Rebecca Bland speaks to Emily Hughes, founder of specialist women’s mountain bike clothing brand Trail Bloom.
While the industry works to promote cycling and mountain biking to a wider audience, one thing that’s often forgotten about is the kit. When it comes to women’s clothing, ‘pink it and shrink it’ is the familiar phrase, whereby clothing is often mildly tapered and provided in more ‘feminine’ colourways as a suitable option for the female rider.
But for Emily Hughes, founder of women’s mountain bike clothing brand Trail Bloom, that wasn’t good enough. So, last year, she set about creating her own line of women’s specific mountain bike kit that focuses on providing performance-led clothing with a feminine fit.
“Trail Bloom was started out of total frustration, not just by myself but by other women I was riding with. I felt out of place on the trails for ages after taking up mountain biking.”
“Fast forward a few years and I was still riding in a mix of running gear and road cycling Lycra and felt totally out of place. Any MTB-specific clothing I found was geared towards men, the phrase pink it and shrink it never felt so apt. Nothing fit right, after having kids my body had changed, and I felt unconfident on the trails.”
“On a ride with a group of around eight ladies, the conversation moved to our clothes, and it became apparent that we were all wearing men’s clothing, either bought for ourselves or borrowed from our husbands. This was when I realised I wasn’t alone and wondered how many other women felt the same! It took some encouragement, but a couple of years later, I set to work, and a year or so later Trail Bloom was born!”
Trail Bloom isn’t just about slapping floral designs onto cheap jerseys and calling it ‘fashion’, though. Hughes has an extensive background in garment design and has used this experience to her advantage. This, and the fact the apparel is crafted in a women’s specific fit, has helped Trail Bloom stand out from the crowd and develop an already strong following.
“I have 20 years’ experience as a technical garment designer, spending most of my time working on patterns and fitting garments. I use my skills to ensure our garments are fit for women, on and off the trails. Secondly, they must be fit for purpose, so they move with your body using stretch fabrics wherever possible and elastic waistbands (I hate the Velcro contraptions on most MTB shorts and trousers).
“Our shorts and trousers are elasticated; this also helps to accommodate the fluctuations in your waist for whatever time of the month it is. We also fit and test all our clothes before they are approved, we trial garments on different shapes and sizes of models, we want everyone to feel comfortable on the trails whatever their size, so this process is important to us.
“Finally, our style is very feminine. We look to sportswear trends, so our prints are more fashion-forward than most on the market, we hope that women enjoy wearing MTB-specific gear that looks more feminine and colourful.”
As more and more women begin their mountain biking journey, women-led brands like Trail Bloom are key for tapping into those markets. Not just from a commercial aspect, but from a social standpoint too. If women can see options for more feminine, stylish clothes that are also technical and perform for the intended purpose, they’re more likely to continue riding. It may be cliché, but you are more likely to feel good if you look good and feel confident in what you’re wearing.
For now, Trail Bloom offers a direct-to-consumer approach via the brand’s website. But in the future, that’s something Hughes wants to change.
“We would love to work with stockists. As a new business, this is our plan for 2025 – if you’re a stockist reading this, feel free to contact us! We want to work with shops that align with our values and be able to offer the core range plus some extras in stores or online.
“We only received our first MTB stock at the end of January 2024 and feel like it has been a whirlwind. It’s been amazing meeting so many cool women, attending events and making loads of new friends in the MTB world. We are so grateful for all the support; it’s blown us away!”
Even though Trail Bloom is less than a year old, the brand’s 2025 plans are ambitious, although Hughes is keen to stick to her guns and keep the environmental impact of her kit to a minimum.
“We plan to build on our current range and increase our offering into other outdoor sports. The impact fashion has on the environment really bothers me, so we are working towards using recycled fibres where we can, especially on our core products such as shorts and jerseys.
“You will never find us using plastic packaging for our parcels. We really want to get our stuff into shops, to give women the opportunity to try our gear before buying.”
If potential stockists want to get in touch with Hughes, drop her a line at hello@trailbloom.com.
