Today's female hunters don't have to rely on hand-me-down men's clothing or cheap gear with pink accents. Women's hunting apparel has evolved and gets better every season.

I began hunting with my dad when I was very young. I remember traipsing through the North Alabama woods in search of deer and turkeys and loving every second of it. As I grew, Dad started outfitting me in youth camo clothing designed to fit boys. That worked just fine when I was a young child, but once I hit my teen years, I noticed the comfort and fit were not ideal. The pants would often be tight through the hips and large in the waist, and the shirt and jacket sleeves were often too long. 

I didn’t put a lot of thought into it back then because, at the time, there weren’t other options. I continued wearing boys’ large camo apparel even after I hit my mid-20s and started writing articles for hunting magazines. I actually remember being laughed at by all the guys in hunting camp when I walked out wearing a men’s camo parka that was way too large, but it was all I could find that would be thick enough to keep me warm in the frigid temperatures that week. And the men’s waders I had to wear during a waterfowl hunt were so large that they not only looked ridiculous, but they hindered my ability to walk. Boots were also an issue. Even though I could find men’s hunting boots that technically fit, they were still often too big in the heals, which resulted in awful blisters. 

Good clothing can make or break a hunt and for many years, women like me hunted at a big disadvantage due to the lack of options.

I and other female outdoor industry members usually wore large boys or smaller men's camo during outdoor media hunts before women-specific hunting apparel came along.

Outfitting a Growing Demographic

Then it happened. A new women's hunting apparel company sent me clothing to test and write about. I felt a bit peeved that it was accented in bright pink, which I hated, but I loved that I finally owned camo clothing designed just for women. It was nice to put on a pair of camo pants that didn’t sag in the crotch and were roomy enough in the hips, and to slip on a jacket that fit through the shoulders and didn’t swallow me whole.

Around that same time, the number of female hunters was skyrocketing, and because of the growing demand for women’s hunting clothing, more and more apparel manufacturers were taking notice. I began receiving more women's hunting apparel to test out from various manufacturers. While I was thrilled that the hunting industry was finally making an effort to cater to female hunters, I did notice that the quality of some of the clothing still seemed subpar compared to the men’s apparel offered by the same companies. The material was thin and stiff, and the designs were very basic. 

For male hunters, the manufacturers offered endless options of pants, shirts, vests, and jackets in varying materials for an assortment of seasons and pursuits, but for women, they’d often offer only a single lightweight shirt, jacket, and pair of pants. 

Missy Cobbett, executive manager for Xpedition Enterprises, says, “In the past, each clothing brand that wanted to offer women's hunting apparel had worked hard to develop clothing to fit women correctly, thankfully giving us much more room in the chest and hips. Unfortunately, while that was their main focus, the variety was lacking. The selection just wasn’t as extensive as what was offered to men. The range of clothing for different seasons wasn’t available. Therefore, it left the female hunter looking for creative ways to make sure she was dressed properly for the weather while out in the field.”

During this New Mexico media turkey hunt approximately 20 years ago, we all wore men's camo. The turkey vests were especially large.

DSG Outerwear President Wendy Gavinski says that when women’s-specific hunting apparel first started to trickle into the market, it faced another problem as well. The issue became known in the industry as “shrink it and pink it,” which was the practice of taking men’s apparel, sizing it down, adding pink to it and selling it as women's hunting apparel.

This didn’t sit well with many female hunters. In fact, some women went back to wearing men’s camo because they felt patronized by the manufacturers pushing the pink apparel for women. Nick Carroz, Mahco Outdoors digital sales manager, says the “shrink it and pink it” approach defeated the point. “The issue was how it fit — it was a men’s fit just made in a smaller size. This led to it being baggy and boxy,” he says. “Number one, it was unflattering when worn and number two, it was not functional. It’s hard to draw a bow or shoulder a gun when your jacket is really baggy and loose-fitting.”

These days, many manufacturers offer women the same technologies and fabrics available in the men’s line, but in apparel that is cut specifically for them.

“We focus on making the garments fit the female figure in a way that makes them more functional and comfortable in the field,” Carroz says. “My wife is an avid hunter so I have seen the evolution first-hand over the last 15 years.”

Meeting the Demand

Women’s clothing apparel options have evolved largely because of outspoken female hunters – some of whom, like Gavinksi, started their own apparel companies. The limited options and basic designs of early on didn’t satisfy the serious female hunters who wanted and deserved form-fitting clothing with features and functions that enhanced performance in the field. It took time, but female hunters finally got what they asked for. These days, even though we still have nowhere near the number of options that male hunters have, we do have a wide selection of high-quality, women-specific hunting apparel to choose from. The clothing is not only stylish and flattering, but it’s highly functional and built to withstand the wear and tear of hard hunting. 

“Women’s presence in the hunting world has been steadily gaining traction over the years, disrupting the market,” Gavinksi says. “Today, the market has a more robust assortment of apparel and accessories geared specifically toward women who hunt. DSG Outerwear, a female-exclusive outdoor apparel brand, has made it its mission to help outfit female hunters according to their wants and needs.”  

Female hunters now have plenty of camo apparel options to choose from.

Fit and Function Matter

Companies like DSG Outerwear truly get it. In fact, DSG makes gear for women by women who understand the importance of breaking the mold. And the company also understands that a one-size-fits-all model just doesn’t work as women come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. 

“One-size-fits-all is a thing of the past,” Jess Wagner, with DSG Outerwear, says. “Our gear offers numerous adjustability options between the adjustable inseams, removable and adjustable bibs and suspenders, and adjustable waist cinch straps, as well as offering sizes from XXS through 5XL.”

Thanks for hunting apparel designed specifically for women, female hunters no longer have to hunt in ill-fitting attire.

Melissa Chow, Canadian Tire Retail product manager, points out that quality is just as important as fit when it comes to women's hunting apparel. “During the hunt, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your garments will stop working for you. Women need products that function well, and they cannot be bothered to fiddle around with broken zippers, pullers, or being too cold or too hot,” Chow says. “They need to stay dry, so the majority of our outerwear has minimum critical seam taping and uses waterproof fabrics. We use OEKO-TEX certified trim suppliers so that our zippers, elastic waistbands, and zipper pullers pass industry testing. Technology has played a large role in changing the way we dress during our hunts. From 4-way stretch capability to maximize mobility to various performance treatments you can add such as bug-repellency, environmentally friendly water proofing, stain-repellency, to sun protection and cut resistant clothing. Also, smart tech, such as hooking up your vest to your phone to turn up warmth via Bluetooth, is here and most likely to stay.” 

Thanks to those who not only spoke up but took it upon themselves to design and sell hunting apparel for women, I and other female hunters now have a closet full of hunting apparel that not only fits well, but it looks great and performs as it should.

“Today, the women’s hunting line is very close in comparison to the men’s,” says Missy Cobbet. “There are many options in light wear, mid-range, cold-weather, as well as range shooting gear. It all depends on the hunter’s preference, conditions and type of hunt, but these days, women can find anything from a warm down suit all the way to a lightweight polyester blend.”

Lifelong hunter Michelle Brantley with a Texas whitetail. Hunting in warm weather calls for comfortable fit and moisture-wicking material. Image by Will Brantley.