ICE BREAKERS : Skiwear Gets a Lift From Lightweights That Put Elegance on Slopes or in Lodge
Skiers once stomped through snow in inflated down parkas that made them look like so many Michelin tire men.
This winter they’ll be clad in sleek skiwear that’s often elegant enough to go from the slopes to a fine restaurant.
In place of bulky quilted parkas, there are draped or fitted jackets made of lush fabrics. Plain nylon has been replaced by black velvet, satins with Versace-inspired scarf prints and metallics in deep jewel tones. Many jackets come richly embellished with embroidery, zippers, braid, faux furs and gems. All are tough enough to handle the meanest mogul.
One of the hottest silhouettes on skis is the form-fitting jumpsuit. Unlike padded coveralls that make one look like a bloated ski bunny, these fit more like cat suits, thanks to stretchy fabrics that hug the skin.
Bogner has created one of the wilder jumpsuits of the season. It wraps the wearer in bold zebra stripes from torso to toe, with a fitted black and red top ($800) available at Newport Ski Co. in Newport Beach and Orange. For a tamer look, there’s the Hermes-influenced jumpsuit with a black-and-gold, scarf print jacket trimmed in matching braid with attached black stretch pants by Skea ($934).
“You can ski in all of it,” said Christi Deverian, buyer for Newport Ski Co. “It’s not just designed for sitting in the lodge.”
Even Skea’s faux fur tiger jacket ($700), natural lamb suede bomber ($700) and Chanel-influenced black velvet hooded jacket with gold buttons and ribbon trim ($555) can withstand icy slopes.
The jackets are paired with ski pants that no longer make the legs look like stuffed sausages. Today’s most popular ski pants look like tight-fitting leggings. Black is the overwhelming color choice for ski pants, and some come adorned with metallic weaves that sparkle on the snow.
“The streamlined look is strong,” Deverian says.
Even gloves look like they could be worn to a nightclub. Newport Ski Co. has a black pair studded with big rhinestones ($135), one of which could suit Michael Jackson.
California Ski Center in Anaheim also carries skiwear that has all the shine and sparkle of evening wear. There’s an elegant metallic blue jacket that has a long drapey silhouette and faux fur collar by Nils ($360) and Bogner’s black bomber with a woven print of a gold winged horse with gold stripes stitched on the collar and a belt with a large gold shield ($668). The jacket can accompany a pair of glittering black ski pants with gold dots ($234).
“You can buy a ski jacket that (you) can wear to a restaurant on a cold night. The crossover look from skiwear to street wear is big,” said Joanne Mittmann, buyer for California Ski Center. Skiwear owes its slimmer looks to man-made materials that can keep off the cold and wet without the bulk of down.
“The ‘70s down jacket that’s three feet thick isn’t around anymore,” said Kim Kobayashi, ski clothing manager for Sport Chalet in Mission Viejo. “Man-made insulations are much thinner, making a better silhouette so you don’t look like a marshmallow man.”
While women want high fashion, men prefer high-tech. They’re going for skiwear with all of the bells and whistles, including assorted pockets, zippers, hideaway hoods and space-age fabrics.
“Men pay more attention to hardware,” Deverian said.
The North Face introduced its Steep Tech line of heavy duty skiwear to satisfy serious downhill racers. The jackets have all kinds of functional details, from a built-in chamois for wiping off sunglasses to “pit zips” that let one air out one’s underarms.
“Say you’re climbing the mountain to get to the other side and you want to cool off. It’s easy to open up the jacket and get some air flow,” said Ric Sanchez, manager of The North Face at Crystal Court, Costa Mesa.
Sanchez can sound like an engineer when describing skiwear features such as reinforced impact areas and ventilating systems.
North Face’s bestseller is the “Smear Jacket,” a garment that looks rugged enough to wear sliding face-first down a black diamond run. It comes equipped with tool pockets, removable hood, foam seat pad and other gizmos ($440).
Unlike trend-conscious women’s lines, men’s skiwear has returned to the basics. Jackets are in traditional colors such as navy, black, red and earth tones. Blinding neon has all but melted off the mountains.
Not that men are immune to fashion-forward looks. The Western wear influence, for instance, can be seen at Newport Ski Co. with Bogner’s black and denim blue jacket with intricately embroidered horse and Indian feathers ($600).
One man stood before a mirror at Sport Chalet trying on a bomber-style jacket made of distressed nylon in a fashionable shade of washed plum.
“I’m not thinking of skiing in this at all,” he said.
