Skiing has its origins in the Stone Age, when people used wooden slats to glide through the snow. They have been used as a means of transportation ever since. According to the Swiss National Museum, skiing was introduced to Switzerland around 1890 by Norwegian businessmen and academics. The sport was first an exclusive winter activity for the rich. Today it is one of the top five favorite sports of the Swiss population.
Like the sport itself, equipment and apparel has changed over time. Here’s a look back at the fashion trends of the last decade.
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Blick and Switzerland Tourism are once again looking for the best ski areas in Switzerland and present the Blick Winter Awards 2022/23. Where are the best ski and snowboard slopes? Where are the most beautiful cross-country ski runs or the best gastronomic offer? At www.winterawards.ch you can vote for your favorites in six categories and win great prizes. Stop by and join in!
In the 1910s, skiing was a male-dominated sport. Because of this, women’s ski clothing wasn’t really practical. When they went skiing, the women wore long wool skirts, fur scarves and extravagant hats. Ski clothing was mostly made of wool. Instead of ski pants, people wore wool pants with long jackets over them. Extremely special for us to introduce is that you only had one ski pole with you instead of two.
With the first Winter Olympics in 1924, the demand for clothing made specifically for skiing increased. It was more focused on functionality. In addition, clothing was influenced by products from the First World War. During this time, zipper technology was also developed and made it easier to put on and take off clothes.
The women now wore wool trousers, because it was quickly noticed that trousers are much more practical than skirts. A first big step in the history of emancipation – before that it was unthinkable for women to wear pants. Outside of the ski slopes, however, women still had to wear skirts. Men switched from beanies to flat caps called flat caps.
In 1934 the first modern drag lift was put into operation in Davos GR and in 1936 alpine ski races took place for the first time. This made skiing clothing even more popular and people wanted more freedom of movement. Factories started making skiwear that was waterproof and comfortable. All fashion brands developed new designs and focused on bold colors. In the same year, the American Eddie Bauer also developed the down jacket that is still used today on the ski slopes.
In the 1930s, the so-called Norwegian trousers also gained in popularity: trousers that were cut wide at the top and narrower at the ankles.
With the Second World War (1939-1945) savings had to be made on textiles. Garments have therefore been made from two or three different fabrics for many years. Earthy tones such as brown, gray or mustard yellow were dominant. Also due to the scarcity of fabrics, streamlined ski clothing began to be made. The ski pants became tighter and some had a zip at the bottom to be able to move better.
The 1950s brought the invention of elastane, which also made ski clothing stretchier. The Munich-based fashion brand Bogner launched stretch ski pants in 1953, which became very popular. The cut of ski pants also became tighter and tighter. Other ski fashion manufacturers, such as the French label Moncler, also began to combine high fashion and ski fashion. This meant that, in addition to ski clothing, there were also more and more ski accessories such as ski goggles, hats and gloves with cuffs.
The fashion at that time was glamorous – also on the ski slopes. Colorfully patterned pullovers and puffer jackets combined with stretch ski pants were worn most often. In the 1960s people also began to wear ski goggles with double lenses. These were fashionable on the one hand and functional on the other.
This decade saw the trend for brightly colored fitted jackets and matching ski pants. Wool was rarely used for ski clothing anymore, but almost everything was made of synthetic fabrics and fleece.
The famous body suits worn on the slopes in Klosters GR by today’s King Charles (74), his wife Princess Diana (1961-1997), Sarah Ferguson (64) and her then husband Prince Andrew (62) date from the 80s – years. The material was light and waterproof. In addition to the body suit, patterned fleece sweaters, headbands and hats were worn. Helmets were not widely used at that time.
At the beginning of the 90s, ski fashion was still characterized by many colorful patterns, but more and more calm and neutral colors were used. Ski clothing now had to be able to do more than just look stylish and more and more highly developed performance wear was used. The ski jackets were given optimized temperature management and should be suitable for all weather conditions.
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Fancy a winter break in the mountains? As part of this year’s edition of the Blick Winter Awards, we are offering attractive hotel deals together with Switzerland Travel Centre. Stop by and benefit from exclusive last-minute deals with at least 20 percent off the daily rate!
Fancy a winter break in the mountains? As part of this year’s edition of the Blick Winter Awards, we are offering attractive hotel deals together with Switzerland Travel Centre. Stop by and benefit from exclusive last-minute deals with at least 20 percent off the daily rate!