Clothing manufacturers often claim that a garment is "technical", but what does that even mean?

To find the answer, we did what anyone does at moments like this and hit the dictionary. The word comes from the Greek word "techne.""Technique (Greek; techne, craft, skill, art) is a way of completing a task that's not obvious or simple in the first place."

We put emphasis on two main parts of this definition when it comes to technical clothing: "art" and "completing a task."

Completing a task
When Rúngne makes a new garment, we first outline what it'll be used for, what particular stresses it'll be subjected to, and what unique properties we want the garment to have. Ultimately, the item has to actually achieve the designed purpose for the owner.

The dilemma here is that clothes are often used for more than one thing, and in our opinion they should be used in as many different situations as possible! This means that the garment has to not only have a core functionality, but also handle as much variation in weather and use as possible. 

Rúngne's vision is to make clothes that help you move and play more. We're betting on a future where your everyday clothes are as good and as comfortable as your sportswear.The art of choosing fabrics

The choice of main fabric is perhaps the most important and challenging decision we make here at Rúngne. The job is to balance the different desired characteristics against each other. For example, waterproof will always contrast with breathability. Durability and tactile comfort are also usually clear-cut trade-offs. A garment can't usually be both insulating and perfect for hot days simultaneously.In practice, choosing textiles becomes the art of balancing loads of desirable properties against each other.

This might sound a bit more complicated than it is. At the end of the day, we find that when we field test a garment for a long enough time, it gives us a pretty good idea about its qualities and whether it works for a specific purpose or use.

Synthetic vs. Organic
It is no coincidence that "technical" clothing manufacturers choose synthetic fibers such as polyamide and polyester over natural fibers such as cotton or wool. Although cotton and wool work well for their specific uses, these fibers have poorer overall properties than synthetic ones.You might dislike military institutions for many reasons, but they're among the most demanding and professional developers and purchasers of clothes. Even they have all moved on from natural fibers to synthetic ones years ago. This comes with a caveat though - we're huge fans of synthetic and organic blends, which is soon going to present some pretty interesting developments in this category.

Conclusion
Technical clothing simply means clothes made to do something exceptionally well. So, in the end, if you prefer climbing in non-stretchy denim, they are, by definition, your pair of technical climbing pants! Technical means something different to everyone, so grab your favourite garments and let's hit the crag.