WHAT IS BEST? SKI OR RESORT WEAR?

WhAT iS BeST?
sKI oR REsORt WEaR?

Our fashion director and junior fashion editor debate

Words by Heather Gwyther and Flora Macdonald Johnston

ALL FOR SNOW

Fashion Director, Flora Macdonald Johnston

Picture this. The sun is shining, the snow glistening and you’re en route to have a fabulous wine-fuelled lunch at that newly opened slope-side restaurant. But most importantly, you're decked out in devilishly fashionable and high-tech ski wear - from your cosy base layers to your all-in-one ski suit and sleek helmet. The holiday is good, the snow is good - you look and feel good.

Ski wear trumps resort. Why? The layers of course! Ski wear is essentially having 10 looks in any outfit. Start with your base layers for example, I’ve got my eye on Aztech’s tie-dye number, pair with Moon Boots and a large puffer jacket and you’re ready for the après. For those who like a shop perusal (who doesn’t), swap Moon Boots for chunky tread snow boots and a trench coat. For dinner, simply exchange your coat for a cashmere turtleneck, add earrings and voila! You’re good to go. Do I need to go on?

"SKi WEaR TRuMPS ReSOrT. WhY? THe LAyERS Of COuRSE!"

Another win for me - and nerdy I grant you - is the way ski wear combines the technical with fashion. Cult ski label Cordova, instantly recognisable for their figure hugging ski-suits, developed a high-tech fabric in their Italian factory which allows for stretch, whilst also compressing the body. It’s water resistant and yet retains heat. They also create their base layers from repurposed coffee beans - neat! Hestra, in my opinion, is one of the few brands that provide high-quality, long lasting gloves that actually look stylish, utilising leather (and non-leather supplements) and Primaloft (an insulating material developed to keep fingers extra toasty). My pair has lasted me for years.

So, would I take a freezing cold mountain over a sunny beach? You bet I would.

FLORA'S TOP PICKS

AZTECH MOUNTAIN

Aztech Next To Skin Tie Dye Top

CORDOVA

Up & Down Waterproof Jumpsuit

DIEMME

Balbi Suede Tweed Boots

HESTRA

Alpine Leather Primaloft Mittens

SWEET PROTECTION

Rooster Ii Mips Helmet

EXTREME CASHMERE

Oversized Cashmere Sweater

RAVING FOR RESORT

Junior Fashion Editor, Heather Gwyther

I cannot ski and I am not fondue’s biggest fan. But even if I could and was, I’d still rather go somewhere warm in winter than skiing. How else am I supposed to take advantage of resort wear?

What you can wear once there is by no means the deciding factor in what makes a decent holiday, but – along with the weather and company – it’s definitely a contributing one. And after months upon months of waddling under bulky layers, taking out an insurance policy to protect against dead damp leaves and getting worthless waxes, I just want something better for myself than what a typical British winter can afford sartorially. An excuse to feel sexy would be nice. It's convenient, then, that winter should also be a time when – alongside party wear and ski wear – retailers (like KOIBIRD) start selling resort wear. And while it would be totally acceptable to just don an Abysse bikini and be done with it, resort wear offers many more possibilities for layering – and outfit options in general – than you’d think. Imagine that Abysse bikini under the CeliaB Aleli Beaded Crochet Dress worn with Alina Abegg Pfefferminz hoop earrings and Hereu Nuada sandals, for example.

"ReSOrT WEaR REmAINs An INvESTmENT INtO YOuR SUmmER WaRDRObE"

To some, the concept of resort wear is frivolous. After all, nothing is guaranteed with COVID-19 in existence, least of all transatlantic travel. But even if you don’t end up going somewhere warm this winter, resort wear remains an investment into your summer wardrobe: it’s not entirely implausible that you’d wear those clothes once it’s hot here. And Oseree’s Sequin Bandana Bikini definitely doubles as a going out out top.

For me, ski wear just doesn’t have the same versatility. No matter how cold it is outside (and how fabulous ski wear looks at a ski resort). Some people might say that resort wear doesn’t either. With hope in my heart, I am choosing to ignore them.