SKI WEAR

Sartorial

DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY

Alf Alderson clips into his skis to check out the different styles of ski wear to be seen on the slopes during the Season

ou’ve just enjoyed a capital morning on

Ythe slopes of your favourite ski resort and, not unreasonably, you decide to take a break from the action with a morning coffee, or perhaps something stronger – and why not? You are en vacances, after all.

This is the time to sit back and indulge in a spot of people watching, which with a little luck may throw up individuals attired in pretty much every ski fashion from the last 100 years.

Not all of it is pleasing to the eye, and some may even result in involuntary gasps of alarm/ howls of laughter, but here is a brief outline of what you may encounter as you sip the first espresso, bombardino, Jagermeister or genepi (location dependent) of the day.

THE WOOL AND TWEED BRIGADE

The pioneers of downhill skiing were, on the whole, well-heeled Victorian and Edwardian Brits, and they would naturally have turned to wool and tweed fabrics as they explored the mountains of the Alps, France and Switzerland in particular.

By and large, their clothing was an extension of that worn for country sports, with robust tweed jackets, plus fours, woollen socks and balaclavas, leather gloves and stout leather boots providing insulation and protection from the elements.

Such attire may be seen today among the esoteric cliques of telemark skiers that are occasionally encountered in some ski resorts (more commonly in the US and Canadian Rockies than Europe); these ‘free-heelers’ (see below) may also be

The Wool and Tweed Brigade

seen to sport a variety of facial hair, while the ladies usually ski in flowing skirts. The smoking of pipes as well as carrying of traditional canvas rucksacks is also popular among true enthusiasts.

Their chosen form of downhill locomotion, the Telemark ski, is a traditional design which dates back to the 19th century and was invented in Telemark, Norway (hence the name); unlike modern alpine skis, Telemark skis do not have a fixed binding for the ski boots – the heel is lifted on turns and, without going into detail, this makes it considerably more difficult exercise than ‘regular’ downhill skiing. There is one plus point to this, however, in that the inconvenience of itchy, heavy and bulky woollen fabrics is forgotten due to the intense concentration and application required to master the infamous ‘Telemark turn’.

WHERE TO SEE THEM

Usually found in the most remote and shabby mountain restaurants or emerging from tents, caves and other budget accommodation.

THE HOLLYWOOD GANG

This coterie of the skiing world is unfortunately not often sighted these days, despite their rather elegant appearance. They present a style that was popular in the fifties and common among Hollywood stars venturing to glitzy resorts such as Sun Valley, Idaho (which, incidentally, opened the first ever chair lift in 1936, based on a banana boat hoist).

Fashions characteristic of the era include loose-fitting stretch pants for both men and women,

The French Connection

invented in 1952 by Munich-based company Bogner, and body-hugging down jackets, first sold by the American enterprise Eddie Bauer in the 1930s. There was also something of a military look to some ski wear of this period – zip-up ski jackets with button-down breast pockets, and headwear in the form of forage caps with ear flaps were popular, perhaps reflecting the seemingly permanent war footing of the west in the mid-20th century and also, in the USA, influenced by the 10th Mountain Division, a number of whose members went on to work in the ski industry after being demobilised in November 1945.

WHERE TO SEE THEM

Older skiers in more upmarket destinations such as St. Moritz and Courchevel may occasionally be seen sporting a style akin to this, while the military aspect of it may be found among oldschool ski touring afficionados, who eschew ski lifts and instead hike up the slopes in search of their purgatorial pleasures.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

The 1960s and 70s saw France get into skiing in a big way. Strange that it had taken our continental cousins sixty years to follow the snowy mountain path trailed by the Brits but, at the same time as developing several modern ski resorts in the French Alps, the French also bought their indefinable je ne sais quoi to the mountains.

Ski heroes such as Jean-Claude Killy of Val d’Isere sped to victory down the race courses (Killy even won one race after finishing with a broken leg) and ski fashion – for ladies in particular – became as flamboyant as the race scene, with furs popular in headwear and jackets, skin-tight ski pants above the new plastic ski boots and – for both men and women – colourful ski jumpers topped off with jackets in nylon and polyester materials which were lighter and more weatherproof than woollen fabrics. And, of course, there were Moonboots; but let us not dwell on that…

Ski fashions at this time had a bright and colourful va va voom about them which echoed the

The Pastel and Neon Nightmare

buzz and vigour of the period. Despite the fact that skiing was still, by and large, restricted to the fat of wallet, it chimed well with sixties pop culture, and the outfits worn by David Niven descending the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo in The Pink Panther (1963), George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) and Robert Redford as a Downhill Racer (1969) perfectly capture the ski styles of the era.

Towards the end of this period came the invention of breathable Gore-tex fabric, which meant a fellow could now work up a sweat on the slopes or in the après-ski bar without humming like a two-week-old Camembert.

