December is just a couple days away, and that means it is skiing season. But skiing does not just attract athletes, but also fashion-lovers. Recently I got a book from Anthropologie called The Stylish Life: Skiing by Gabriella Le Breton, and it inspired me to write a blog post on why the slopes have practically served as fashion shows for decades.
Looks from the slopes in the 60s and the 70s have remained timeless. These were the years fashion and skiing started really going hand-in-hand. Spandex were created in 1959, and created a new look for women while skiing. Puffer jackets were commonly paired with a more slim fit pant, which is an outfit worn by many women still today.
In an interview Priscilla Presley did with Vogue, she shared her life through looks. She talks about how in the 60s everyone dressed up, even for outings we today think are not very dressy. She would dress up to go on the airplane, as being on an airplane was a big deal. I think this is a similar reason to why people dressed up so much to go skiing. Skiing was a luxury, so dressing to the nines was expected.
A trend setter like no other, Princess Diana, created new trends in the 80s and 90s on her holiday ski trips. She embraced bright colors with color blocking, and bold accessories that transformed ski looks forever. Ski fashion is all about standing out, and this is especially prevalent against the white snow.
The outfits worn decades ago have not dated themselves, and will probably continue to remain popular. “A beautiful girl is never more radiant than when her cheeks are glowing and her eyes sparkling from healthful outdoor exercise at 10 below,” Swiss Designer Fred Picard told the New York Times.
Lately I have seen many brands create new collections all based around vintage ski themes. SKIMS by Kim Kardashian dropped their holiday collection through a series of pictures with the models sporting the new SKIMS clothing on the slopes. Another newly popular brand, Daily Drills, released their holiday items also through posting their models holding skis or near a chair lift. So why are vintage ski advertisements so appealing to audiences right now?
The puffers, bright colors, and slim pants from the 60s and 70s are still things worn by many girls today. And not even skiing. Just walking around on a cold day you could find several people sporting similar looks. So it’s not surprising that brands are trying to appeal through curating retro ski advertisements. History always seems to be repeating itself, and I am glad the glamorous ski looks from decades ago are still around.
Ski you next week!
Love, Haley
