Not just for the slopes…
THERE IS AN UPSIDE to the weather outside being frightful. Finally, all those Michelin Man-sized coats that cost you an arm and a leg can come out of hibernation. This winter, there’s also a new wave of skiwear to add to your cold-weather roster – whether you’re venturing off-piste or very much staying put at low altitude.
Skiwear, you see, is having a moment this season. Aspen’s Elk Mountain village is playing host to a Chanel boutique until mid-january, while Net-a-porter set up camp at the uber-exclusive Amangani resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, last month. Fashion editors and would-be snow angels including Tina Leung and Xenia Adonts descended for three days of hiking through the Grand Teton National Park in Moncler Grenoble jackets, dining fireside and whizzing down mountains on branded skis. The site now has a dedicated Ski & Snow section, where sales were up 83% after the Jackson Hole trip, with all the mirrored goggles (from Dragon), stirrup pants (Fusalp), intarsia socks (Falke) and shearling-lined nubuck boots (Sorel) your snow-facing self might desire. ‘Perfect Moment, Ienki Ienki and Cordova are all offering fashion-forward skiwear that feels sleek, while our exclusive capsules with Balmain and Brunello Cuccinelli are perfect for post-slope chic,’ says Net-a-porter’s senior fashion market editor Libby Page.
It’s very much an off-slope trend too. Sienna Miller is facing the bleak Manhattan winter in full hygge mode, wearing leggings, shearling-covered snow boots and bobble hats on rotation for frosty strolls. The Duchess of Cambridge is also on-board, styling her favourite Perfect Moment duvet jacket with jeans and lace-up boots for a casual outdoorsy royal event. The brand’s creative director, Jane Gottschalk, says social media is partly responsible for the rise in stylish skiwear – that can also be worn in the city. ‘People want to be seen looking good all year round – even in remote mountain destinations!’ She wears Perfect Moment’s oversized parka over gym kit for the school run, and its Polar Flare jacket – a cropped puffer – with Re/done jeans and Stella Mccartney trainers at the weekend.
Fashion editors will also be hunkering down in Moncler Grenoble’s environmentally-friendly jacket for coldweather excursions this January. Its fabric, lining, buttons and zips are all made from caster beans, a renewable resource that requires very little water to grow, while the emissions generated during its lifecycle will be entirely offset. Add a padded headscarf from Ienki Ienki, a brand that launched its first ski collection this winter, and pair of sheepskin insoles by Toasties and you’re ready to face the polar vortex.