Material Girl: The Best Women’s Gear at Outdoor Retailer
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As I mentioned in a Facebook post that went up during Outdoor Retailer this week, skorts are everywhere. Practically every gear company that makes women's apparel–be it Mountain Hardwear, North Face, Patagonia, or Arc'teryx–is making one of these lady-like additions for your running wardrobe. No matter how much backlash I saw against shorts (and I'm a shorts girl, so I took this to heart), I also saw plenty of other great women's items coming out for Spring 2011. And hardly any of it followed the well-known motto: “Shrink it and pink it.” –Alicia Carr Troxell

Carve Designs, known for its sporty swimsuits and casual beachwear, is launching a more technical line of yoga- and active-inspired sportswear. The line–known as Balance–includes a lot of cotton, polyester, and spandex mash-ups built into modern, fashionable pieces, like the Cerulean tank (at left), $42, complete with a built-in shelf bra and mesh underlay for ventilation.
Lilypond–the little sister to fishing company Fishpond–is launching a 17″ laptop shoulder bag called the Firethorn (at right), $99. It's never easy to find a computer bag that's slim, functional, and fits a laptop with more than a 15″ screen.
Patagonia's Guide Jacket has been a staple in their line for a couple of years now. Next spring, it comes out in a hooded vest for the ladies. And it's helmet-compatible, no less, so it should come in handy on the ski slopes as well. The Women's Hooded Guide Vest (at right), $125, comes in bright, fun colors and is also recyclable through the successfully-growing Common Threads program.
What type of gear are you looking to add to your stash throughout the rest of the summer?