Hiking in a Dress: Pros, Cons, and Tips
In my favorite hiking dress in West Glacier, Montana
Hiking in a dress probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about taking on the great outdoors.
However, I’ve quickly been won over to this unexpected hiking outfit, and I want to encourage my other hiking friends who are also considering breaking out of the usual uniform of a shirt and shorts.
When you find the right fit, a hiking dress can be every bit as comfortable as other, more typical trail-ready outfits.
Below, you’ll find pros and cons of hiking in a dress based on my own extensive experience, as well as tips on finding your perfect hiking dress and wearing it on the trail.
I’ve also include some shopping suggestions so you can get out there on the trail in your newest style!
This post contains affiliates. If you purchase through the links below, I will receive a commission at no charge to you.
Why You Should Consider Hiking in a Dress
In Dixie National Forest near Bryce Canyon City, Utah
At first glance, hiking in a dress seems weird. Why bother with a dress when the tried-and-true shorts and a t-shirt combo is right there?
I thought this way, too, until I decided to pack ultralight for an 8-week road trip with my kids. I had one small bin in our camper to hold everything I needed for 2 months, so every single item needed to be a work horse.
One of those items ended up being my Sierra dress from Wool&, which seemed versatile enough for travel days, museum visits, and the like. I’d even read in the Wood& Facebook group about a woman who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in that same dress style, so I was ready to put it to the test.
Over that road trip, my kids and I hiked somewhere around 40-45 miles, and I decided that it was the perfect time to try out hiking in a dress.
At first, I felt a little weird, but then I added a pair of wool bike shorts (the Summit pocket shorts, also from Wool&), my Keen Newport H2 hiking sandals, and a Buff CoolNet, and I started to feel like it might actual work.
Then, I got out on the trail, and I fell in love. The dress floated around me while I hiked, and there wasn’t any of the bunching or pulling that sometimes happens when I’m sweaty and hiking in shorts.
Ready to head out for a day of hiking and exploration in my dress at Badlands National Park!
The wool fabric in particular is incredible: it dries quickly and is super breathable. That, combined with the added air flow created by the dress, created a comfortable hiking environment even as we faced high temperatures in Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota.
Plus, I loved that the dress let me go from the trail to grocery shopping, and I still looked put together despite sweating for a couple hours on a trail with my kids.
Even if you’re not having to pack ultralight for a road trip, a hiking dress needs to be on your radar. They’re a cute alternative to the usual leggings-and-crop-top combo that’s a favorite of influencers, and you’ll stand out on the trail, if that’s something that you’re looking for.
They’re also excellent options if you’re looking for a more modest hiking outfit than leggings or shorts, if you can’t have the binding waistband of regular shorts or leggings, or if you want the ability to cover up more of your legs for whatever reason.
Plus, the dress (especially if it’s in wool or other breathable fabric) will help you stay drier and more comfortable no matter your hike.
Things to Think about Before Buying a Hiking Dress
Fabric Options
When I suggest hiking in a dress, I don’t mean that you’ll be walking through the woods in that frilly thing you wore to your cousin’s second wedding.
We’re going with something sporty, breathable, and made for the trail instead.
Wool will be your best friend in any of your hiking clothes, so that’s my number one recommendation for a hiking dress. If you’re not familiar with wool, your first reaction might be, “ew, wool? Isn’t that so hot and itchy?”
But I am here to assure that it is neither. Wool is kind of a magic fabric in that it keeps you cool when the weather is hot, and warms you up with the weather is cool. It’s naturally odor resistant so you can wear the same item multiple times simply by hanging it up between wears.
What’s the downside? Wool isn’t cheap. It’s also hard to make a 100% wool product that’s opaque, so you’re going to have issues with seeing through compression-style leggings or bike shorts.
If you’re trying to dip your toe into the idea of a hiking dress and don’t want to purchase a more expensive wool dress, try one in a sweat-wicking synthetic material. Material science has come a long way in the last few decades, which has led to a huge variety of fabrics that are water resistant, sweat absorbing, quick drying, and more.
I have my top suggestions of both wool and synthetic hiking dresses below.
Your Backpack Selection
Carrying my day pack and all the usual gear that comes along with hiking with the kids
When you’re hiking in a dress, you likely are also carrying a backpack.
While it’s always important for your hiking backpack to work with what you’re wearing on the trail, it’s arguably even more important when you’re wearing a dress. You don’t want to have a backpack that pulls on your dress, making you constantly pull at the back or front of your clothes.
When hiking in a dress, I found that wearing a pack with chest and waist straps helped me lift up my bag to a higher area on my back.
Not only does this help you fight against back strain and muscle fatigue while you’re on the trail, it also keeps the backpack from trying to eat the back of your dress.
My go-to daypack is the Osprey Daylight Commuter pack, which is lightweight enough for day hikes, but still big enough to carry everything I need for the kids and I. It also has those necessary straps to keep everything comfortable whiel you’re hiking in that dress.
As someone who had to wear a skirt/dress uniform for most of my K-12 career, I am all too familiar with the constantly tugging that comes with a droopy backpack + dress combination. I was in high school in the early ‘00s, when it was all the rage to have backpacks that hung down as far as the straps would let out.
