How Ski Fashion has Changed - Summit County, Colorado

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How Ski Fashion has Changed When pioneers first arrived in the mountains, the men and woman had to use what ever resources they could find to keep warm. Skiing was first used by the mail carriers who needed reliable transportation over the mountain passes. Most of the clothes they used were made out of animal fur and leather. The first “ski racers” wore work clothing and high ankle work boots covered with gaiters. At this time in history the tight racing suits of today did not exist. Aerodynamics was not the main objective, instead it was warmth and function. In 1920, the fashion swayed to hunting clothing. Knickers and baggy pants that they tucked into their socks were worn as ski pants. At the time, women still had to wear long woolen skirts which made skiing difficult, but times changed in the late 1920’s when they were allowed to wear knickers too. The next decade brought the age of wool for its warmth and style. Norwegian reindeer sweaters, tweed wool knickers,and baggy gabardine trousers held up by a belt were what the skiers were wearing on the slopes. The 1940’s brought a spring cleaning for ski fashion. This was the end of the baggy pants. People wanted to look slim, trim and fashionable. This new style was form-fitting and tight. The skiers expouned on this idea in the 1950’s. Tight stretch pants came into style and suddenly skiing became an elegant and fashionable place to show new styles. As the 60’s brought a great change to the clothing fashion industry, these baby boomers also brought unique styles to the slopes. Ski clothing becomes more stylish and personalized. Some skiers brought the wool shirts and jeans to the mountains. A popular jacket was the puffy down parkas and vests. With the disco fashion of the 70’s came the "anything goes" style with turtle neck sweaters, ski pants tucked into their boots, and long colorful jackets. The polyester materials were used with wild patterns and were easy to recognize on the hill. The 80’s had a new look. Some preferred the sleek nylon race suits and others wanted everything to match. Neon colors permeated the ski runs and wearing Vuarnet sunglasses and Bula hats was the cool thing to do. The 1990’s brought about a need for function as well as fashion. Skiers and snowboarders wore layers with fleece and long underwear. Gore-Tex and water proof pants became popular as well as goggles. The 2000 trend changed with the emergence of a large snowboard population. The snowboarders today can be seen wearing very baggy pants, a silver studded belt, and a jacket with many pockets in it. Many skiers and snowboarders wear helmets for safety. Fashionable women have been seen wearing fur on some part of their jacket and tight black pants. Snowboarders also wear hoodies (sweatshirt with a hood on it) and love stickers on their gear. It is hard to imagine what ski styles will look like in the future but I am sure you will see many styles from the past popping up on the nearest ski slope.

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