The New Way

As a female hunter, I had been frustrated with hunting apparel for years before I decided to do something about it. I uncomfortably wore men’s clothing and tried the limited options in women’s hunting apparel with no success. When I chose to take action, I looked to other female hunters for opinions. I brought women together to listen to their struggles and gather their thoughts for resolutions to create better apparel for female hunters. 

Shrinking and Pinking

I hosted gatherings of female hunters to find out these issues and hear the potential resolutions.  We had deep conversations on the issues in current hunting apparel. Many talked of the popular method “shrinking and pinking,” where brands shrink down the clothes without thinking of the female form and add pink just to call it the women’s line.

While this is a method adopted by many brands, I learned through experience and talking with other hunters that this is not the best method to use when creating a women’s clothing line. The clothes often don’t fit as well as they could, and the pink offers no practicality in the field.

Incorrect Fit

I also learned that I was not the only one with complaints on the fit of hunting apparel. When wearing men’s apparel, the fit is baggy, boxy, and uncomfortable. To rectify this situation, brands come up with women’s lines that fit awkwardly or not at all. 

Women come in many shapes and sizes, and most brands do not cater to the unique female form. Layers are either baggy and offer no warmth, or ride up the back and leave a woman exposed and cold.

Putting it Together

Hearing the stories from other women battling clothing with poor fit, terrible design, and lack of technical components frustrated me. It was a battle I had been fighting myself and I was done letting it continue. Through my research, I found that no one else was facing this issue with the seriousness I had. 

I got to work and poured my heart and soul into building a brand to tackle all of the challenges that female hunters face with apparel. I wanted to design clothing that would fit the female body, allow stylistic options without the effect of “shrinking and pinking,” and maintain the technical components needed in clothing during a hunt.

I took years gathering data and meticulously going over details to get Azyre to the level it needed to be. I researched competitor products and learned the technical differences between the reality of what is currently offered and what could be offered with a new brand focused on women. I continued to have conversations with female hunters and listened to the issues they face each hunting season. 

This fall, I will be pre-launching the result of my gatherings and conversations with dozens of female hunters. After years of work and determination to get every detail correct, there will finally be a brand for female hunters to check off every requirement for hunting apparel.

To join in the conversation and offer your story on hunting apparel, email us at contact@azyregear.com.  Every story will be heard, and every issue will be faced with the best of our ability.  

-Cari Goss