when I bought this harness I sized it larger than I thought I'd need just in case. Good thing. Otherwise I would have been holding my breath for most of the day. I bought this harness mostly for use at a ropes course, so, lots of dangling, not too much climbing. In order for it to fit I had to wear it uncomfortably high on my waist. The leg loops fit pretty well. In order to obtain the best benefits from the padding, the harness had to be worn fairly tight, and then you have on, well, an uncomfortably tight harness. If you're a waif, you will love this harness. Lots of cushion for all the bits and bones that are angled out of your anorexic body. Otherwise, size at least two sizes larger than you would normally for comfort.

If you have hips this harness is definetly for you. I was getting frustrated with unisex harnesses coming so high up around my waist and this one fits great, above of the hips but not too high in the back. And, the straps all tuck in when doubled back and the leg loops can be dropped for quick exit.

[size=12][b]Full Disclosure: The company that manufactured this equipment provided it free of charge to RC.com and RC.com then provided it as compensation to the reviewer for his or her review. This company does not currently advertise on RC.com -- 4/06.[/b]

I'm a woman. This harness is for me, right?
I have what I consider to be the most average of average body types for a woman. I'm the average height. The average size. I have fat deposits where the average woman climber has them. And I have long enjoyed woman-specific harnesses designed for the average woman.
I am not so sure that Black Diamond had that in mind when they crafted the ultra-cute and sparkly Primrose but then labelled it a trad climbing harness. This was designed not for your middle-of-the-road, average trad climbing woman, but for the kind of average woman sport climber with a tiny waist, tiny legs, tiny hands, and tiny caribiners. And wants to look hot at the gym.
Really, this harness is chock full of good features for the beginner woman climber who intends to use it mainly for the gym or sport forays - instructions on tie-in points are built into the harness, which, remembering my first self-taught days at the crag, could have come in handy. The adjustable leg loops are great, as some of us have massive, thunderously muscled thighs, and others enjoy lean, compact haunches. It's got a little velcro strip that one can use to secure the desired tightness of the waist loop. The belt itself is well designed if it fits you correctly - I have a long waist and it rode too high to be very comfortable.
Have I mentioned how much I love the color, though? Petzl has historically been the leader in cute colored harnesses, but the attention to detail on the Primrose makes it the ultimate in cute harnesses. The reflective blue color functions not only in drawing headlight attention during the inevitable night rescue, but in the attention of all men in the area. Men love shiny things.[/size] <img src="http://photos.rockclimbing.com/photos//718/71800.jpg">
[i]T-dog says, "Mmmmm, shiny."[/i]
[size=12]The silver webbing highlights match the plastic trim, and it's overall a cute, cute harness. And that's why I think it would suit a cute, cute girl who thinks about what she looks like at the crag or gym. No other harness out there has the sheer attractibility factor.
But the drawbacks are myriad. If you are not the woman designed to fit this harness, as I am not, it can be rather uncomfortable through the waist and legs on rappells or hanging belays. The gear loops are very small and few. They have interesting serrated insides, but in practical use, they don't do much to keep biners secure and moving. Their size and limited number really makes me wonder why Black Diamond markets this harness for trad climbing. It feels full with a set of nuts and slings.

You see, Black Diamond designed this to be an entry-level women's traditional harness, but the gear loops are so small, and if the fit is not perfect, so misplaced, that it would take the average professional woman climber (ie, tiny hands, waist, size) to make this harness really work for her on her attempts to free the latest aid route. It would also take a lot of Neutrinos and a tiny rack.
Overall, I feel like this harness has gone the way of most woman-specific offerings on the market - sacrificing real world functionality in order to appeal to the style-conscious woman. By the way, it goes really well with T-dog's fuzzy chalk bag monster.

<img src="http://photos.rockclimbing.com/photos//718/71801.jpg">
For what it's worth, this harness has been used on single and multipitch trad routes, but the photos are missing. It was much happier in the indoor environment anyway.[/size]

This is the third harness i haved purchased during my relatively short time as a climber. My first harness was a non-adjustable women's specific model from Singing Rock, the second was the unisex Trilogy from REI and now the Primrose from Black Diamond. I finally got the fit i was looking for. The adjustable legs are great and provide a better fit than my Singing Rock. The padding is better than the Trilogy and the gear loops are larger than the ones on both the other harnesses. I paid 42 bucks cdn.......great deal. I would have saved some bucks if i had bought this harness in the first place. My only problem is that the leg loops are still a tad loose when totally cinched. It won't be a problem in cold weather.

Don't have much to compare it to, other than the crappy old used harness I used to borrow from a friend. This one is very comfy, though, and I'm glad to not have to use a man's harness anymore...too big :-(