Actually there’s no conflict here, or there shouldn’t be, since skiers who are warm and comfortable move well and look good--and what else is style about? There are a lot of tricks to staying comfortable on the slopes, in all weather, that experienced skiers take for granted. Tricks I thought I’d share with you.
Start with your skin. Time was when ski instructors were stereotyped as the bronzed gods of the slopes. Nowadays a skier’s tan is no longer something to be desired. High-altitude sun (remember, even at Santa Fe, you’re skiing at 12,000 feet) can do more than sunburn you. There’s a very real risk of skin cancer from too much high-altitude sun. So take a tip from today’s instructors and use sunscreen with the highest sunblock rating you can find (25 is not too high).
The knit "neck gaiter" is another secret weapon in the fight for comfort on the slopes. It is nothing more than the large turtleneck of a turtleneck sweater--without the sweater. In other words, a tube, knitted wool or a less scratchy synthetic. These are so small and light you can keep one in an inside parka pocket and put it on only when the wind comes up or the sun goes down. Skiers hide in their neck gaiters on cold days or when they’re skiing in clouds of boiling powder, pulling the neck gaiter up to cover mouth and nose as needed.
In the worst stormy conditions, with the wind howling and snow driving horizontally into your face, the combination of neck gaiter, goggles, and a knit hat is all you need to stay snug from the shoulders up. There is a good reason why expert skiers almost never pull up the hood of a parka and secure it around their face. A hood tends to interfere with the free-floating motion of a skier’s head, and that’s precisely the ability to keep your head level as you ski; ability that gives you a trustworthy, level horizon line for better balance. With the hood of your ski jacket pulled up, you definitely lose some of that balance.
At least half the skiers I know suffer from cold fingers from time to time. If that’s you, trade your ski gloves in for a pair of mittens. In mittens, your fingers can warm each other. Don’t worry; it is not uncool to wear mittens even if World Cup ski racers don’t. Skiers with particularly cold-sensitive hands can also carry small chemical-heat packs in their pockets. Sold under different brand names in almost all sporting goods stores, these cunning plastic packages come to life when you squeeze them and put out lots of heat for several hours. You can slip them inside your mittens on long lift rides.
Most skiers today know to dress in layers, as many as possible. You’ll be more comfortable and warmer when you need to be, if you are wearing lots of layers that trap air between them rather than just putting on your heaviest down jacket for a cold winter day on the slopes. Did you know that on very cold days your feet will stay warmer if you wear an extra-thin pair of socks? Heavier socks make you colder by cutting off circulation. And there’s no real reason to buckle the front or toe buckle of conventionally designed boots on very cold days either. Give your toes as much room to move as possible.
Finally, while we’re on the subject of boots, no matter what the fashion pages of the ski magazines say, resist the idea of in-the-boot ski pants. Snow always packs in there between pants leg and boot, and of course your feet eventually get wet and cold. In-the-boot stretch pants finger you as a "snow bunny" who never skis deep snow; it is a better look for the base-lodge bar than for the slopes. Look for ski pants with an effective snow cuff that slides easily over the top of your boots and seals them against flying snow. Remember, the ultimate fashion statement on skis is a perfect turn, not a perfect ski suit.