Many top-tier female skiers and snowboarders have mastered the cool-girl look that makes them style role models for anyone not interested in mimicking the Michelin man on or off the slopes.
Snow stars Torah Bright, Gretchen Bleiler, Sarah Burke and Lindsey Vonn wear sleek, colorful and comfortable outfits that use technical fabrics, trendy touches and the global influences they see as they travel practically year-round in search of snow.
It’s worth noting that all four women all are blessed with model-like looks, big smiles and long blond hair. Outerwear companies have taken notice and are working with them as design collaborators.
Torah Bright, snowboarder, Australia
“Fashion is a huge part of the snowboard world,” said Bright, who is testing out a fitted, skinny-leg snowpant this season. She hopes it’ll be part of her third consumer collection for Roxy due out in the fall.
Her styles feature a slimmer fit, satin linings and details like the covered buttons and empire waist of her peacoat-style jacket in stores now. Karbon, the brand outfitting the Australian Olympic team, used the cut of Bright’s favored silhouette for the uniform.
Bright says her personal snow gear is edgier, with exposed zippers and magnet closures. The oversized hood that has become one of her signatures is needed to cover up her helmet, she explained.
Good gloves with a strong grip are another must. She fills them with heat packs on cold days. Layering is the key to keeping the rest of her body warm, she said.
Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarder, USA
Putting together her collection for Oakley could be a full-time job, Bleiler said. “I work on every single phase of the collection — materials, colors, fabrics, trims, style, fit, graphics, inside patterns. I come up with the ideas and the designers tell me if it’s realistic.”
She says her motto for fashion is the same one she uses on the mountain: Be tough but don’t be afraid of being a woman, either. “I have a very strong opinion of how I like to look … and it’s not ‘pretty in pink.’ ”
At the Vancouver Olympic Games, she’ll be wearing a Burton-designed uniform with a plaid jacket and pants of high-performance Gore-Tex.
Bleiler puts a lot of emphasis on gathered necklines, which along with neck gators are what keep her warm.
Sarah Burke, freeskier, Canada
When Burke is competing, she wears bright colors to stand out. When she’s on the slopes for pleasure, she’ll be in more subtle shades so she doesn’t attract attention. All of her outfits, though, have a lot of pockets to handle sunscreen, snacks and her phone.
Don’t look for zipper closures, though. “Zippers are hard to handle with gloves on. I like magnetic flaps in some spots,” Burke said. “When you wear something so often, it’s the little things that are important.”
As for silhouette and style, Burke scours glossy magazines trying to add a little bit more “fashion” to the outdoor gear.
A test collection Burke designed for Roxy is being sold in Europe this season including a denim-style pant and motorcycle jacket. Her line is planned to expand to the U.S. next year.
Lindsey Vonn, alpine skier, USA
Each stop on the World Cup circuit this season has meant a new racing outfit for Vonn. She worked to keep each look under wraps to build the buzz.
“I coordinated with Spyder and came up with some really cool designs to show more of my character. Plaid is in right now, so that’s what I’ve been going with,” Vonn said.
Vonn wore a hot-pink, second-skin suit in Lienz, Austria, and black bike shorts over tight racing pants with a short magenta plaid jacket while warming up in Aspen, Colo.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
