The New Women's Range by Rooster – why unisex just won't do!
by Emma Ralph, Rooster 29 Apr 2018 16:00 BST
Women who feel at home on the water are each unique, yet all require the same warmth and comfort from their kit. Gear need not be restrictive in order to keep you warm.
Rooster have been working tirelessly to innovate a range of kit for women who live to sail, surf, paddle and ride, completely in their element.
Rooster started out on this mission, working closely with a select group of six women from a local movement, Women on Water, part of a global initiative aimed at increasing participation with those from different backgrounds, abilities, ages, levels of confidence and by default, different body shapes.
Meeting with these women brought up some really fundamental and interesting issues:
- They highlighted that if they feel good, then they are more inclined to participate more often. Kit that removes this barrier has to be a real positive for the future of our sport.
- Some of them had little knowledge of what they should be wearing and more importantly why.
- Poorly fitting kit works against the female form, hindering performance and ultimate enjoyment.
Sailor and Rooster's own Technical Product Designer Kate Sargent noticed some significant realities, "I've spoken to so many women in the sport that take the attitude like 'I just wear my son's old stuff – it doesn't really matter'. It was like they had somehow lost sight of their own value, which I think is important to address."
"We wanted to design something that would give all women the confidence to get out on the water," Kate noted, "it is so often that you see girls drop out once they get into their teen years and then not necessarily come back." The same goes for those who go off to pursue a career, have a family or just gradually lose touch with their passions. Increasing your confidence, feeling good in what you're wearing and making sure that these aren't holding you back, was at the heart of Rooster's objective.
The focus here is on the performance and comfort for women. Innovating a range with very slight alterations in material thickness, function and style with sympathetic and flattering lines. Something not just for display but that actually supports specific movement and durability.
Through the collection, Rooster has solutions for a diverse range of women as the kit fits, looks and feels good on an array of sizes and shapes – presenting both a subtle, tonal grey/black colourway with Supertherm® and the luxurious azure blue print colourway of Thermaflex, providing options for those who like to make a statement and for those less vocal.
This development has culminated a resilient range of neoprene garments along with both winter and summer base layers. A 1.5mm super-stretch neoprene top, longjohns and shorts in Thermaflex®, and a 4mm top and longjohns to add to our best-selling Supertherm® range. Featuring our quick-dry thermal lining, the 4mm Supertherm® can pack a bigger punch than any conventional 5/4mm single piece wetsuit. Through layering you can create a full 8mm of warmth across your core if needed with much less restriction in your dexterity of movement in your arms and legs. The collection has been designed so that different combinations can be worn to suit any condition, whatever the weather.
Reinforced with Duratex II, the wearer will benefit from unrivalled durability with both the Thermaflex® shorts/longjohns and SuperTherm® longjohns for a long lasting and technically sophisticated solution.
Available to pre-order ahead of early summer release at www.roostersailing.com