Despite references to the use of skis appearing here and there in ancient history, the recreational activity we enjoy today has its origins in Norway at the latter end of the nineteenth century. Little did the Norwegians know then, swathed in multiple layers of clothing and protected from the cold by furs, that their snow-bound amusement would eventually spawn its own lucrative and influential fashion industry. It would be some time before dedicated ski wear appeared on the scene, so let’s take a look at ski clothing through the years to see how times have changed.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that skiing really took hold as a popular recreational activity as ski instructors in the Austrian Alps began to pass on their techniques to eager learners. As the numbers of skiers grew, places such as Kitzbühel, St. Anton and St. Moritz began to cater for them. Ski wear hadn’t particularly evolved as yet although the 1920’s lady skier began to favour ‘ski trousers’ over the skirts she had worn previously, tucking them into her ski boots and wearing a long woollen coat over everything.
Men skied in their everyday clothing, although riding breeches found favour over trousers since they fitted snugly and allowed greater freedom of movement when skiing.
Functional ski wear began to appear in the late 1930s although the styles still reflected fashionable high street wear rather than the protective insulated garments of later years. Thirties advertisement for British-made Gordon Lowe ski wear depicts a male and female skier atop the slopes with the caption:
“She is wearing a proofed Suit which we also have in Navy (blue) and Bottle (green) – and a printed cashmere scarf. He has chosen a soft Towelling Sweater which costs only 17/6, to go with his strong proofed trousers. They both have entirely hand-made boots at 45/- and 47/6”
Wartime austerity demanded that ski wear became less flamboyant due to the scarce availability of fabric. Colours tended to be drab or muted. However, a shortage of material inevitably meant that ski trousers or ‘leggings’ became closer fitting. Many Austrians fleeing the conflict in their homeland landed in America, bringing their love of skiing to their new home and eliciting a new source of ski fashion.
Post-war, skiing regained its former popularity in Europe and in the late 1940s through the 1950s important advances in ski wear were made. A newly discovered synthetic material called Nylon enabled Austrian ski wear designer Claus Obermeyer to produce a quilted, quick-drying ski jacket in 1949. No longer bound by the use of wool and heavier fabrics, ski wear manufacturers were able to produce lighter, boldly coloured and co-ordinated ski outfits. 1953 saw another advance in ski wear with the invention in Munich of ski-leggings with an integrated stirrup.
With synthetic materials readily available and capable of producing lighter, warmer and more weather-proof ski wear than ever before, the 1960s and 1970s witnessed a new era in which ski wear began the transition from clothes that were specifically designed for the pistes to clothes that could be considered everyday high street fashion; a reversal of the trend witnessed in the 1920s and 30s. The 1970s in particular heralded the arrival of the padded or ‘puffer’ style jacket that remains popular both as ski wear and winter wear today.
The 1980s saw the completion of the transition of ski wear from the slopes to the high street. In a decade where ‘anything goes’ as regards fashion, ski pants with leggings and quilted ski jackets were as prevalent in the city as they were in the Alps. Inexplicably, bright fluorescent colours and soft pastels were simultaneously popular, and featured in everything from all-in- one ski-suits to headbands and leggings.
Thankfully, in the last two decades ski wear has calmed down and come-of-age. Fabric technology has advanced to the point at which ski wear can be manufactured that is at once comfortable, stylish, lightweight, warm, durable and weather resistant. The twenty-first century skier, whether male or female, has an almost unlimited range of practical and fashionable ski wear to choose from provided by designers that have become household names solely because of the skiing clothes they have developed.
When skiing first attained popularity in the 1920s, skiers were happy to wear on the slopes the fashions that they would wear in the high street. Today, we’re as happy to wear in the high street the very same fashions that we wear in the ski resorts of Europe. How times change!
John is a guest blogger from Alpine Action ski holidays who offer a selection of Meribel chalets for rent.
