Women's sailing gear - What's comfortable, a good deal or great quality...?

[Andrea]

At the boat show in Annapolis this year I needed to get a PFD with a harness and Foul Weather Pants.

I didn't realize until I tried it on how comfortable a PFD could be. I bought the one from Mustang (MD3154). Very comfortable!

When I was inquiring about foul weather pants for serious offshore passages, I was told that Gill doesn't make them for women. The market isn't big enough. It was so depressing! So I had to go with the coastal version or buy men's pants. I had checked other company's as well and found the same thing. I went with the coastal version from Gill called Storm. With good thermals, they'll work just fine. But the overall experience was still depressing since I see so many great women that are serious sailors.

[Marlene A. Sassaman]

Dee Caffari and Ellen MacArthur have great websites. Perhaps contacting them directly will give you some good suggestions. Indeed, I may do that myself. Nothing like going to the 'source.'
I do have a pair of Gill (West Marine) ladies, drop seat foul weather pants and love them for coastal Florida winters. I was told that Gill makes West Marine's line of foul weather gear.