female specific?

[Duck on Wheels]

While I do agree with Eden, Dirt Girl, and many other petite women, I also wish there were more women specific gear also for tall women. I'm 5'9", which was tall when I was a teen, but taller still is quite normal in my daughter's generation. She and I, and many of her friends, find it hard to get gear that is long enough in the sleeves while also slim enough in the shoulders and wide enough in the hips. For jackets and the like I tend to buy Men's Large Tall, but then the hips are often too narrow and of course the cut is pretty much flat, i.e. same width in front and back, whereas a looser front would fit better on a woman. Also men's backpacks will fit my spine length well, but the shoulder straps chafe at my boobs and the hip belt rides up off my hips. So, yes, even for taller women, it is often a relief to find women specific gear -- unless it's specific only in that it's smaller. And then there's the shoe problem. Luckily (men's) athletic shoes are often somewhat narrower than, say, dress shoes, but not really enough for my feet. Unluckily almost no women's shoes, sport or otherwise, come in 11 1/2. AA. Wearing men's trainers day in and day out has done some damage to my feet -- fallen arches from shoes that are too wide. I would say that WSD is not merely about fashion, but neither is it a guarantee for gear that fits.