The Function of Apparel: More than Just a Pretty Color

“Women don’t need pockets because they have purses.”

“No, women need purses because we don’t have any pockets.”

Somewhere, somehow, along some timeline, we’ve lost functionality in women’s clothes. Fashion now overrides function: faux pockets, unusable pockets, no pockets; narrow beltloops, no beltloops; delicate material, itchy material, uncomfortable material; limited fit, odd fit, “who-on-earth-does-this-fit?” fit. Clothes should enhance our lives, not increase the struggle. This is especially true for women in the adventure and tactical industries; women who need functional clothes for their occupations.

Surprisingly enough, I’ve been asked numerous times if women really need the type of functional clothing KADRI designs. While I used to respond sarcastically and emphatically, I’ve learned—to the inquirer—it’s a very serious question that sadly needs logical justification.

So here we go.

To put it simply, it’s about performance.

Pants:

I’m very passionate about my pants because I spent my time in the Marine Corps wearing men’s pants. That means obstacle courses, ruck marches, convoys, patrols, and flights carrying around excess fabric, chaffing, rubbing and other discomforts. The one thing I did have in these men’s pants? Pockets. You don’t see a service member or law enforcement officer in uniform carrying a purse. Why? Because her pants have pockets. And why do her pants have pockets? Because they are men’s pants. Thus, completing the circle.

It’s mindboggling to have to explain why women need pockets, but I’m going to anyway. We have a lot of stuff we need to carry…just like men—more so than men, in some instances. And I want my hands free when I’m ­­_____ (walking…working…fill in your blank). Having your hands free enables them to be ready for whatever: whether it’s catching yourself if you trip while exploring, grabbing onto a child’s hand before they cross the road, or fighting back if you’re attacked. Using a purse means you’re down a hand, and that’s just not going to do. And let’s be honest, purses aren’t meant to be used in the adventure-tactical world. You don’t carry a purse out into the field; you don’t carry a purse trekking along the backcountry.

Performance pants should have functional pockets (deep and wide enough to be useful) as well as durability to match the lifestyle. If they rip easily, bust at the seams, or don’t flex to movement, can they really be called performance? Or are you buying something that just looks pretty? We all carry weight differently; we are all built differently. Pants should flex to our body types; we shouldn’t have to flex to the clothing industry’s obscure standards.

Shirts:

Look, I don’t have anything against tank tops. I do have issues with sunburns and hot brass burns. Even if you don’t care about skin cancer (which you should), even if you think you’re using enough sunscreen (which you’re not), sunburns limit our ability to perform. Did you know service members can get in trouble if they are badly sunburned? Sunburn can impact performance which can impact readiness. Additionally, sleeved shirts provide a very necessary barrier between extremely hot brass and your delicate skin. Burns of any kind suck—they are painful and can get infected. But more importantly, they can be a limiting factor to performance, be it occupational, self-defense, or everyday life.

Wearing long-sleeve shirts in hot climates may seem counter-intuitive; you may think adding another layer will just make you hotter. However, wearing the right kind of long-sleeve shirt protects your skin from direct sunlight making it a cooler option. Additionally, if it has moisture-wicking properties, the shirt will help you cool faster by pulling the moisture away from the body. Long-sleeve shirts also protect your skin from scrapes, scratches, insect bites and rashes. Last I checked, no one wants Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, cellulitis, sepsis, or poison ivy. Again, I don’t want anything that will hinder performance. My road is hard enough; my hill is steep enough. I’m going to life-hack anything possible to make the obstacles I face those which are out of my control, not those I could have avoided.

Jackets and blazers:

Pockets. Real pockets. Not faux pockets, not teeny tiny chest pockets, but real, usable pockets. I don’t understand why sewn-on, fake pockets became a thing.

Seriously.

Someone really said, “Let’s give them the look of pockets in the front, but not the functionality.” And the worst part? Everyone else in that room agreed! “That’s an excellent idea, Greg. Women don’t need real pockets.”

But I digress…

Functional clothes aren’t just useful for tactical, field wear. Casual, travel and business clothes should also be designed for the end user in mind. Pocket usability, material type, and fit are all important considerations for women in these male-dominated and male-oriented occupations and hobbies. The men have these designs; why don’t the women?

Clothes are more like gear to women in the adventure-tactical industries; good fit and functionality are vital for performance. Most women in these industries don’t have the luxury to run to the store and buy more clothes when their set fails; they are on multi-week adventures, month-long treks, or year-long deployments. Their clothes must keep up with their lifestyle as a matter of necessity, not just principle.

We speak about equal standards and equal opportunities in these communities, yet women are hindered before they even start; in fact, the cards are stacked against them before they even step out the door. If women are wearing ill-fitted, non-functional clothes to perform their duties, do we really know their full capability? In other words, how much faster could women be if their clothes fit? How much more proficient could they be if they could easily and quickly access the tools they need for their trade? Their clothes must be able to keep up; the clothes must perform as well as the women wearing them.

So, the answer is, yes, women need functional, intelligently designed clothes to match their duties and/or sport and hobby. Yes, women’s performance can increase when she is not bogged down with poorly designed, ill-fitted, unfunctional clothes. (This goes for gear too, but that is a topic for another time.) Yes, we need the same high-speed, low-drag apparel the men have in our size. Once all the women who choose the extraordinary are equipped with proper fitting and fully functional clothes, then we can start talking about equality.