Dressed for action
Evolving from frumpy to fun, outdoor clothing fits all-day activities
Moving beyond the crewneck T-shirts and sweatpants of yore, the women’s outdoor-apparel market is blossoming with style and sensibility.
It just makes good business sense, as the number of women engaged in outdoor activities has inched up over the years. About 46% of people participating in outdoor recreation in 2022 were women, compared to 43.5% in 2007, according to a report from the Outdoor Foundation and Outdoor Industry Association.
more wardrobe options and fashionable choices, from nicely shaped stretch pants to environmentally conscious recycled fabric.
Today’s outdoor apparel supplements your mother’s plain Jane — but functional — outerwear, punctuated by vibrant colors or subtle earth tones, interesting graphic patterns as well as landscape and animal motifs.
“Customers want to look good when going from a hike to dinner to town. They don’t have to compromise on style,” said Stacy Finnemore, L.L. Bean’s director of women’s apparel in Freeport, Maine.
The 112-year-old outdoors stalwart has grown its women’s apparel business by 34% since 2015, said Amanda Hannah, the company’s head of external communications. New products include its SunSmart line, launched in 2020, offering clothing with a 50 Ultraviolet Protection Factor rating and insect repellent.
Many outdoor producers also now offer apparel with stretchy material and designs to neutralize the impact of weather. This clothing is also practical.
Who wants to lose their keys or snacks when hiking the Rachel Carson Trail? Women’s — and men’s — outdoor offerings feature lots of pockets and zippers.
There are no fewer than seven pockets in a pair of caramel Livsn Women’s Ecotrek Trail Crop Pants ($139), made from nylon derived from recycled ocean buoys and sold at the 3 Rivers Outdoor Company in Regent Square.
The fast fashion of ready-made clothes is at odds with the ethos of sustainably. But outdoor clothing can be — and often is — environmentally friendly.
An estimated 11.3 million tons of discarded textiles, primarily clothing, ended up at U.S. dumps in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Enter Patagonia and numerous other garment producers, who are using recycled plastic and other upcycled materials in their wares.
“It’s good to be able to continue that trend of sustainability in products. You’re seeing that across the board,” said 3 Rivers co-owner Jason Miller, 38.
The Regent Square-based store offers an eclectic selection of clothing, gear and outdoor events, and partners with local environmental nonprofits — even serving up local craft beer in the store daily for donations to those nonprofits. Currently, Butler Brew Works is on tap to benefit Trail Pittsburgh.
Outdoor clothing is more durable than average apparel. It is made to withstand friction and to weather nature’s many moods and unpredictable conditions.
The higher quality apparel from specialty outdoor clothiers lasts longer and is a more sustainable choice, Miller said.
What’s ‘gorpcore’?
Outdoor clothing doubling as fashionable street wear has a name: gorpcore.
“People are recognizing the importance of their buying decision for clothing that both looks good and is functional,” Miller said. “You could be having a beer with friends and dinner and then you
could go hiking in Frick Park, and you‘ve got clothing that works for both of those.”
These wardrobes are no longer for just the serious outdoor warriors and athletes.
Outdoor stores including 3 Rivers also market to average people who may take short hikes and go on some tamer adventures, but these are outings nonetheless.
“They don’t need tight-fitting pantsfor performance,” Miller said.
Outdoor pants are made with higher-quality designs and stitching, as well as stretching ability to handle athletic movement, he said.
“The pants are super comfortable and can stretch to give you a range of mobility for a hiker or a rock climber,” Miller said. “I wear mine everywhere — they look like khakis.”
Outdoor apparel is practical in normal life, sometimes more so than regular clothing. It’s easier to adapt gear and clothing meant for the outdoors and use them in everyday life than vice-versa, Miller noted.
“The outdoor clothing niche offers pieces that can get wet for longer periods. We live in Western Pennsylvania — you want the rain jackets, and it can be a fashion thing,” he said.
It can also be a convenience thing: A lightweight jacket, such as Patagonia’s Houdini hooded windbreaker, folds up to fit into its own zipper pocket, shrinking down to the size of the palm of your hand.
“You can put that in a purse or a back pocket,” Miller said.
Myriad styles & sizes
Gone are the days when women’s primary outdoor athletic option involved snug, sausage casing-style running pants and a clingy shirt. The outdoor industry is now dressing women of all shapes and letting them feel comfortable and less self-conscious in the process.
More than a decade ago, outdoor clothes came in a preponderance of fitted styles, Finnemore noted
Manufacturers including L.L. Bean now incorporate a range of sizes in their design process — petites to 3X — to be more inclusive, she said.
She wants customers to feel good in stylish, highly functional clothing regardless of size. “We want to be the outdoor brand for everybody,” she said.
Among the hottest-selling items at 3 Rivers Outdoor Co. this winter was an oversized sweater that sold out, Miller said.
Customers drawn to different cuts can actually move past those snug running leggings — without having to hunt like they might in the past.
L.L. Bean has had a loyal following for its outdoor pants and, in the last two years, has expanded its offerings with wider legs and fabrics with comfort stretch for women.
“We had a big fall denim initiative that was fantastic, and a spring line with comfortable stretch cotton pants,” Finnemore said.
Also gone is the need to dress in block colors, if that’s not your thing, as clothing manufacturers are also offering unique patterns and colors, Miller said.
“They are making products that stand out for folks who have a desire to be flashy or rather fun,” Miller said. “You are having fun outdoors and the clothing is reciprocating that energy,” he said.
To keep the options fresh, 3 Rivers seeks out new brands; it recently started offering apparel from Passenger, of England.
The company’s eco-friendly and whimsical clothing line puts “responsibility and adventure at the heart of every product,” according to its website.
The Clover Recycled Deep-Pile Sherpa Fleece features irregular bands of crimson, white and navy, regularly priced at nearly $140, and is one of the newest arrivals featured on Passenger’s website.
3 Rivers Outdoor Company is one of the first U.S. retailers to pick them up, according to Miller.
“We’re kind of excited to work with them,” he said. “They have a clothing line that is relaxed and comfortable but still has the looks.”
That is the hallmark of the topselling outdoor apparel, said Miller. “Relaxed fit means a lot for people and does not need to be restraining for a technical fit,” he said.
Performative fabrics
Whatever outdoor activity you have your sights on, fabrics in this realm should support it, whether the need be moisture-wicking, heatretaining or something else. And while material blends — like those Smartwool hiking socks you love — are popular (and functional), some fabric staples, including cotton and linen,remain popular.
Women continue to gravitate to lightweight natural fibers with L.L. Bean’s Cloud Gauze line with 100% cotton garments, Finnemore said.
While cotton or a synthetic blend is a personal preference, cotton has always been queen, she added.
“Cotton is the original performance material in some ways,” she said. “It’s comfortable, wears well and lasts a long time.”
Same thing with linen. It too is trending as a natural fiber favorite with L.L. Bean in women’s tops and bottoms.
The company is also responding to customers’ clothing preferences amid climate change by offering a greater selection of all-season use clothing.