Ok, let’s begin with this, you have two options:
- An all expenses paid trip to lye in the sunshine for a week or
- Pay your own way to the slopes?
Before you get ahead of yourself, please don’t base this decision on that ski trip you embarked on with 7 teachers and 39 other students in your 2nd year of secondary school…
For me its a no brainer, I would grab my puffer and start singing in the streets to build up the ski fund if I had to! Don’t get me wrong, I love the heat but honestly, a ski holiday, for me, comes next to none, especially in the company of a big group! Oh sorry, you said your not into sports/outdoor activities? Don’t worry, the Après Ski is enough encouragement for anyone to get involved!
The carefree feeling that comes within being in the comfort of a small village surrounded by mountains covered in a blanket of white snow was everything I could have dreamed of on my week ‘out of office’!
The small, family run, hotels, wooden chalets, heated swimming pools looking out to the freezing conditions, the smell of crepes on every corner, the live music of every genre, the (buckets of ) Gluhwein and the people you meet (shoutout to the scottish ‘Salt Bae’ – 10/10 for effort) are only a few of the things that make it so special.
Oh, and the clothes you get to (shamlessly) wear for the entire week! When I was younger I was dressed all in pink, with approximately 33 layers under my puffed up jacket, which was cute when I was a child but when I got into my teenage years I marvelled at the girls coming down the slopes so smoothly wearing the most amazing slim-fit one-pieces with their hair flowing behind them. This year I vowed to make an effort, I mean who doesn’t love the opportunity to have to buy something? I mean, I just couldn’t ski in my old salopettes… any excuse!
Whether its block colours, a luminous one-piece your mammy owned in the 70’s or a classic monochrome you decide to go for, there are plenty of ways to dress for your personality and look stylish on the slopes!
When I got the email about the ‘Topshop Sno’ range (which has just landed in the past couple of years) I was intrigued, would it be warm/waterproof/practical or was I interested because it’s you know, Topshop? I decided to go with it, myself my sister and cousin all got on board and wow, it was love at first fall. Fleeced lined, super waterproof and ‘stylish’, we were sold!
Over this skinny fit salopette one-piece, I paired my Moncler coat, which I have had for a couple of years. I figured, whats the point in purchasing a ‘ski coat’ if I had a coat already which fitted the bill? The rest of the group all turned out in their best ski-wear in a range of different styles, all of which could be well identified on the mountains – block colours seemed to be the theme! Some of the ladies even had two or three choices for throughout the week… dedication!
The whole group managed to get together for a picture… only took 3 days!
The two best skiers on the mountains, my super daddy and brother – they are also pretty good at having a drink & a sing!
Over-packed? Story of my life but that’s very easy when salopettes are life and you only manage to get ‘dressed-up’ for a sit down dinner twice in the week (pizza and beer is a v good combo on the go FYI), which I suppose is pretty impressive for a group of 12! However, the three glam ladies of the group managed to make it to a hair salon, I was very impressed and I’m sure my hair was a little jealous!
I’ll be honest, the floor length dress wasn’t needed, I got it all wrong, so here is a few tips (and reminders for me in the coming years) of what to pack and what to leave firmly at home before jetting off!
- Be bright, its fun and means you can stand out when skiing perfectly down that black slope (a girl can dream?) or so someone can find you when your slipping off piste…
- Don’t rely on bringing one cosy hoody, a cashmere jumper or one thermal top. It’s cold up there and the temperature fluctuates throughout the day. Wear plenty of layers in the morning so you can de-layer as you wish – lunch time can be fun taking everything of to enjoy a plate of chips but hey ho, nothing worse than being too cold 3000m up!
- Do not overpack, I repeat, DO NOT OVERPACK! I brought all my favourite outfits paired with accessories… they didn’t see the light of day never mind the lights of the dancefloor. It’s not worth it! You will be at one with your ski suit, embrace it.
- High heels on the slopes, only for dopes! Believe me, they don’t match with any ski suit… as my sister has told me many times, do not bring high heels. A complete waste of valuable space; maybe if I listened I would have saved myself £30 at airport check in… we live and learn? Pride feels no pain and all that
- Goggles/Sunglasses are a necessity to save you from the spitting snowflakes on occasion and the brightness of the beautiful mountains. My best purchase this year was a quality pair of sunglasses, not only because anytime the sun is out in Scotland I have them on, but on the slopes, the sun is bright and the snow is equally as bright! Bonus, I feel like a diva when I wear them, win win!
- A l w a y s wear a helmet, even if you think you are a much better skier than you were last year, you never know who might loose control around you and sure, your hair can still flow out the back!
- Lastly, HAVE FUN! Bring all the people you love and laugh with, you wont want them to miss out and don’t take yourself too seriously, what’s the point? No one else does 🙂
Honestly, a ski holiday is a laugh from start to finish, I was pretty upset when I realised I didn’t have a six pack from all he laughing when I arrived home. Sometimes you have to laugh instead of crying even when the battery goes flat on the transfer bus to the airport! But, thats how memories are made.
I suppose for now, it’s back to reality with the only bonus being that the office is warmer than the tip of the slope… positivity? It’s worth a try.
Chat soon, regardless of where in the world you are, it’s always possible to WearWhatWorks!
Caoilfhionn x
WearWhatWorks 