Introducing Sømand, technical sailing apparel designed for women
A new sailing apparel brand has arrived that aims to put women at the forefront in an industry that has historically catered to men. Sømand was founded by Bay Area sailors Noelle Brewin and Laura Levy, who set out to challenge the perception of what a sailor should look like and create apparel that empowers women to feel confident, be comfortable, and perform their best while sailing.
The Somand Story
Noelle and Laura met as fellow crew racing a Friday night series in 2018 and bonded over a shared background in design, frustration with the lack of sailing apparel, and limited options available for women. Most women’s options on the market felt like adaptations of menswear not designed for women from the ground up. They set out to change this by creating a brand that offers uncompromising sailing apparel, worthy of all the amazing women in sailing that inspire us and the adventures they will embark on.
Sømand started product research and development in 2019 with the aim to uncover pain points that women in sailing experience with their apparel. Dozens of women in the Bay Area gave their input on their current sailing clothing and ways it could be improved. They spoke to sailors from varied backgrounds, ages and experiences including avid racers, cruisers and women that are just getting started in the sport. One piece of feedback that they heard over and over again was on how jackets don’t fit properly. They either have an abundance of excess fabric or are too slim cut to afford the flexibility needed for sailing. Sømand used this input alongside their own experiences cruising and racing on the Bay to influence design features and fit.
After two years of development Sømand released the Farallon women’s sailing jacket which is available now at Somand.com . The Farallon jacket features an anatomical cut for superior fit in addition to a waterproof, abrasion resistant fabric that incorporates 4-way stretch with a bonded membrane allowing it to be breathable. Velcro has been replaced with a more modern “snap tape” on the sleeve cuffs, to avoid the annoyance of it getting stuck in long hair. The hood of the jacket has a unique modular design that can either roll-away or zip-off entirely to switch out for a high visibility option. There is even a hat cord and clip built right into the collar. Details matter to the creators of Sømand and the right apparel can be a “super power” enabling the wearer to feel confident and ready to take on anything.
Sømand aspires to become a household name known for high-quality, uncompromising sailing apparel that happens to be made exclusively for women. The Farallon jacket is the first in a full line of performance sailing apparel that is in development. They hope their brand will inspire all women and underrepresented sailors and also attract new sailors to the sport!
The Farallon Jacket from Somand is available now at www.somand.com for $395 | ASA Members receive a 5% OFF with coupon code Log in to the ASA members portal here and free receive a high visibility hood (while supplies last).
Responses
Love this new concept of sailing gear for women. I am confused about the choice of name for the brand. I am Danish and sømand is a male sailor.
lol
I also love the concept of sailing gear for women. I think one piece of gear needed specifically for women is a life vest. I have had very painful breasts all my life and looked everywhere to find a vest that didn’t put extra pressure on the girls. I did find one that worked better than the rest but it could be better. Sadly I just have to deal with the one I have.