I need help picking out a jacket and pants. Help me decide please! - Page 2

I don't see anything wrong with caring about style, especially for a younger person.  There is a bit of an ethos that if you are going really flashy you ought to be a good skier first, though, at least among us old guys. And style should be in addition to function, not in place of it.  I did see a lot more bright colors last year than I remember from prior years.

For fashion questions, it would be good to lead with info about your age and whether you are male or female.

For helmets, the important info is head circumference and round or oval skull shape.  I bought my helmet on-line when I couldn't find any that were big enough in the stores, but the site I went to was a helmet-specific one with detailed measuring instructions.

My own sense of style (at 55 years old, male, probably irrelevant to you, but hey....) is that dark pants, a sold color jacket in an attractive bright color, and matching helmet would be really sharp.  But the colors need to exactly match.  The blue/yellow combos look good to me too, but I probably wouldn't wear it myself.

I'm a similar age mdf but base my desire to see folk look at function before style on a number of things, the biggest is my own gut impression of places I've skied. I find and this is entirely unscientific, that places where people dress for the mountains rather than the catwalk are more fun places to ski and board with; a higher standard of skill being indemonstrated; more respect for fellow skiers and a generally better atmosphere. Most recently I've skied a bit in Sweden and certainly find this to be true there. On the other hand there are the posers of some of the more chic alpine resorts and the crowds and dangers on the piste that go with them. Just my feelings.

Go with function and get some lessons!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adie 

 there are the posers of some of the more chic alpine resorts and the crowds and dangers on the piste that go with them. 

That's why I spend more and more of my time skiing in the trees.  You ever heard of someone being run down from behind while skiing in the trees?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtcyclist 

 

That's why I spend more and more of my time skiing in the trees.  You ever heard of someone being run down from behind while skiing in the trees?

Couldn't agree more!

All you old grumpy gapers need to stop complaining about people wanting style. It's more than easy to get style and quality.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecimmortal 

All you old grumpy gapers need to stop complaining about people wanting style. It's more than easy to get style and quality.
 

I don't think the comments are about style - it's the lack-of-same that the comments are about. Why not go the full gaoer route and peruse the Kjus catalog - gaperism with questionable taste all rolled into one!

Quote:

Originally Posted by WWF-VT 

Is this the joke post of the summer ? Who cares about " good skiing style" ?   Get gear that fits and is appropriate for the weather and conditions where you ski.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecimmortal 

All you old grumpy gapers need to stop complaining about people wanting style. It's more than easy to get style and quality.

Our OP is 17-18 according to an earlier post in another thread.  Style and rocking some "sick" garb rates quite a bit more highly for those in their late teens than it does for us middle-aged Grumpy Gumpersons!

That said, I agree with Ecimmortal; There's plenty of high-quality gear out there that should also meet the OP's style needs.

OP, find a line of apparel that fits well and keeps you warm and dry.  Once that's decided, just pick the "sickest" looking duds from within that line.

As a middle-aged Coot myself, I generally stick with solid, muted colors, so I can't tell you which of your choices is the most stylish.  They all look just a wee bit too bright or too busy for me.  When it comes to what looks best, your friends would probably be a much bigger help to you than anyone here.  Good Luck with it, tho!

Not bad.   A little biased towards ski-instructor-formal, and misses out on the current wave,  but should present a decent image for a year or two.    In the "won't be a bar to pulling" sense of 'decent image'. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrari353 

Well, I made my purchase...I got a white jacket with little bits of red all over and matching red pants. Also, I bought the white POC SKULL Light Helmet that I asked about earlier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecimmortal 

All you old grumpy gapers need to stop complaining about people wanting style. It's more than easy to get style and quality.
 

So go and find some quality kit that looks good as well. Why do you or anyone else want to look good? I would guess so that people look and admire. That's usually the case.

I've never been on a mountain, however and heard people say 'wow look at this guy! See how the electric blue of his lovely baggy jacket complements the bright yellow of those daring trousers. He's so cool. And yes as he gets close I can see it picks up the flashes of blue in his boots and on those oh so stylish coloured skis.'

You're English.     People don't usually comment on black. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adie 

 

I've never been on a mountain, however and heard people say 'wow look at this guy! See how the electric blue of his lovely baggy jacket complements the bright yellow of those daring trousers. He's so cool. And yes as he gets close I can see it picks up the flashes of blue in his boots and on those oh so stylish coloured skis.'

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantunamunch 

You're English.     People don't usually comment on black. 

 

Please explain. I am aware I'm English by the way. It's the other bit I'm not getting!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adie 

'wow look at this guy! See how the electric blue of his lovely baggy jacket complements the bright yellow of those daring trousers. He's so cool. And yes as he gets close I can see it picks up the flashes of blue in his boots and on those oh so stylish coloured skis.'

That shows what you know...I said that very exact thing regarding a passing skier the last time I was at the hill!  

People do comment on appearances, a friend of mine has some pretty awesome goggles that get lots of compliments in the lift line along with his coat:

Unfortunately it's not the best picture, but essentially the lens of the goggles has a mirrored design of a bunch of technology hardware.

I'm a bit more conservative in my appearance, I've got a dark green/light green Marmot Tamarack jacket with a grey Smith helmet and grey I/O goggles usually with the ignitor mirror lens along with grey pants that are now too short, have a few holes, and were never really all that waterproof so those pants are getting replaced, although I haven't decided on the color yet.

Never been accused of dressing too flashy, that's for sure..

I chanced on a ski & clothing sale yesterday.  Wound up buying some pants (grey...what can I say?...at least they aren't black like all but one of the pairs I've ever owned.)  A few of the jackets were attractive but most of them were ugly.

But then, a lot of what I see young people wearing on the street makes me ask, "Do those looks really make those kids more attractive to each other?"  I guess they must.  Sigh. I don't begrudge the young their fashion, but I sure don't get it.

My kids are always trying to pilfer my Arcteryx gear from the closet rather than look like some rainbow clown, so maybe they didn't turn out so bad after all (and where's that orange Venta dammit....)

Quote:

Originally Posted by litterbug 

You're getting guff because many if not most epicski-ers truly don't base their gear decisions on style unless the jacket that performs and fits has a gaudy and a tame version, in which case they'll choose the one that fits their style. I'm a form-and-fit-over-fashion gal, and tend to think that color is just a tool to make myself visible if someone's trying to find me, but when I shopped the Patagucci outlet sale last weekend for the black insulated jacket that fits and performs great I saw the same jacket in teal with a black crosshatched design on it, and made the saleswoman hunt until she found it in my size.. But did I buy the coordinated colored pants? Nah, I went with black because black goes with everything, right? And last year I sold a perfectly good and attractive sky blue Marker jacket because it restricted arm movement.

You do realize you're 4 months late to this party.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtcyclist 

 

You do realize you're 4 months late to this party.

That I could forgive, if only she had had the boldness to go with crosshatched teal.       Black is for Brits.

Obviously New Yorkers exude class as well litterbug.