Carol Louder was fishing in Mexico when she discovered she was fed up with her “active” wardrobe. She knew from her Peace Corps days that she wanted a lightweight, rugged, quick-drying skirt that would protect her from the searing sun, but would be culturally acceptable while she was exploring the Yucatan. What she was stuck with stayed soggy, grew heavy and became hopelessly tangled in her fishing line.
So Louder returned home and helped create a skirt so versatile that it can be used for fishing, hiking, camping, river running or touring. Called the Macabi Adventure Travel Skirt, the garment has snaps and clips that transform it into shorts or long pants. And while Louder and business partner Ann Carter designed the skirt for fishing, it was quickly embraced by women trekkers and adventurers.
“In (our culture) we usually wear a skirt when we dress up and pants when we’re active, so we tried to put those things together to get a skirt that would function,” Carter said. “These days women are traveling to more exotic places, but when they’re at these places, they’re not just shopping. They’re climbing into a canoe, riding a bike or hiking to the top of a ruin.”
With adventure travel booming and women becoming a larger part of the market, convertible clothing that can be used for multiple purposes is more popular than ever. But you don’t have to be traipsing through the Andes or hiking the Appalachian Trail to benefit from the practicality of this travel wear. Lightweight, waterproof, packable and durable, the clothing also is sneaking into daily wardrobes and can be used for hiking to the subway or biking to the office.
Detachable pant legs, fabrics that wick away moisture, breathable rainwear, wrinkle-free skirts and self-contained utility packs are ideal for the active woman who doesn’t want to futz around with changing.
“What’s different these days is that it’s function first and fashion follows,” said Chris Sachs, publisher of National Geographic Adventure magazine. “The technical design components come first.”
Ex Officio started out designing the ultimate fly-fishing shirt and now describes its products as “intelligently designed travel clothing.” The Cruiser Vest ($74), for example, has plenty of cargo and security pockets that eliminate the need for a day pack, yet it can be paired with a skirt and worn out at night.
Like most of the clothing, the Traveling Convertible Pant and the Baja Plus shirts are made of materials that adapt to changing climates. Zip-off legs make the pants into shorts (the rolled-up pant legs can be stored around the waist). The travel shirt is made of quick-dry, wrinkle-resistant Paragon Plus fabric that wicks away moisture to the outer layer where it evaporates. And the Air Strip Hat ($22) is a sun-protective neck cap that folds into a hat.
“Some of our products have discreet ventilation systems and technical features you don’t necessarily notice,” Ex Officio spokesperson Janine Robertson said. “You can wear them hiking as well as to a restaurant at the end of the day. What happens is people get introduced to our brand through a trip and it becomes a lifestyle for them.”
It’s a way of living that stresses adventure, activity, new experiences and movement, even if you haven’t left home.
“The 1980s were discretionary income, collecting toys and working out in gyms,” said Sachs, of National Geographic Adventure. “The currency of the ’90s is discretionary time, collecting experiences and being outdoors. The great outdoors is the gym of the ’90s, not a Stairmaster or Lifecycle. And smart apparel manufacturers are recognizing that functional apparel is as important as properly equipped shoes.”
North Face, a leader in the industry, is revamping the women’s collection, with several new pieces for fall. The cargo-style utility pant, for example, is made of the same material used on the bottom of backpacks. “In the past, the synthetic pieces would perform but have no fit,” spokeswoman Christine O’Brien said. “Now we have designers to make products specifically for women.”
Even fashion-first retailers like DKNY and Polo Sport have picked up on travel-inspired details, if just for fun. And for early fall, Banana Republic features the Kenya Convertible Skirt ($88) that goes from ankle length to above-the-knee with a quick flick of a hidden zipper.
But trying to cross function and fashion isn’t always easy. The Macabi skirt has gone through several incarnations, and Carter says she and Louder are working on slimming it down even more. Mary Beth Bond, author of “Gutsy Women, Travel Tips and Wisdom for the Road” (O’Reilly & Associates, $25), says women don’t want to look like one of the guys. “Who cares if it doesn’t wrinkle if you look like a bag?” Bond asked.
Still, customers seem happy. Nancy Greenlee of Orlando saw the Macabi skirt on a 15-day trek in Nepal and knew she had to have one. “I can dress it up with a simple blouse, scarf and local beads for that special occasion on the journey,” she wrote in a letter to the company. “My American Express card and my Macabi skirt: I won’t leave home without them.”
GEARED TO WOMEN
Women spent about $55 billion last year in retail sales for pretrip purchases-not just for apparel, but for specialized footwear, backpacks tailored to women, scuba, climbing gear and luggage as well as travel clothing, according to the Adventure Travel Society.
And designers are responding not only with clothes but products. Sierra Designs, an Emeryville, Calif.-based firm, sells women’s sleeping bags that feature a narrower shoulder width, larger hip width and more insulation across the chest and the feet than the men’s bag. Called the Dream Weaver, ($199 for regular length, $209 for women 5 foot 10 inches and up), the bag has a flex design and Lycra sewn into the body. The expandable girth allows the user to adjust to a sleeping position. When the position is found, the bag retracts. (Call 800-635-0461.)
TravelSmith catalog offers sun-protective gear-jackets, shirts, pants, even umbrellas with an SPF of 30 or more (ordinary cotton has an SPF of about 8). Its lightweight travel clogs ($99) have a massage footbed and a rotating back strap that can be turned to the front so that the shoes can be worn as mules or rotated to the back of the heel for greater staying power. (Call 800-950-1600).
INSTANT STYLE/BY MICHELLE CROWE
Lake-effect fitness
I am so NOT outdoorsy that I managed to live in Arizona for close to six years without ever visiting the Grand Canyon. To me, perfect adventure travel gear would be the fabulous new Print Collection accessories at Gucci. The floral “Exotic” print carry-on is my idea of travel heaven and I often find myself daydreaming about striding through airports with it in hand. But just because I have an aversion to fields and streams doesn’t mean I don’t like to work out and enjoy a little fresh air, so I’m crazy about the Lakefront Multiplex. I love the sheer audacious coolness of a gym on the beach. In addition to loads of cardio equipment and strength-training options, it offers every class that urban adventurers are into this year, including cardio tae boxing six days a week, boot camp for the masochists among us, spinning and Pilates. Lakefront Multiplex, at North Avenue beach, is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day through Sept. 19th. Summer memberships are $125 each or three for $300. Day passes are $10 each. And with this heat, those of us who will never scale a mountain can still feel like extreme athletes while getting in shape for fall’s slim-fitting pants. Call 773-665-1403.