WHERE TO SEE THEM

Sixties chic has never totally gone away, especially in France – don’t be surprised to see ‘ski bunnies’ in Moonboots and tight ski pants anywhere in the French Alps, while chain smoking lounge lizards in casual ski-themed jumpers (i.e. bearing images of snowflakes or reindeer), slacks and loafers prop up après-ski bars here and there, despite not having been seen on a ski slope since their teens.

THE PASTEL AND NEON NIGHTMARE

When the 1980s arrived, any skier of taste and refinement was well advised to keep their gaze on the mountains and divert it away from the Technicolor array of outfits schussing down slopes from Aspen to Zermatt.

Whoever was responsible for the pastel onepieces and phosphorescent ski jackets and pants that littered ski resorts through the 80s and 90s has never owned up, although personally I believe C&A (remember them?) had much to do with it.

In theory, a one-piece ski suit is a good idea, as it provides better insulation and prevents the ingress of snow when one wipes out, but in practical terms they leave much to be desired; they can become too hot on warmer days but, more to the point – and this applies especially to the ladies – when the morning coffee or afternoon schnapps begins to work its way through one’s system, using the conveniences becomes highly inconvenient.

Add to this the fact that these wardrobe misadventures were manufactured in a range of

The Sunny Scandis

awful pastel hues that resembled the interior decor of a 1980s American motorhome, and this was probably the nadir of ski fashion.

The 90s provided stiff competition for the 80s, as neon pinks, acid greens, blazing oranges and golden yellows became the colourways of choice on the slopes. Freestyle skiers such as American Glenn Plake, famed for his dyed Mohican haircut (see photo on previous page) sported these eye-watering colours in ski movies such as the tortuously titled Blizzard of Aahhhs, and the younger and more naïve members of the skiing community saw fit to emulate their heroes and visually assault the rest of us.

WHERE TO SEE THEM

Your best chance of sighting an eighties one-piece or a nineties neon outfit is at an après-ski party, when the era is often the theme of fancy-dress parties. Other than that, you may see the occasional older skier bulging out of a one-piece, too parsimonious to change the outfit they purchased forty years ago and blissfully unaware of the amusement they are providing for their fellow skiers.

THE SUNNY SCANDIS

The first two decades of the 21st century saw the Scandinavians offer their own take on brightly coloured ski attire. As the inventors of skiing, they were thoroughly entitled to do so, having sat back for at least a century watching the rest of the world strut about the slopes attired in varying degrees of awfulness.

Because impeccable design style appears to be second nature to the Nordics, companies such as Norway’s Norrona managed to produce stylish, if expensive, ski clothing in bold, bright and sunny colours that actually put a smile on your face as opposed to a grimace. Similar modes were produced by Canadian brand Arc’teryx, and while very much being designed to be seen (which actually has a practical benefit, should one be unfortunate enough to require assistance on the mountain) there’s a certain irony to the fact that this higher end, vibrantly coloured ski gear was particularly popular with freeride and backcountry skiers, who would venture out into the wilds in search of perfect powder where few others were likely to see their beguilingly bright outfits.

Earth calling

WHERE TO SEE THEM

There are plenty of these loud but stylish ski outfits still around – perhaps not surprising given their premium price tags and the snobbery of the sport. Indeed, I still wear a bright orange Arc’teryx jacket myself. They’re usually to be seen on the more challenging slopes, particularly the off-piste and backcountry terrain, since anyone prepared to spend several hundred pounds on a ski jacket or ski pants is invariably an adept skier (or someone with more money than sense).

EARTH CALLING

Before the restraints of the Unpleasantness forbade anyone to venture into the mountains (the fresh, crisp air and remote mountainsides being a Covid death trap, obviously) ski clothing had begun to take on a distinctly boring look. The earthy browns and greys, muted blues and olive greens of urban fashions had become de rigeur during the last full ski season.

From a British point of view at least, this has a certain irony, since many of those skiers who voted in favour of Brexit still see fit to venture to the Alps every winter (what’s wrong with the Scottish Highlands?) and are as unadventurous as the ski gear they are currently wearing.

Today, ski clothing manufacturers are using eco-friendly fabrics with ever-increasing enthusiasm. French company Picture, for example, combines highly technical designs with sustainably manufactured fabrics – their new ‘Lab Line’ of ski gear uses a recyclable polyolefin composition fabric which is chemical, PFC and solvent-free, while at the same time offering excellent waterproofing and breathability and being exceptionally lightweight – a far cry from the heavy, moisture absorbing tweeds and wools of yore.

This is not to say that traditional fabrics don’t still have their place in the mountains; merino wool is a standard fabric for modern base layers, while companies such as Huddersfield-based McNair (pictured above) produce classy heavyweight woollen mountain shirts that would not have looked out of place in 1930s Chamonix.

All of which means that today’s skier can be as retro or as modern as they wish, while remaining warm, dry and stylish on the slopes. n