From the piste to après-ski: How to dress for your ski holiday

Ski holidays are full of attractive pastimes. Whether you want to carve your way down fresh corduroy slopes, pump powder down the back of the mountain, let loose on the dancefloor at the après-ski or sit outside the café at the summit of the peak with a mug of hot chocolate, the mountain villages are full of activities to pass the time. Yet while some of these activities are more forgiving than others, all call for proper attire. That’s why we’ve chosen to present four different styles for four different types of skiers.

THE PISTE

On the slopes, most skiers stick to the pistes. They rise at the crack of dawn and catch the first lift to the summit in the hope of being the first to carve their way down slopes of untouched corduroy snow. Then they spend the rest of the day investigating all the nooks and crannies of the lift system. The clothes you wear should be comfortable and warm, with a focus on a wind-repellent outer layer that protects you from the chilly wind. The Black Box Anorak from The North Face is made of a dense nylon fabric with wind-repellent properties and also has plenty of storage options for skiers who don’t want to carry a backpack on the slopes.

OFF-PISTE

For those with a taste for the extreme, the real skiing takes place off-piste. With risers under your skis, you slowly climb the mountain and then zig-zag your own path back down through (hopefully) untouched powder. In this type of extreme environment, safety is the primary factor when choosing what to wear. This means that the focus of a garment should be on function rather than style. Mainstays include clothes made of materials such as windproof polyester, fleece and Gore-Tex. Don’t forget the avalanche backpack.

THE APRÈS-SKI

At the après-ski, the opposite rules apply. Here, form goes before function in all situations. If you know that this is where your focus will be, it important to outfit yourself with super-stylish ski clothing, and then take it easy on the slopes. Since the Moncler brand has nearly 70 years of experience as an ideal choice on the slopes, it’s only natural that their garments play a prominent role in these contexts. Their Maya jacket comes in a version where the thick down jacket is clad in a corduroy exterior. Perfect when you want to combine a durable exterior with an insulating inner layer.

THE MOUNTAINTOP CAFÉ

Many holiday-goers manage to avoid skiing altogether. With justifications such as “It’s such lovely weather”, these skiers take the shortest route up to the mountaintop café and quickly stake out a spot on the terrace. Here, it’s important to dress warmly and comfortably while maintaining the illusion that you’re ready to hit a Black Diamond slope at the drop of a hat. The Frost jacket from Peak Performance is thickly lined with 700 fill power down, and at the same time has a very sporty look, making it perfect for this purpose.