Hit the slopes in style this ski and snowboard season
While you’re watching the snow forecasts coming in, we’ve got an outlook for gear and apparel that is guaranteed to make your time on the slopes totally epic.
Some highlights for the 2015 ski and snowboard season? Goggles are getting updated to provide you with better peripheral vision. Mittens are making a mighty comeback and the trend forecasters at StyleSight say we can expect street style to have a greater influence on this year’s ski and snowboard apparel.
Here’s how to get ready to hit the slopes in style (and with the best gear on the market).
JACKETS
The style-savvy trend-watchers at Stylesight say a few colors will be dominating the slopes this year.
For women, pink is the “it” color, but not in girly-girl shades. Instead, picture “dusty rose” and magenta. For men, StyleSight is predicting a gold rush. The earthy golds and rust evoke a rustic look. Blue will also be big on jackets, gear and cold-weather accessories.
Plaid, especially in primary colors, will be huge this season for both men and women. For an urban twist, tartan is pattern-mixing with stripes. Also, you’ll barely even recognize last year’s prints. Camo prints are super-bright this year (how’s that for a fashion oxymoron?) and last year’s ditsy dots are getting swirled with florals. However, color-blocking is going back to basics and is reminiscent of the 1980s.
- Pick for her: Roxy Jetty insulated jacket, $159.95 from Backcountry, comes in fun patterns like “poolside stripes,” a bright camo pattern and toluca stripes.
- Pick for him: Burton Encore insulated jacket, $199.95 from Backcountry, features an internal audio sleeve so you can shred with your favorite jams playing.
OUTERWEAR ACCESSORIES
Mittens are getting a new look with fashion-forward prints like camo and touches of leather, according to StyleSight. But what really continues to take them to the next level is touch-screen capability. When it comes to hats and beanies, we’re spotting a cozy, ski town trend for men and women: warm knits mixed with fuzzy poms. (For youth, look for beanies with playful animal ears.)
- Pick for her: With Neff beanie, $16.95 from PacSun, features a features a pom on top.
- Pick for him: RVCA Stadium pom beanie, $26.95 from PacSun, features a cool knit with a matching pom.
SNOWPANTS
Influenced by street style, this season’s snow pants are getting a slimmer fit that make them perfect for going from the slopes to the lodge—but are best left for the fair-weather days since they aren’t as thick.
- Pick for her: The North Face Sally pant, $98.95, from Backcountry. A bright magenta adds a little color to the slopes—even on the grayest of days.
- Pick for him: Burton TWC Signature pants, $249.95 from Backcountry. Shaun White helped Burton design these slim street-style pants that have a three-layer DryRide Durashell for complete waterproof protection.
SWEATERS
For an apres-ski look, invest in a cozy sweater that you can wear out for pizza and beer after a long day on the slopes. Fair Isle never goes out of style, and, for extra warmth, layer a checkered or plaid shirt underneath.
- Pick for her: Fair Isle funnel neck sweater, $78 at Nordstrom.
- Pick for him: French Connection ‘Headsail’ slim fit shawl collar sweater, half off at $68.98 at Nordstrom.
GEAR
The perfect accessory for the mountains? Fun gear. Record all your stunts on the slopes with the latest GoPro camera, the HERO4 Black from Best Buy, $499.99. The newest innovation from GoPro captures cinema-quality 4K video at 30 frames per second. You’re probably going to want a GoPro WiFi Remoteto go with the camera, too, so that you can start and stop recording when your camera is attached, to say, your helmet.