An illustrated journey of ski fashion through the years

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JARED RODDEN

WORDS BY WATKIN MCLENNAN

Next time your ski resort has a retro-day, don’t get stuck in the eighties. There are so many fashion trends from the past you can pay your respects to. Ski fashion has been a leader, and often a victim, in global fashion trends. Since the beginning people have always known, it’s not how you ski that matters, but how you look.

The Beginning

In the beginning there was wool. Warm, breathable, antibacterial wool. Inspired by ancient kayakers of the Arctic, skiers used long paddle-like poles called lurks and wore skirts to disguise themselves as walrus to evade the then prevalent polar bear.

The Fifties

With skiing gaining popularity in lower latitudes, skiers were no longer required to disguise themselves as walrus. Inspired by this freedom, Maria Bogna invented the stirruped stretch ski pant. The sleek lines of the human body on skis laid bare.

The Sixties

By the sixties, skiers had decided mimicking animals on the slopes could be fun and not just a necessity of yesteryear. Fur became popular but the stirruped stretch pant was retained to strike a balance between human beauty and animalistic expression.

The Seventies

In the seventies people no longer looked to animals for inspiration, they set their sights on the infinite possibilities found in space - The Moon Boot was born and with that Après-ski flourished. Skiing was forgotten in a fog of gluhwein and Moët.

The Eighties

After a decade of wearing Moon Boots, ski boots were hard to get back into. Enter the rear entry! People also seemed to have left their beanies at the bar. So, they compensated with big hair to keep their ears warm.

The Nineties

In the nineties practicality was everything. Parabolic skis made turning easy, mono-skis made it hard. Headbands replaced big hair. Ill-fitting waterproof onesies replaced body (and water loving) stretch outfits. And fluorescent colours were replaced with burgundies and navy to appeal to skiing’s affluent constituents.

The Naughties

In the naughties onesies were out...almost. Colour matching your two-piece was a courteous nod to the past. Safety on the slopes was also gaining traction. Helmets protected heads. Puffies protected core temperatures. And twin tips and tall-tees protected the young against retribution for not transitioning to snowboarding.

Concerned about their identity as social media’s influence grew, skiers began covering their faces and wearing black. However, still keen to express themselves, skiers adopted wider and wider skis to signal their skiing ability. The puffy’s popularity did not diminish but instead became a layer within a layering system designed to shield skiers from any social media intrusion.

The Teensies The

It isn’t good enough to be made from recycled plastic bottles. In the future people wear high performance nano-fabrics that absorb carbon as they ski. The faster they ski the more they do to help combat climate change. Smart boots make skiing faster easier. Connecting to the cloud, they provide coaching tips in real time projected onto the goggle lens.