How to Dress for Ski Trips | Après-Ski | Styling Guide
Quick language lesson: ‘Après’ means ‘after’ in French, and ‘ski’ means ‘ski’. So an après is just an afters on a mountain. It’s George Michael—with his unbelievably good hair—giving the eyes to the girl at the other end of the table in the chalet whilst your mum says, every year like clockwork, “And, do you know what? None of us had any idea he was gay!”
First of all, that is crazy. Secondly, George looks incredible in that video, and we’re going to have you looking like a modern-day après-ski work of art too by the end of this read.
Ski season narrows life to cold air, hard snow, and clothes that earn their keep. Fabrics must insulate. Fits must layer. Colours must survive glare from sun on ice. Nothing ornamental. Nothing fragile. You move, you sweat, you freeze, you thaw. Your wardrobe must keep pace. Winter exposes weak garments instantly, so bring only pieces that work without negotiation.
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What To Wear On a Skiing Holiday?
Aside from skis and goggles, you’re going to need layers—lots of them—and some good waterproofing. Let’s have a look at some of that, shall we?
Layering
Layering is extra-important on a skiing holiday because you’re going to be going from the freezing cold outside temperatures to toasty chalet interiors on the regular, and that means your outfit needs to be adaptable. For a base layer keep it simple with one of our 3-Pack T-shirts. Go for neutral tones—better for layering. Pop a jumper over the top (more on those later) and, for when you’re braving the fresh air, a Minnesota Overcoat, et voilà. Done.
Waterproof Outerwear
It’s vital to have some waterproof outerwear for that fickle mountain weather. If you’re cold, you can warm yourself up pretty quickly, but if you’re cold and wet you are in trouble. That’s outdoor survival 101. Granted we’re talking about an après-ski, so hopefully the direst straits you’re going to find yourself in are having one too many alpine beers and giving yourself a headache, but it’s still better to be dry than wet at the après, so get yourself a Waterproof Sherlock.
Footwear
Footwear dictates whether you stride into the chalet like a competent adult or shuffle in like Bambi on his first day out. The rule is simple: grip, insulation, and the ability to survive slush that smells faintly of fondue. Leave the trainers at home unless you enjoy cold ankles and humiliation. Go for proper winter boots—thick tread, weatherproof shell, lined interior. They should look like they could kick down a snow-packed door and still be welcome at dinner. When you’re indoors, swap to something lighter: a mule, a slipper, anything that won’t have you clomping around like an avalanche with laces.
Men's Après-Ski Outfits
You are in the most wintry of settings, regardless of the time of year, and so this calls for a cosy fit. We’re talking jumpers, fleeces, beanies—chunky stuff. You can smarten it up for the party later, but the après-ski is for getting as chunky as possible. You’re the iceberg that chunk the Titanic. You’re sleeping in chunk beds. You’re the leader of a jazz-chunk band.
Overshirts
Overshirts pull double duty in the après-ski chaos. A thick wool or brushed cotton overshirt behaves like a jacket you forgot to call a jacket. It adds structure over knitwear, carries pockets for gloves and stray lift passes, and shrugs off the odd snowflake without complaint.
Knitted Jumpers
In terms of a jumper, there is nothing more timeless and classic than a proper knitted jumper. If there’s a better feeling than having the craic and a glass of something pleasant with your pals after a day of quadricep busting mountain activities, whilst getting all cosy in a nice cable knit, then we haven’t discovered it yet.
Heavy Cotton
It’s all about warmth when you’re flirting with altitude, so if you’re going to wear a classic cotton T-shirt, you’d best make that some heavy cotton. Something like this heavy cotton Negroni Tee perhaps.
Fleeces
A good fleece is an absolute necessity on a ski trip. Great for warmth, great as a midlayer or an outer layer, looks great, feels great. Get on this Jacquard Knitted Rugby Sweatshirt or heavy duty Fleece Jackets.
Beanies & Scarves
Nothing puts a downer on a ski holiday than losing the tips of your ears to Jack Frost’s vicious fingers, so make sure you get yourself a Beanie to prevent that and keep your head looking stylish. You also need to keep that neck of yours toasty—you’ll catch your death out there if you don’t—and, luckily, Perci has the perfect ski trip Tolkein Scarf for you. It’s literally the colour of snow.
After Ski Party Outfits
You can dress up a little bit for the after ski party. You’ve had time to warm up a bit, you’re probably going to indulge in a few cockle-warming beverages—you can afford to put something nice on. But what to wear?
Long Sleeve Shirts
A Long-Sleeved Shirt is a good starting point. Go short-sleeved if you like, but that’s more of a beach vibe as far as we’re concerned. The Pablo Cotton Knitted Shirt is very ski-coded and would be our choice for the after-ski party.
Bomber Jackets
Pairing your shirt with a Bomber Jacket is a classy move. Just the right amount of smart party style matched with ski trip vibes. It just works—trust us.
Cardigans
Cardigans handle the temperature swing between mountain air and indoor heat. A mohair blend gives loft, texture, and immediate visual authority under low chalet lighting. An oversized cut works in your favour after a day of exertion. Wear it, remove it, sling it over a chair.
Women's Après-Ski Outfits
Women’s après-ski outfits favour insulation with intent. Heavy knits, fleeces, and oversized outer layers build a silhouette that looks deliberate rather than bundled. Wool skirts over thermal tights work when the chalet is warm and the terrace isn’t. The goal is simple: look composed while everything around you melts, freezes, and melts again.
What to Wear Around the Ski Resort?
When you’re not on the slopes and you’re not at a party, you can go a little more casual and a little more functional.
Hoodies
Hoodies are your friend for warmth, comfort and layering. A perfect midlayer for outdoors and a chill (but cosy) outer-layer for soup or hot chocolate before heading back up the mountain.
Wool Coats
Chuck a good wool coat over your hoodie (hood on the outside, please—we didn’t raise you to keep your hood on the inside) and you’re golden. Might we suggest a Pea Coat to maintain the ski resort manoeuvre?
What Trousers Are Best for Ski Holidays
Trousers decide whether your legs spend the week as functioning limbs or two long, frozen mistakes. Off the slopes, you will need some heavyweight options that hold their own in subzero air. Think thick cords, wool blends, 100% cotton denim with a bit of grit. You want trousers that can wade through snowbanks, sit comfortably at a bar carved out of ice, and still look sharp when you peel off the layers. Lightweight fabrics collapse in mountain weather.
What Colours are Best for Ski Holidays & Apres Ski?
Colour on a ski trip isn’t decoration. It’s strategy. High contrast works in snowlight: deep greens, charcoals, burgundy, navy. These cut through the glare and hold shape against white terrain. For après, stronger hues read better under dim bulbs and firelight. Mohair reds, saturated blues, dark olives.
