milwaukee women's axis vest

photo from the milwaukee website. cos i didn't buy this vest. and will never. from what i remember in our brief encounter in the newly remodeled eldredge portland store, this vest feels weatherproof, is around $125 without batteries, and runs about 2 sizes small. 5/10 for warming functionality only. product description also from the milwaukee website:

so. the vest holds an M12 battery, the little triangle sized ones that are about half the size of a regular stapler. now imagine that crammed into your ribs, always pointy side in, and then zip it up tighter, over a hoodie, cos it's winter in maine. and then bend over to pick up a tool, squat to measure something, or you know, breathe like a normal person. based on the website reviews 2.8/5 mostly saying its too tight when you sit down, i assumed eeeh these aren't working women reviewing the vest; one said she's worn it everywhere for the past month. [also due to terrible sizing, she appears to be half my size, and ordered a large] but they weren't wrong.

without an xxxl women's version available, i tried the men's large with comical results. we ordered mediums for me and one of the guys, and left the store with larges for the other 2 on the crew. through no fault of eldredge, the medium men's vests never came in. no big loss. i do see the two with milwaukee vests changing batteries a couple or 3 times during the day, which is fine since we have a large stash of M12 batteries, and never use the tools they came with. seems functional for that purpose; the women's vest has miles to go, starting with being able to fit actual working women. then they can retry making it fitted and flattering...

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carhartt slim-fit crawford

oh carhartts. when i first moved to maine, i had only ever seen carhartts as farm outerwear. on old men. welp, stick with what you know, or actually listen to your customers. i digress. of course i bought these full price, $50, and a size larger than usual. 6/10 website description : where do i even begin? generally i wear a size 12, across the board. fortunately i went into an actual carhartt store to try on pants, and out of vanity, only sized up to a 14. turns out, this style/cut runs the gamut of inconsistencies. i vaguely remember checking the website post-purchase, and seeing most recommendations for sizing at least 2 sizes larger than your norm; now half the reviews say everything is too large. back to sizing.. the "contoured waistband" somehow allows for gapping at the small of my back, while the front and sides are cutting into my internal organs. regular inseam is a joke, and the 32" is b...

dickies double-front carpenter

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dickies heritage stonewashed duck carpenter

where to begin with these pants. the website shows a model donning the pants with some rather hideous open-toed stack heeled boots cos you know, women amirite? thats all we care about. but sexist pandering aside, these pants are pretty alright, especially given the cost - originally $45, now on clearance. 7/10 the stretch canvas isn't overly-immediately-fall-off stretchy, but it is a bit thin. i don't know that they'll last very long, but they do allow for full range of movement, with actual functional back and front pockets and a hammer loop. no pencil/tool pocket on the side though, which is a downfall. as i continuously bake and eat during quarantine, i predict the visible bulges in the front waist of these pants will be more and more apparent, but through no fault of the manufacturer's. the legs aren't awkwardly tight or twisty, and the inseam is accurate. as these are more fashion than function pants, they aren't re...

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