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Down Low on Dressing For the Down Hill |
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Written by Skier Safety
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Thursday, 22 February 2007 |
We are so lucky to live where we live. The beauty of the outdoors. The clean fresh air we breathe. The lack of traffic. But most importantly, the ski fashion.
Our mountains are littered with dots of color and style. Nothing too crazy, nothing too subdued and no matter how you see it- nothing out of date. That is the beauty of ski fashion. You can always claim it as your own.
If you are still sporting your 205 straight skis and jeans with gators- you are considered “Old School”. If you have any semblance of neon- it is “Retro”. A one piece- well I am not too sure if there is much room on the icy catwalks for those- but some may say “Richie”. I am certain Bogner wouldn’t object to that title. If your pants are sitting at your knees- “Bro”, Ponytails tucked into goggles- “Rad”, Printed ski pants with color coordinating jackets- “Mom”. You get the point.
No matter where you look on the mountain you are destined to spot something fashionable. Maybe not your style- but someone else’s for sure. Ski fashion has come a long way and has not changed one bit for quite sometime.
I recall fondly my CB stretch pants with red padding from the knee down. I am dating myself here- but I was around 8 years old. When I got my matching powder jacket- navy blue body with red sleeves- I thought for sure there was no one cooler! Somehow I put on those tight pants and they made me ski faster. Harder. Stronger.
I must admit. I did have a few days of skiing in jeans. But come on- we all know that it was cool to ski in jeans in 1984! The jeans determined the level of skier. If you skied in jeans, you definitely knew how to shred. My ski fashion took me down the road of bibs, puffy jackets, and yes- neon.
I was on the ski team at my Alma Mater University of Massachusetts. I was riding terribly close to the verge of being fashionably tragic during my tryouts. Picture this- the flash of neon pink TIGHT ski pants with matching neon pullover. All of this against the staid and conservative East Coast backdrop. Fortunately, I did know how to ski- so at least the skills made up for the lack of judgment in fashion. As soon as I made the team, I gave up the flash of neon for the UMASS ski team sky blue and red parka. Thank goodness.
It was after graduation that I dabbled in the art of snowboarding. More than carving turns, I actually loved the clothes. Finally, there were pants cut for girls- low rise, loose fitting, cute and I loved the fact that snowboard pants have padding in the butt. Of course! It makes sense. Snowboard style has definitely brought women’s skiing to a whole new level of chic. I only shop for snowboard clothes at this point. The way the clothes fit actually make me feel like I am wearing regular clothes. Not ski clothes. They are comfortable, flirty, fun and fashionable.
Ski and snowboard clothes bring the term label whore to a whole new level. Living here, Prada, Gucci or Chanel may mean nothing to you. But I can rest assured that ArcTeryx, Cloudveil, Mountain Hardware, Marmot or North Face make an appearance somewhere in your closet. If you are really lucky you may even own some of the higher end brand names like 686 or Bogner. Whatever the case, these name brands mean a lot to us and in many cases create what I like to call- fashion envy. Your gear is better than mine! We are always striving to have the newest, coolest and best. But of course what no one else has. While we work so hard to look good on the mountain, we also strive to be different. We all bring our own sense of style to the hill. I stress again, the beauty of ski fashion is that you can always claim it as your own.
For the more hardcore- back country look in ski fashion I suggest heading to the Bag & Pack Shop. Here they carry all of the coolest brands of clothing. Maybe not the best in look, but definitely the best in technicality. At the Bag & Pack Shop you will find brands like Cloudveil, Patagonia, Mountain Hardware and North Face. They carry great technical gear and have a really helpful staff to find exactly what you need in backcountry fashion.
If you are looking for something a little more on the trendy side of things- Billabong, Burton or One Track Mind are great places to stop. I love the fit of Burton and 686. They both carry a pretty sizeable price tag, but in my opinion are worth it. I have had the same pair of Burton pants for the past 3 years. So the initial investment may have created some sticker shock, but I have loved how they have lasted!
We are fortunate to live in a place filled with ski fashion options. If you are looking for a bargain Sports Authority always has sales. Or, you can wait until the end of the year for clothing to go on sale. There are too many shops to list, but most of them have a reason to visit. They all carry different brands, different styles and different degrees of cost. From American Ski Exchange in Vail, to Double Diamond in Lionshead. The Board Room in Avon to Alpine Quest Sports in Edwards. Valley wide- we are set to look our best as we head out to head down.
Being an avid online shopper, I should let you know about dogfunk.com. This is a great site that carries men’s, women’s and children’s gear at discounted prices. I love this site! It is winter sports fashion inspired!
Ski fashion is fun. Ski fashion is different. Ski fashion allows for individuality. And best of all, ski fashion is your own to claim. You can be sexy, you can be radical, you can be hip, and you can be plain. Just make sure that your style is equal to that of your ability level. If you are going to stand out in some ridiculous neon outfit- have the skills to stand up to it. Have fun with your fashion! And always stay warm.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 February 2007 )
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