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The Jewish Chronicle

Time to rock that catwalk in the sky

Loking gorgeous on the slopes doesn’t preclude comfort and warmth.

January 7, 2010 11:45
Arosa jacket, £360, and Ilena skipants, £190 both by Schoffel; Adidas goggles, £114.95, and hat, £31.95, all at Snow & Rock

ByJan Shure, Jan Shure

2 min read

Today, thanks to the regular arrival of technically advanced fabrics, looking gorgeous on the slopes doesn’t preclude comfort and warmth. Which is fortunate because there is nothing especially glamorous about focusing on fashion at the expense of practicality and ending up looking more like a drowned (or frozen) rabbit than yummy bunny.

Experienced skiers don’t need to be reminded that successful snow dressing is all about wearing lots of layers, since temperatures can be sizzling when you are in the sun, and then dip dramatically as the afternoon progresses. Ideally, you want to start your layers with a thermal vest that looks good enough to show off (restaurants are invariably well heated and even if you are lunching al fresco, a combination of sun and outdoor heaters can require a quick peel of outer layers). Uniqlo’s Heat-Tech camisoles and tees are pretty enough to show off, won’t make you clammy, are available in around a dozen colours and cost a distinctly affordable £5.99, while Topshop’s Sno collection includes vests (£12, or £15 for the long-sleeve version) in nude and grey that fit the current underwear-as-outerwear vibe.

The perfect mid-layer should be streamlined to avoid comparisons with the Michelin man, and in a fabric engineered to be warm, lightweight and breathable. Eider has fitted, long-sleeve tops with zip neck and flat-lock seams in Thermostretch fabric, available at Snow & Rock; while for those who prefer wool, New Zealand company, Icebreaker (www.icebreaker.com) has vests, tees, camisoles and leggings in high quality merino wool that is light enough to be worn singly or in layers, offers effective insulation yet never feels clammy.

It is high-tech fabrics and the quality of the filling that allows your ski-jacket to achieve that essential combination of style, warmth and comfort as well as repelling water. If you are choosing a down-filled jacket, look for a higher “fill” — 400-450 is medium, 500-550 is good, with lower fill in the sleeves for ease of movement. For the outer-shell, there are a slew of waterproof, windproof, heat-retaining, breathable fabrics including Omni-shield, HyVent, HellyTech and Saloman’s ClimaPro2.