Best Adventure Dress for All Seasons
As an active mom with active kids, there’s one quality I value immensely in my clothing: versatility. A lot of the time I’m squeezing in a walk or a hike in between meetings or kid pickups. I’m taking the dog for a walk and then heading straight into a Zoom call where I have to look somewhat “professional”. Or I’m just going about my everyday life which involves about fifty different kinds of tasks and zero time for a costume change.
The older I get, the more I also realize that feeling comfortable in my clothes is incredibly important. Gone are the days of having any desire to squeeze my body into something that’s not stretchy, flexible, and conducive to movement. Regardless of how cute it might look, I’m not into it if it feels restrictive on any of my postpartum “soft places”.
Enter the adventure dress! An increasingly popular offering from both established brands and newer (mostly women-owned and women-led!) companies, these dresses are made of high-performing technical fabric that travels seamlessly from the trail to the office.
Definitely check out the warm leggings here we love that pair great with these dresses!
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Winter Dresses
Best Fleece Dress for Adventure
Mountain Jibe Trailhead Pullover Dress
For those who want to stand out in the crowd (or against the snow), the Mountain Jibe Trailhead Pullover takes boldness to a whole new level! This 200 weight fleece powerhouse comes in a whole slew of bright colors and patterns.
Designed with a looser fit to layer over your favorite fleece-lined leggings, this dress will keep you warm. Add in the thumbholes, drawstring hood, and ample snack pocket and you are set for whatever winter adventure you’re looking for.
Mountain Mama Originals Fleece Tunic
100% handmade in Montana, these tunics are designed to perform in the toughest winter conditions. They are also almost entirely customizable, with options to add a hood, thumbholes, pockets, or a custom leather appliqué for an additional cost.
They also include genuine caribou buttons (which they warn should not be left around dogs, who apparently find them tasty!). If you’re looking for a piece of clothing you can truly make your own, this tunic will give you maximum function and maximum personality.
Rainer Polartec Dress
This dress is just like wearing a fleece sweatshirt all the time. Like most form-fitting dresses, Amelia prefers to size up for a looser fit. Sizing up is also helpful if you plan to wear base layers under it. It is warm, without being too bulky and is great for nordic skiing, winter hiking, winter biking, or just wearing on a day-to-day basis.
It also has zippered pockets and thumbholes for easy layering with jackets.
Small Batch Fleece Dress
If you’re looking for a warmer option, the Deso Small Batch Fleece dress is super cozy with just enough length to keep your buns warm on colder weather hikes and adventures.
Bonus, Deso is a climate neutral certified company and all of their products are manufactured in the US! We love when a companies values match the quality of their products and this is definitely the case here.
This dress is warm and comfortable. I hiked and camped in it for a whole weekend with Carhartt leggings since temps ranged between the 30s and 60s. The fabric is stretchy and soft. I got many compliments from other women hiking or at the coffee shop on it so it is flattering!
Domo Woodham, TMM Team Member
Youer Treasure Dress
This dress is aptly named, as anyone who owns it will tell you that they seriously treasure it! Made from custom 100% recycled poly grid fleece, this dress is like a warm hug that you won’t ever want to get out of.
The rad ladies of Youer pride themselves on making clothes that are bold, bright, and YOU. A small company dedicated to sustainably producing clothing that is both fun and functional, the Treasure Dress is Youer’s best-selling product and one that garners hundreds of 5 star reviews.
Warm Vest Dresses
Vest dresses are a great layer for winter weather and work perfectly for on and off the ski hill!
Callitrix Fleece Vest Dress
This dress has become an unexpected favorite of Amelia’s. It is perfect over base layers, so makes a great layer for before and after skiing or winter adventures. At 5’3″, it fits her just above her knees, so is definitely dress-length.
Fortuitous Down Vest Dress
This dress is definitely an investment, it is crazy cozy warm with 700 fillpower down and so cute. Pockets are have snap closures and it has a solid hood.
A side zipper makes it easy to get in for layering over base layers or when you just need a puffy, warm hug.
25th Hour Fleece Tunic
While this is technically not a “dress”, it definitely works as a dress for shorter adventure ladies!
Like most warm vest dresses, this one is something you didn’t how you needed until you wear it all the time. It also has zippered pockets and can fold into a travel pillow.
Easy wash and dry!
Warm Adventure Dresses to Dress Up or Down
These dresses are less warm than the fleece dresses above, but can easily be dressed up or down. They are perfect for wearing all day to fit in a hike, bike ride, or ski in the margins.
Guthrie Dress
This dress is a great option for dressing up or down, hiking, or playing. It pairs well with vests and tights, but can also be worn in the spring and fall with less layers. I also love that it comes in sizes 2-16.
This is a Title Nine standard dress, so watch for different colors each season. Amelia prefers to size up for a less body-skimming fit.
Hibernation Hoodie Dress
When I first tried on this dress, I knew that I wouldn’t ever want to take it off! The hibernation hoodie is soft and stretchy, easy to move around in, and just the right amount of cozy for the milder Pacific Northwest Climate.
The fabric is on the thinner side, so this is a great dress for layering under your favorite puffy or for wearing on its own when temps are milder.
This dress provides a snug, flattering fit so you may want to size up if you prefer to wear things a little looser. I typically wear a small, and this dress in a medium is perfection for me.
Kuhl Lea
For the cowl neck fans out there, the Kuhl Lea is another super cozy and stretchy winter option. Instead of fleece, the Lea is made from a lighter weight polyester/spandex blend.
Still providing plenty of warmth, the super soft fabric and low bulk seams create a lovely, flattering fit. The style and design of the Kuhl Lea can accommodate smooth transitions from casual settings to classy ones and back again!
I love the Kuhl Lea dress for winter. I feel like it’s easy to move around in and an “athletic” style dress that is durable for outside wear but nice enough to wear to activities where I need to dress up a little.
Stephanie Johnson, TMM Team Member
NuuMuu GoBe Dress
NuuMuu has led the way in designing fun and functional technical dresses since 2008, and the GoBe is no exception!
While the GoBe wasn’t specifically designed for exercise (they consider it more of a lifestyle dress), you can definitely exercise in it! I’ve worn it hiking and running over midweight tights and didn’t even notice the additional length or “flowiness”.
The 3/4 length sleeves make this dress super versatile, especially for shoulder seasons or milder winter weather. For colder temps, it would layer really well under a favorite sweater, hoodie, or puffy.
The fabric has more of a matte finish than their classic exercise dresses, which also gives a little added touch of formality to what is still a very functional, moisture-wicking, technical dress.
Our only minor complaint about this dress is the lack of pockets, but we’ve been assured that NuuMuu is working on this for future iterations!
Best Dresses for Hiking
Coming soon!
Live your dressed life!
Whether you’re headed to work, chasing kids on a playground, heading out on a chilly hike, or just running errands, a technical dress is a fabulously versatile wardrobe item to have in your closet. Once you experience the cozy, functional comfort of these dresses you won’t ever turn back.
Related Articles:
- Epic Winter Gear Guide for Women 2021
- Leggings for Hiking in Cold Weather (which all are great for wearing with winter dresses!)
Best Adventure Dresses
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