Slope style
Ski wear recs — brought to you by the group chat.
Though my friends are entirely unconvinced of this narrative, I started skiing when I was five. Memories from that age are fuzzy, but I do distinctly recall getting suited up in my aqua and pink onesie and waddling over the mats that we pizza / french fry / pizzaed on.
Looking back, this was an incredible undertaking for my immigrant parents, who were neither skiers themselves nor rich white people who knew other rich white people who knew how to ski. Driving in snow (these are people who grew up on a subtropical island), renting skis, poles, boots, and helmets, enrolling us in ski school — it’d be the equivalent of like, me trying to take my imaginary family of four on a buck hunting trip solo.
I’m eternally grateful to my parents for endeavoring to do this, because I lack both the patience and the athleticism to be one of those people who casually learned to ski as an adult. When the above photo resurfaced a few years ago, my friends were astonished, because 30-some years later, I’m a squarely intermediate skier.
In fact, I’ve regressed over the years: While I could at one point ski blacks pretty fearlessly, these days I’m cruising blue groomers and the occasional accidental mogul run. I might only do three laps before rewarding myself with a long and lazy, Veuve-soaked fondue lunch.
Still, I love to partake in mountain style. Like tropical vacay or holiday party outfits, I think of ski clothing as occasion wear: It’s fun to wear something fun. Clomping up to the gondola line in a Perfect Moment onesie is likely to elicit an eye-roll or two from “locals” and “advanced skiers.” But as long as my outfit gets the job done functionally, I give zero shits if a Reddit bro in his (peacocky in its own way, I might add) Arcteryx / Melanzana getup is passing judgment on my sportwear choices. My friend who rocks a Cordova suit says, “I ski better when I feel sexy,” and to that I say: add to cart.
Ski wear is expensive, and a varied selection is not particularly accessible in person unless you live in the mountains. So I always appreciate trusted recs from my skier friends, because who wants to put four $1000 jackets on your Sapphire at once?Below, I’m sharing the wisdom of the group chat with you in the name of saving us all a few FedEx drop-offs.
In summary: This advice is for the girls who are panic perusing Lisa Yang on SSENSE for fear of Canadian tariffs, not for the ones reading OutdoorGearLab.com reviews. If you’re a technical skier who wants the best gear for skinning up a mountain, feel free to exit browser. But if you’re planning a friend trip to Jackson and want to feel cute when sipping shotskis with your squad between runs, I got you.
Thermals or base layers: Ideally, you’ll want 100% merino wool base layers, which provide warmth and wick sweat. My favorite wool base layers are from European knitwear company We Norwegians. If it’s warm out, I may go synthetic, in which case the world is your oyster. Halfdays, Sweaty Betty, and Cordova ribbed set also make some cute patterns and colorful sets. In a pinch, anything that sits close to the skin — think a SKIMS mockneck top and your trusty Lululemon Aligns — does the job just fine.
Mid-layers or ski Sweaters: I rotate between a ribbed sweater and a houndstooth sweater over my base layer top, though if the sun’s sunning, I’ll forgo a sweater altogether. French skiwear brand Fusalp is a favorite for chic, classy ski sweaters with subtle details that I love. While Perfect Moment has a reputation for being an influencer brand, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the quality and warmth of their 100% wool statement sweaters. Alanui also makes gorg (though $$$) fair isle sweaters I’ve been Vestiaire-stalking.
More insulation: If it’s absolutely frigid out (and it has been this year — I’m writing you with the heat cranked, wrapped in a mohair blanket wearing a cashmere sweater under a cashmere sweater), it’s worth packing yet another layer for extra warmth — a low-profile down vest like this or a thin fleece is best to avoid bulk under your outerwear.
Ski bibs: In spite of the 27 seconds it adds to your time at the toilet, I prefer a bib over pants. Everything just tucks in nicely in a more flattering way. These are my go-to salopettes (French for “overalls,” my fancy friends) — which are definitely not the warmest, but do make you look snatched — a rare quality in ski clothing. My friend Gen, a Vail regular, had high praise for Goldbergh’s other bib style, and my friend Vera, who gets ~10 days in the Rockies annually despite living in NY/Miami, always looks so chic in this houndstooth bib. To smooth things out under a bib, some prefer a bodysuit-style base layer like this or this.
