Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/94515
and Finally . . . FEUD FOR THOUGHT downhill goes high style W ONCE THE LAST BASTIONS OF YANKEE THRIFT, NEW ENGLAND'S SLOPES HAVE BECOME THE NEW SKI-CHIC RUNWAYS. BY MOLLY TRIFFLIN e've danced around the ski fashion thing here in New England long enough. It's time to toss the old red and navy CB jackets (if you're still wearing one of these, you are most definitely confusing the words "closet" and "museum") and first-generation Gore-Tex North Face parkas into the fireplace. In case you haven't noticed on one of your snowy runs in the last few years, the Gore-Tex has lost its potency—you're getting wet (and cold). I know you have likely eschewed Aspen-style skiwear for several reasons: You're above such trivial concerns (but what brand of jeans are you wearing?); it's about the function, not the fashion (agreed, but that function has worn thin); you believe there's an inverse relationship between the ability of a skier and the stylishness of his or her apparel (yet when you dress up for the office, don't you perform better?); and we don't want to invest in a wardrobe item we don only a few times a year. I hear all of this. My current oversize-jacket and ski-pant ensemble, which my husband refers to as my Hobbit outfit, might once have been quality. But the quality—and design—of outdoor gear has evolved significantly in the last five years, on par with the progression from the Princess Phone to the iPhone 5. Somehow we in New England have been last to get the text message. Alas, a few of us did get it. Last winter I moved to Stowe, Vermont, and realized our alpine style wasn't as backward as I'd thought—a blizzard of eye-catching outfits had taken over the mountain. My friend Kristi Lovell Brown is like the Carrie Bradshaw of skiing: One day she'll carve turns in a powder-blue Kjus puffer with matching aqua goggles, the next in a fur-trimmed belted Bogner parka. Celebrity skiers such as 50 Cent and Uma Thurman have helped drive the trend, and so has Burlington-based Burton with its signature punk-rock look. Pro snowboarder Shaun White has been catching air in the brand's skin-tight pants and a black denim/leather jacket with offset zippers—an ensemble that looks like it was borrowed from The Clash—while gold medalist Hannah Teter channels run- way trends, including Ikat-print pants and distressed "denim" snow-jeans. It's actually that same utilitarian nature for which New Englanders are famous, as well as our love of all things high-tech, that's made it okay for me to abandon my Hobbit get- up. Down used to be taboo because it would get wet and freeze. Now companies have learned to make fabrics New England–proof, so fashion no longer gets bur- ied in an avalanche of Yankee thrift. Step aside, Colorado bunnies, with your 50-degree weather and powdery snow—we can rock chic toppers, too. This new style attitude inspired me to finally spruce up my ski kit; I snagged a slim-fit, animal-print parka that looks as chic on Newbury Street as it does on the slopes, and white hip-hugging pants that are equal parts sexy and comfy. My new combo made me bold enough to consider hitting an expert trail. Oh, and to roast some marshmallows over the farewell to my old jacket. I knew I could get one more use out of it! BC 152 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM Wickedly Good Fun! ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL O'LEARY