070/ The Ski Report
On a mission to find sale and/or (relatively) affordable skiwear.
A few years ago, when my youngest turned three, we decided to take up skiing as family in an effort to fill in those slothful months bookended by the Christmas holidays and March Break. It has been great to get us moving and outdoors, even when half of the “activity” is prep — driving, packing, unpacking, getting in-and-out of our gear, etc…
Now, our winters seem to fly by.
If you’re also a skier, you may be preparing yourself for the start of ski season, including figuring out what to wear (this is a style newsletter after all).
For the last few years, I had been wearing the same ski suit I bought 15 years ago, and although the jacket is still in good shape, the pants are too low-rise for my liking. Knowing that we would be skiing as a family for the next five to 10 years, I spent last season combing through skiwear online and in-store.
As I dug into the skiwear market, I found that reliable sportswear brands like Helly Hansen, Descente, North Face and Rossignol offered reasonably priced skiwear (especially on sale), but I was looking for something more sleek, more stylish, more fashion.
I found it in brands like Bogner, Moncler, Goldbergh, Fusalp, Cordova, and the like, where I was blown away by their eye-watering price tags (check out the selection MyTheresa, Moda Operandi, and NAP). It reminded me of the first time I looked into buying rugs and curtains as a grown-up. Who knew?
With that mind, I was motivated to find (relatively) affordable skiwear that was stylish and warm, and made to actually ski in. I say this because a lot of clothes marketed as skiwear is actually ski-adjacent, i.e. cute outfits for après.
For example, fur trapper hats: cozy while having a drink on the patio, but good luck getting a helmet over it. A chunky fair isle sweater? A festive classic that vibes with the chalet’s wood finishings, but probably too bulky to wear under a ski jacket. (BTW, resale sites like Vestiaire are a goldmine for them).
I appreciate that ski temperatures vary around the world, from positively frigid in Quebec (#iykyk), to somewhat milder in Whistler, and — ha — indoors in Dubai. My ski wear is geared towards conditions in Ontario, ranging from -20C (-4F) to -5C (23F), and windy.
So….sexy, shiny leggings? Or these Isabel Marant overalls? In parts of the world where there are snow caps year around, and temperatures are hovering around 0C/32F…possibly? Here in Toronto, where our ski hills are literally valleys (lol), at those temps, the snow is melting quickly, and it’s not a practical option for skiing. But for après, go for it!
1) Base Layers
Over the years I’ve learned that, on most days, no one will see what’s under my snow pants. Translation: any warm and comfortable legging will do (although Falke’s Ergonomic Sport System prices are reasonable).
Depending on the temperature, I wear my running leggings of varying thickness and warmth: three are from Lululemon, and one is long underwear from Mountain Equipment Co-op (Canada’s REI equivalent).
Tops get more visibility than bottoms because your jacket usually comes off indoors. I usually wear my running base layers (again) or MEC long underwear (again) under my ski jacket. On the coldest of days, my Uniqlo cashmere crewnecks seamlessly do double-duty on the slopes, adding an extra layer of warmth. But really, any slim profile wool/cashmere/fleece you already own will do.
Options on sale:
2) Outerwear
This is where things start to get really pricey.
My dream ski jacket was this Moncler Grenoble Montjoux (above left), but at C$2,500+ I couldn’t justify the purchase. (In case you’re interested, I found few of them for resale, although still way above budget for me: here, here, and here).
Instead, I found the Adeline jacket on sale from Canadian brand, Rudsak, which is pretty close! It comes in the same Moncler red (and it’s on sale for C$399), but for some reason I opted for the blue. I also really like this neutral, understated toffee colourway.
More options on sale:
Zara’s ski collection came through for me last year, and they just launched this year’s collection over the weekend.
Both of the jumpsuits above are from Zara (white and black), as are the pants — at left is the flared leg, and at right is the narrow leg (not available this year). I sized up in the suits and took TTS in the pants. The jumpsuits are good on warmer days, with the option of throwing a jacket or fleece on top.
More sale bottoms and jumpsuits:
Another avenue I explored was thrifting vintage ski suits, like this one I found on Etsy:
Prices are usually around $100-150 and you’ll be sure to be the only person wearing it!
And…that’s it for the ski report!
See you soon with What I’m Wearing and Part 3 of holiday sales.
Love and gratitude,
Irene
would also love the lowdown on your tried and true winter running gear. all my stuff is a decade old and i need a refresh + motivation to get out there!
I know you did a post about your glasses but would you mind sharing the link? Tnx.