Timberland has just launched its Autumn and Winter 2006 range including ... wait for it ... a range of women's gear. Up until now the company has manufactured boots in men's and women's sizes, but the apparel has been exclusively for men. Well, it's all change now. There's a glossy new catalogue especially for women; the range is still considerably smaller than the male equivalent but if it's successful then it's likely to grow. It will available in the shops from late summer onwards.
Timberland For Women ...
Another new development is the range of retailers who'll be stocking Timberland gear. It's no news that Timberland isn't exclusively an outoors manufacturer but has at least half an eye on the high street. Nonetheless, their bid to be taken seriously as a manufacturer of outdoor gear has taken a boost now that 'Blacks' and 'Snow and Rock' have decided to stock their products for the first time this season. Wait and see if that enhances their waterproofing and wicking credentials:-)
To take a closer look at the gear itself, the showpiece of this autumn's collection is a new footsole system designed to cater for people whose width of foot isn't standard for their foot length. It's a footsole with a difference in that it has six layers, so you can buy boots that are the right length for your feet and then increase or decrease the volume by adding or removing soles. The other advantage is that you can stuff a different number of layers of footsole into each boot if your feet are different sizes. According to Timberland, this is 35% of men, if you take 'different sizes' to mean half a size difference in length, or more. This was part of the thinking behind the manufacture of the 'PreciseFit' sole system. As you've probably guessed from the stats, the soles aren't available in women's sizes, but again, if they take off then that might change next season.
PreciseFit Sole System
As for the clothes, there's a lot of emphasis on the use of organic and natural materials. We were told that 40% of the range includes organic cotton - not exactly the height of wicking technology then. There's a lot of emphasis on visual appearance as well - apparently this season's colour is 'Druk red', named after Bhutan national airlines, and inspired by a visit to the Himalayas. We're always a little suspicious of manufacturers who talk too much about the look, rather than the warmth, waterproofing, and other comfort-based terms. Still, there's a wide range of gear so this doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a more technical element to the range as well. Get down to Snow and Rock if you want to find out:-)
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As it's the first year that Timberland have stocked a women's range, they emphasised that feedback would be very welcome. This is easy to give on their website, so it's obviously high in their priorities. Unfortunately there isn't a UK website yet, but watch this space as the plan is to launch one later this year.
