Womens Jackets

Martin Latewood

25/02/2002 at 14:28

I'm trying to find a proper mountaineering jacket for the g/f, but I can't seem to find any with all the features she's looking for. Ideally, she would like it to be gore tex with pit zips, powder skirt, large hood and come down to about mid thigh. There are plenty of mens jackets that fit the bill, but as she's quite petite, they end up swamping her. All of the women specific design's that we've seen are only suitable for shopping on the high st. and not stomping across Welsh/Scottish mountains.

Oh, and any suggestions for shops that carry a good range in store would be usefull.

Ta.

Orange Alex Ford

25/02/2002 at 19:08

Where do you live Martin? It'd be easier to tell you the best shops.

Personally for ladies gear, try Cotswolds stores, the one I used to frequent in Harrogate seemed to be awash with ladies stuff...more so than mens!

Ninja Marmot

25/02/2002 at 19:13

If you're near Derbyshire - Outside at Hathersage is a cornucopia of delights.

joan collins

26/02/2002 at 09:05

Most outdoor shops I've been in sell technical women's jackets. The range is never broad, but there's usually something there. Having said that, finding one at this time of year, being the end of the winter season, may be harder.

Many good shops don't have branches all over the country, so it would be helpful to know where you live if you want specific recommendations. it would also be useful to know what you mean by 'petite' in terms of height and size, as some manufacturers don't cater for very small sizes.

Simon Wrathall

26/02/2002 at 10:23

One recommendation for a good long jacket would be the Lowe Alpine Forraker - it comes in mens & womens versions and has lots of features. Heavier than some but I've been very happy with it.

I had the same problem myself finding one that came below the crotch level. As the trend seems to be for 'multi-activity' wear most jackets tend to be too short.

p.s. have you tried mail order? - a lot of people on OM seem to use outdoorgarage.com

Ben Hedley

26/02/2002 at 11:41

try snow and rock esp the superstores in bristol etc, they have a huge range of gear. Also try things like the snowboard shops as Quicksilver, Ripcurl and O-niel do a womans range, these tend to be technicl enough to fit your description although they tend to be an inhouse fabric not gore-tex.

Other places to try are the factory outlets. If She's quite small then you tend to get the bargins. Cheshire oaks has a mtn wearhouse and a North face. Plus there's a karrimor in Manchester.

Martin Latewood

26/02/2002 at 12:02

Thanks for the replies, I live in S.Wales, but we've tried all the local shops as well as those in Betws-y-Coed and Aviemore.

To be honest, I've seen loads of jackets that seem ok to me, but fail the female test
because the arms are too long, the waist is to tight, the hoods too small, the wrong colour etc.

I'd forgotten about Outside in Hathersage, might be time for a trip to Stanage.

Heidi Declercq

26/02/2002 at 15:06

Hello,

The Mountain light parka from the North face has all the features your just describing.
If you don't find it in a store near you, maybe ordering on line might be an option. I've tried out cmm online and cotswold outdoor recently and I had no problems with it.

Greetz,
Heidi

Jon Doran

26/02/2002 at 17:02

The latest women's specific jackets from Sprayway are definitely worth a look. The cut (I'm reliably informed) is very neat, more tapered and women-centric and they do a top line XCR mountaineering jacket too. The reason it's hard to find top end mountain jackets that are mid thigh in length is that anything that long potentially interferes with thigh movement on high-stepping climbing moves. Patagonia's latest tech climbing shell addresses this by having a scoop at the front while staying longish at the back for more butt protection...

The cut of a lot of women's gear isn't great, I'm told. The Spraway stuff however does seem better than most. Definitely worth a look if you haven't tried it already.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com

Ben Hedley

26/02/2002 at 23:20

Maria's extreme xcr jacket (one of the trail issues) looked prettty mint. dont know spec or price

joan collins

27/02/2002 at 09:05

Reading between the lines of your second post, Martin, it seems as though the problem may be an aesthetic rather than a functional one. I can fully sympathise with your gf on this - who wants to drop £200 on an ill-fitting, fugly jacket?

The most attractive women's jackets are made by Patagonia, and their 'small' size equates to a UK 10 and is not over-voluminous. Unfortunately, not many UK stockists carry a wide selection, though Outside usually have a few. You might want to take a look at their online catalogue www.patagonia.com. You can order by mail or phone from their Munich branch.

Marmot also make some good looking jackets, and again their small size is a 10, and has probably the shortest sleeves (by about 1") of any brand. Both brands are well constructed and technically of high quality.

Jon Doran

27/02/2002 at 10:34

Just a quick follow up, the Berghaus jacket is nice, but cut quite loosely for a top-end technical garment. The Sprayway one I was on about before is called the Vertigo and the cut is more 'designed' and slimmer fitting than most of the UK women's stuff. Sal tried one at last year's Harrogate trade show and was raving about it.

I'd also second Joan's suggestions of Patagonia and Marmot, though none of this stuff is cheap, but I guess you know that already...

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com

Ben Hedley

27/02/2002 at 10:57

High sports in shrews < seen to be big patagonia stockists as well as Lowe and TNF.

Floating through the high stret as the floods come again.

Ben

Ben Hedley

27/02/2002 at 10:58

ooops, didn't mean to do that

for High sports details click this

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