That’s not going to serve you well on your hike. So, lift up those packs, and you’ll make your experience of hiking in a dress so much better.
Chub Rub
These Summit bike shorts from Wool& also work beautifully as undershorts when I’m hiking in a dress.
Oh, man. I HATE chub rub. I have always been tall and fairly thin, but I inherited some serious chub rub from some German peasant ancestor.
Even at my skinniest, my thighs have ALWAYS touched, so I’ve always worn shorts under my dresses.
While some of my readers out there are probably very lucky and don’t need to wear shorts under dresses, many of us are rocking those thick thighs and need the extra protections of a good pair of shorts.
If that’s you, don’t let that deter you from a hiking dress. You’ll want to try on different types of hiking dresses if you know you’re going to need the undershorts, so you can figure out the right combo.
You might need separates like I wear (a dress that isn’t attached to the shorts), or you might love an all-in-one dress that has shorts included.
While it comes down to personal preference, keep in mind that going to the bathroom in the woods is infinitely easier if you have shorts that detach from the dress.
I recommend a pair of wool bike shorts to wear as hiking undershorts if you’d looking for a versatile piece of merino wool. These can be worn under your hiking dress or on their own for a travel wardrobe that does a bit of everything.
Tips for Hiking in a Dress
Find a style that works for you.
Depending on the level of coverage you’re looking for, you can wear a dress that covers your knees or one with a mini skirt.
PIN ME!
In either case, you’ll want to make sure that you’re wearing the dress, and the dress isn’t wearing you.
By that, I mean that you should feel insanely comfortable in it. You shouldn’t be pulling at any part of your dress. It shouldn’t get in the way of your hiking, but rather enhance your experience through the confidence boost you’ve got because of it.
Try on a bunch to find that perfect fit. You might like a high neck to help protect you from sunburn, or you could prefer one with a built-in bra. You might want one that’s looser for better air flow, or one that’s short and breezy.
Try it out on a shorter hike.
If you’re brand new to the idea of hiking in a dress, don’t attempt a thru-hike in one as your first attempt.
Tackle a shorter or more familiar trail in your dress first. This will allow you to see how you feel, how the dress moves, and how the experience compares to your typical hiking outfit.
If you love it, then you’re good to go for other hikes.
If it’s just not the right fit, you can then go back, get a different style, and try again.
A shorter hike will also let you know what needs to be adjusted, even if you love the dress itself. Perhaps you need to add a sunshirt, or longer undershorts to deal with chub rub. Perhaps you need to layer leggings or adjust the sleeve length.
Know that it’s not going to snag on everything.
That was a major worry I had about hiking in a dress, but it’s very much a non-issue.
After wearing my dress non-stop in a whole bunch of environments in the southwest and mountain west, I didn’t get it stuck on one rock, bush, thorn, or gate post.
Even on smaller trails, my dress hasn’t ever caught on anything.
After all, it’s not like you’re wearing some huge tulle skirt out hiking; your hiking dress is going to fit close enough to your body that it will move similarly to shorts or hiking pants.
Best Dresses for Hiking
Wool& Sierra Tank Dress
The Wool& Sierra tank dress is my go-to, tried and true recommendation for those who’d like to add a dress to their hiking wardrobe.
This dress is amazing, and I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s a great medium weight, so you can wear it as it during the summer and then add layers to it during the cooler months.
It’s an A-line dress, so you don’t have to worry about tight waistbands or overly complicated design elements.
It goes with everything and (nearly) every situation, so you can pack one dress on your next vacation for hiking, dinners out, and museum visits.
It doesn’t wrinkle, doesn’t smell even after multiple wears, and is a versatile length. It falls to about 2” above my knee (I’m 5’7”).
It comes in a bunch of solid colors to match your mood. However, it doesn’t have undershorts, so you’ll need to add those separately. I love the Summit pocket shorts, also by Wool&.
Mountain Hardware Dynama Dress
This adorable Dynama dress from Mountain Hardware comes in both patterns and solids, and it has attached shorts underneath.
I love that the fabric is rated UPF 50, making it a great choice for those desert hikes without much cover. (Just remember to add sunscreen on that exposed skin!)
Plus, the fabric is quick dry, so you can even splash in that river by the trail before heading back to your car.
There’s also a built in bra, so between that and the included shorts, you don’t have to pack much extra for your weekend hiking trip.
Something to keep in mind about this dress: for those of us who suffer from chub rub, the attached shorts might be too short to be effective, so this is one where your mileage may vary.
Columbia Freezer III Dress
This easy breezy Freezer III dress from Columbia is lightweight and ready for the trail, a day by the lake, a fishing tournament, and just about any other outdoor activity you can throw at it.
The dress, per the name, is made from fabric designed to cool you down via the sweat that gets into the fabric. That’s a dream on a hot, long hike mid-summer.
You’ll also get 30 UPF protection from the fabric, which is always a plus.
It’s an A-line like the Wool& Sierra dress, and fits very similarly.
The straps are a bit thinner, but the overall length and drape are comparable. The fabric is the biggest difference between this and the Wool& Sierra dress. The Columbia dress is thinner and made from a fabric similar to the fishing shirts the company is known for, while the Wool& dress is more substantial due to the wool weave.
It doesn’t include shorts, so you’ll need to add those separately if you need them.
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