Soapbox

I've been getting rather irritated by salesmen at trade shows and outdoor shops talking incessantly about the colour and graphics on their women's gear before they ever mention the materials or features. Does anyone else get annoyed by this? How much attention do you pay to appearance when you buy outdoor gear (whether you're male or female)? And is it just me, or do you find it condescending if salesmen start talking colour as soon as they see a female shopper?

It really pees me off!! I don't want 'nice girly' pastel shades - why can't they just produce kit in the same colour as the men's stuff? In fact, 'nice girly' pastel shades are a complete put-off as far as I'm concerned, and I might NOT buy something because it was in such a naff colour.

I always got really annoyed shopping for jumpers - men's jumpers are generally good strong colours, women's are invariable 'nice girly' pastel blues, yellows and PINKS (ugh)!!

Yes, it irritates me a bit too (although not nearly as much as the paucity of trousers in short leg lengths - especially those with zips or other kinds of features on the ankle part). I don't particularly object to pastel colours but they seem so impractical for 'technical' clothes. I think, on average, I'd be 40% concerned with things like colour and appearance and 60% concerned with fit and performance. It's hard to quantify though and I think it varies depending on the item. A waterproof, for example, I'd probably be more like 20/80, but maybe with some other things like tops or trousers I might be leaning more towards 50/50.

My fave colours for outdoor kit - in fact any clothing - are blue, purple/lilac and black. Some greys are also nice.

Fit and function come first though.

I hate baby pinks and baby blues in outdoor clothing. It's OK for tshirts etc, but fleeces, jackets etc? Noooo. I have NO desire to look like a fkn marshmallow when on the hill!!
I used to just wear black, green, grey, cream etc on the hill. Understated practical colours. For climbing I have brighter things, but only because I get nagged that blacks and greys look awful in photos!

I don't have anything against blue per se - in fact, I wear rather a lot of it - but like you say, function comes first. It also strikes me as odd that retailers will make items like trail shoes in baby blue, for aesthetic value. Ten minutes on a muddy path and they won't be baby blue at all - they'll be a nice brown hiking boot kind of colour, so even if you are appearance conscious, you'll just look like a fashion attempt gone wrong. Or do retailers not realise we can think ahead that far?

Ahh but Susan, you forget. This marketing is aimed at the same people who buy 4x4s for the school run, and get horrified if any mud sullies their precious new shiny paintwork! You don't think that baby blue boot wearers would actually want to go on a hill do you? In the MUD for goodness sake? Heaven forbid!!! ;-)

Susan and Cara-Lyn, do these comments apply to Inov-8 shoes as well? To be fair to them their marketing concentrates on function, but what a daft range of colour combinations.

I don't actually have any Inov-8 shoes at the moment. My baby blue shoes are TNF Hedgehog XCRs, which I find really comfy, but I'm still rather amused by the colour.

Can't speak for the ladies obviously...

but colour is a interesting issue as it DOES have a function.

My last set of water proofs were bought 2-3 years ago and so are of course black- which looks great and can be worn for dinner(although black before dinner is so vulgar!)

But as soon as the sun comes out...it gets warm. And I always remember being told as a lad that bright colours were the best for outdoors so we can find you. But then I just can't wear red- its sooo not me.

But then white shows the dirt- so my question is, bearing in mind the above, and ignoring the subjective question on taste, just what is the optimum colour?

I'd say it depends on the item. I'd never buy a black sunhat or black summer shirt - as you say, they absorb the heat. On the other hand, I wouldn't buy a white pair of trail shoes, or a white shell jacket/trousers. Colour does have a function when it comes to reflecting/absorbing sunlight, so it is worth thinking about when you're buying gear. I suspect women's gear isn't so often made in pastel colours for those reasons though:-)

The other thing with colour is visibility. I used to be quite into kayaking and I always figured that my boat should be as bright and colourful as possible, so everyone could see the upturned base of it clearly when I capsized. Not that I don't trust my roll or anything:-)

I can see how that would be annoying. Particularly if a salesman deliberately alters his 'pitch' when speaking to a woman, as if she wouldn't be able to handle anything more technical than the colour.

Having said that, my girlfriend actually quite likes the baby blue outdoor coats - thankfully (for me) she actually purchases 'normal' colours, like dark blue or dark green etc!

Good point Susan

But is it like buying underwear for your Missus at christmas- never buy red?

the Angel's opinion is unprintable. free translations below.

here i am, trying to get to her to come out with me and all i get is along the lines of "not be seen dead wearing that!!"
she seriously hates the colours as she is "not a small child"

(making slow inroads after i caught her looking at rucksacks and bought her one, which she thinks is the best thing since whenever)

black hat or shirt. quite right. but why do only women's clothes have an option of white and not men's.

Most of my outdoors gear is black, with a few bits of purple (if it's buffalo it's got to be purple) and grey/blue thrown in for good measure. The couple of girly coloured things I do have are a pair of scarpa summer boots (they were powder blue but after the first outing became grey / brown) and a kind of lilac LAMM t-shirt (weren't too many options on the colour at the time). Thing is, these companies must sell this stuff otherwise they wouldn't make it in the first place!

Anita - your wardrobe sounds just like mine! Lilac is best in a smoky colour....

JJ
Aye, I'm not overly fussed by the lilac colour but the t-shirt material is great as it's very light (think it's lowe alpine dryzone) and dries in seconds.
I much prefer black in all things. Only problem with this is sweat marks show up when they dry, leaving a white, salt mark. The black vest top I wore on the Saunders this year was disgusting when I put it back on on the Sun, great white rings round my boobs - lovely! I'm sure that wouldn't have been quite so obvious with a powder blue vest top!

I quite like the orange, pink, lilac and baby blue ladies hill ware.....


It highlights a walker as a woman thus giving me the opportunity to rummage in my rucsac until she is safely past me in case she feels threatend by my male presence ;0)

Only joking ;0)

Seriously though, I was in Craigdon the other day; few pastels in sight in the ladies section, most red, deep purple, deep navy, dark green etc. In other words the same shades as in the mens section.

There must be some demand though because I've seen women on the hills attired in the fashion scorned above, and not because that it was the only thing available if my experience is anything to go by.

My advice would be, the next time some one tries to patronise you with "see the lovely colours lady", tell them what you really want (as here). They'll soon get the message 8o)

Sounds sensible. The only trouble is that you have to start all over again every time you go into a different outdoor store. Oh well, there are worse tribulations:-)