I like a bright yellow, a fresh green, and a luscious orange: Yes, I like it colourful, but pink, magenta, purple, baby blue and turquois are not really my thing, yet, I do wear all these “ladies” colours in the outdoors. Because when you’re like me getting most of your stuff from ebay or facebook groups, your priority list starts with functionality, quality, size, price and condition – colour is the least of your concerns. Actually you are thrilled to find something that ticks all the other boxes: I’ve been looking for a pair of used technical winter mountaineering boots for quite some while and I’d probably take a bright pink exemplary without batting an eyelid now, because it’s like looking for a needle in the haystack. And now just imagine the challenge plus-sized women face when looking for outdoor gear. ..
We’ve come quite far though: 200 years ago female mountaineers summited complete in dresses. When Annie Smith Peck climbed Matterhorn in 1895 on one of the most technical routes, her success was overshadowed by the discussion on whether or not she should be arrested for wearing trousers.
Obviously this didn’t stop more women to not only conquering summits but also to claim their space in the outdoor world. Usually in ill-fitting boots, clothing and backpacks, as for a long time there was only male-specific equipment on the market.
Until some marketers came up with the “shrink it and pink it” idea and actually, if they had really done so, it wouldn’t have been too bad, but much of the pinked up equipment then lacked in the areas of technical performance and functionality, and women continued to compete in unsuitable attire.
Today we have actually made real progress and although our choice is not as varied and by far not as large a selection as the men’s, women with the right budget on hand can find functional and fitting equipment when they search long enough. So, ohmmmm, it will trickle down in reaching distance of bare pursed people like myself at some point. And, just an idea, why can’t developers focus on body features and forget the gender it is stereotypically associated with? I’m pretty sure, some men might benefit from this as well.