FemiGnarly

Patagonia is hot right now. Their sales have quadrupled over the last decade to over a billion dollars (which is a big deal, makes them over half the size of J. Crew and twice the size of Eddie Bauer – or right in line with Lands’ End & LL Bean). And the growth makes sense … Continue reading Patagonia’s Resistance to Plus Sizes

It’s Black Friday week, which in the outdoor space means, “here’s a few mediocre deals to go with the killer clearance we’ve already been running all fall.” There’s not the same doorbuster approach that goes on in the consumer electronics business, so no need to camp out for days in front of REI. Some outdoor … Continue reading Shit on Sale – November 2019

I don’t have quite the time or money (or snow yet - wahhhh) to really put all the skis on my radar through the paces, but in the meantime, I’m serving up reviews of the 2020 women’s topsheets and graphics. But first, while I hope this goes without saying , here's a quick reminder that … Continue reading Superficial Ski Reviews – 2020

Every fall, after the first dusting of snow hits the Cascades, I start getting emails about skis from women. They learned to ski last season on rentals and now their skiing involves a lot more French fry than pizza, and it’s time to commit to the sport. I love it. To me, it ranks up … Continue reading Tips for First Time Ski Shoppers

Winter is here early in the Cascades, which is super fun if you’re a skier and not so much if you’re still in the works of putting together your winter recreational wardrobe. Prices on insulation layers have crept back up, but ski, snow, and waterproof gear is at its best pricing yet as product has … Continue reading Shit on Sale – October 2019

Rossignol announced the launch of their women’s initiative called “We Rise” today, following behind Blizzard’s Women 2 Women program and the K2 Ski Alliance. I have a lot of issues with these sorts of marketing initiatives. Solid women’s offerings no longer deserve special accolades. Skis like the Blizzard Dakota and the Volkl Aura and Kiku … Continue reading Rossignol We Rise: Co-opting a movement

Since publishing, TNF has updated their product information for weights on these items. This past January, The North Face announced Futurelight, a new, proprietary waterproof membrane that was pitched as a revolution in “climate control.” They borrowed a page out of the playbook from the Salomon Shift and K2 Mindbender launches and fired up the … Continue reading TNF Futurelight & Strange Fake Pants