I came across a running short called Brooks Sherpa IV. I tend to simply go to clothing shops to take a look at designs and supplies . What I did like about it was the lightweight materials. I just questioned why common long pants aren't product of such a material. It would be excellent for a hiking pant meant for very popular weather. The fabric was very very similar to a very very lightweight softshell. There's one from the North Face known as The Prolix jacket. I like softshell clothes. It is rather lightweight, not superb for chilly weather by itself but you'll be able to put layering underneath it. It is versatile and suits excellently and permits freedom of motion. But softshells are made for winter, spring and fall, not summer. Additionally , why aren’t there any actually really virtually-designed vests? The Brook’s Sherpa IV would make an amazing summertime softshell. There needs to be a vest for touring. I discover myself wishing for such a factor. It doesn't exist. Why not make one in all lightweight and stretchy materials? I do know that I have mentioned to a lot in this submit. I will cease for now. I hope I did not bore anyone. I've a number of ideas for the higher design of clothes and I'll probably put up once more with my concepts unless I am advised to not. I could have been a bit political too.