Timberland Pro launched its debut women’s apparel range this week with a decidedly on-brand event: Journalists and influencers were invited to the lower Manhattan workshop Happy Medium to build their own bench. The New Hampshire-based brand, founded as The Abington Shoe Company in 1952, became The Timberland Company in 1978 and its first product was the iconic Timberland boot, which is also celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this week. To coincide with this milestone, the brand’s introduction of performance-driven workwear apparel for women has been designed with the same level of craftsmanship and innovation as the footwear, and guests at the launch event were encouraged to wear items from the range to get the best of the Pro experience as they drilled, screwed and fitted together the benches that would then be shipped to their homes.
Whether as a result of the pandemic home improvement craze or in response to data that shows American women experiencing recent gains in employment in previously male-dominated fields such as construction, transportation, warehousing, and with these numbers projected to rise, the collection couldn’t be better timed.
“Built to work as hard as the wearer and deliver maximum comfort, durability, and performance for the rapidly growing skilled trade market,” reads the press release, “the development of the women’s apparel was made for industries like agriculture, construction, manufacturing, welding, woodworking, and more.”
The technical and design features of the Timberland Pro women’s apparel debut
Timberland Pro’s first womenswear drop was released on August 15th with new styles to follow throughout the fall season. The performance-ready range riffs on the menswear essentials with the recognizable bib overalls, utility pants, jeans, hoodies, insulated jackets, and logo t-shirts in a color palette of olive, tan, black, and soft red and blue marl. A representative for the brand said that particular attention had been paid to developing the fit of the bib overalls so that the women’s version did not merely look it had been borrowed from the guys. Select styles feature Timberland PRO® Flex technology, and WorkVent™ technology for extra breathability and movement.
Some of the special features are visible in the design of the garments. For example, the Gritman Bib Overalls, made of canvas to be worn over other work clothes and with convenient multiple pockets in varying sizes for assorted tools, have been built with anatomical shaping in the back panel and stretch straps. But much of the technology is felt rather than seen. The Hypercore Insulated Jacket 2.0, while delivering lightweight comfort, is designed to keep the wearer warm and dry on job sites in less-than-ideal conditions with an outer shell of reinforced RainRepel™ technology and increased maximum mobility with Timberland PRO® Flex technology. The Double Front Utility Pant has double front panels that provide extra durability when kneeling, while the cotton-blend canvas fabric also has Timberland PRO® Flex technology that allow the wearer to bend, reach, and stretch without restriction. The Core Cotton Long Sleeve T-Shirt made of midweight fabric for seasonal change is also designed to be the ideal layering piece with an original anatomical fit that leaves room to move throughout the shoulders, chest, waist, and sleeves for enhanced performance and comfort on the job.
Two hours after arriving, the workroom of women proudly surveyed their completed benches, each one now glistening with a coat of Danish oil to seal the wood and accentuate its natural grain. Timberland Pro has already begun fulfilling its mandate of putting us to work.