Ski pants: On chilly days, I’ll wear these pants which have a little bit more room for layers (if it’s -0°F, I consider a pair of fleece leggings to be mandatory). A few friends also vouch for these flare pants, which are super flattering — I have my eye on them next. I prefer my ski bottom to be slim-fit and flared to avoid looking completely like a Michelin man.
Jackets: When on the mountain, the jacket is the outfit — usually for 2-3 days in a row. Once you’ve committed to being a skier, I recommend buying something that you love. I look for something that’s either belted or nips in at the waist to give you a little shape, and personally like something that has insulation. My non-negotiable features for a ski jacket are:
thumb holes: keeps everything warmer even when your hands are out of your mittens
pass pocket: most resorts these days will have you scan your resort pass when going through electronic gates — it’s much more handy to be able to scan through a pocket on your arm
inner pocket: I like to bring lip balm, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc. on the mountain, so it’s really nice to have an inner jacket pocket to tuck these things away in
hood: that’s big enough to fit over helmet
After wearing the same jacket for the last seven years, this year I finally splurged on this one, which has absolutely elevated my ability to maneuver advanced terrain, in case my husband is reading and wondering. Some really good options… Perfect Moment polar flare and Cordova’s Meribel styles are favorites among my girlfriends. I made a new friend in a Telluride lift line a few weeks ago and clocked her cute forest-green set from Colorado-based, Olympian-founded brand Halfdays. I’m also intrigued by Jorde, which offers fairly priced matching jacket and pants combos.
Ski socks: Counterintuitively, you’ll want a thinner (100% wool) sock to keep the circulation in your toes. Smartwool has wormed its way into the racks of all the outdoor shop and gear rental spot on every mountain, and therefore makes the go-to ski sock of nearly every skier I know. I haven’t tried any other brand’s ski socks personally because I don’t care to fix what’s not broke, but if Smartwool doesn’t do it for you, Bombas, Falke, and Comme Si have come out with their own ski socks in recent years, too.
Gloves and mittens: I prefer mittens because thick-fingered gloves make me feel like I have hot dog hands. Practically speaking, mittens also preserve the warmth between my fingers better. I have these, which come with a convenient little pocket for handwarmers… toasty! They also have a strap you can loop around your wrists, which is a feature I didn’t know I needed, but would never buy without again. If you’re investing, also a big fan of this leather style.
Neck warmer or balaclava: Neckwarmers are a must — I hate to ski without one even if it’s not that cold, because the wind will chap your face if it’s not covered, leaving you blotchy for the rest of the day. My fave is this cozy fleecy one. This Buff neck warmer is a little bit thinner if you run hot. Tbh, I don’t love wearing a balaclava because the hair situation under my helmet becomes entirely unmanageable, but we skied Telluride in -10°F in January, and that temperature truly necessitates full-head coverage.
Goggles: Aesthetically, I like a black or mirrored spherical lens, which I find to be the most flattering and also the most practical. I upgraded to these goggles this past year and have loved the wider field of vision. A few other tried and true options: Oakley, Dragon, and Vuarnet. There are plenty of ~fashun~ goggles on the market — gorg options from Tom Ford, Goldbergh, Celine, Fusalp — but I’d only get one of these as a secondary pair. For a primary pair, you really want goggles that come with two sets of lenses: a high-light lens for sunny days and a low-light lens for cloudy/snowy days. Not being able to see the snow well can truly impact your safety and therefore, the quality of your ski day.
Helmet: Whenever possible, helmets and goggles are really better trialed in person so you can compare many at once. Try your goggles with your helmet to ensure that the fit is complementary — you don’t want a huge gap on your forehead letting cold air in.
shares what to wear for Aspen vibes all winter long.
’s has all the best advice in this exhaustive guide to ski wear.
You’ll love a newish newsletter that recently popped up in my feed — , by fellow Colorado resident . She writes about slope style, shares guides to resort towns, and covers everything else ski-related with a cool-girl lens.
haven't ever skied in my life but considering it thanks to, "Veuve-soaked fondue lunch"
love this piece so much – thank you for the feature Teresa!!! couldn't be more obsessed with: "But as long as my outfit gets the job done functionally, I give zero shits if a Reddit bro in his (peacocky in its own way, I might add) Arcteryx / Melanzana getup is passing judgment on my sportwear choices." louder for the people in the back!!!