Winter sports fashion celebrates colour

Winter sports fashion celebrates colourMunich - The ski pistes this year again will be lit up by colour. Skiers and snowboarders wearing the latest fashion will be sporting bright colours and their outfits will include elements borrowed from street clothing. 

In addition to striking, ski suits in uniform solid colours, patterns in plaid, comic strip design and photographs that dot the snow scene colourfully are set to hit stores this season. The designers seem to be looking back; for some, they are reminiscent of the 1980s. 

That's not just by chance. The ski suit, which has gradually declined in popularity, is making a comeback. Until now, the suits could be seen in ski resorts on people who had not invested recently in new ski attire. Now they are returning, particularly among snowboarders. Comfortable new stretch fabrics give the garment the flexibility needed for a snowboarder's sensational movements and keep the snow out where it belongs. 

Some jackets and trousers can be combined into an outfit that is partially one-piece, officials with Munich's winter sport trade show Ipso said of the current trends. They are typically worn with a belt, sometimes studded, said Helmut Buchheimer, senior buyer at a Munich-based sports clothing retailer. 

"It's currently a trendy item, but you'll see very few people wearing them," said Buchheimer, as the suit is still something for people with a bold fashion sense. Customers will overwhelmingly select other designs, he said. Ispo organizers are summing up the trend as an attempt to balance urbane style and street wear looks with styles that appeal to skaters and surfers. 

Alongside catchy patterns for snowboarders, skiers will set off down the slopes in stylishly tight-fitting and linear ski clothing. 

"The main focus is on designs that are tapered and plain," said Buchheimer. Thus, expensive ski or snowboard jackets can be seen on city streets. 

The ski suits, however, are being pepped up with contrasting colours on the zippers or seams, said Buchheimer. Black and white are dominant in the collection. In addition there are fresh blue tones, such as bright royal blue, and earth tones such as red and orange. The latest collections have various greens, from poisonous green to apple green, according to Ispo. 

The Swiss company Kjus has come out with sporty, fresh colours and a linear design. Patches of material in solid colours are broken up by swatches or zippers in brightly contrasting colours. Or, the lining of the hood is a contrast colour, turning it into an eye-catching feature. The Toni Sailer Sports collection report highlights the colours dark fuchsia, brilliant blue, khaki and dark blue. 

In snowboard fashion, there are gaudy ski suits with large-pattern prints of animals, inspired, for example, by giraffes and dalmatians. The graphic elements covering other ski suits include oversized checks, circles or historic photographs. 

"All-over prints in all variations - neon, 1980s motifs and clearly distinguished bright colours," are designs Buchheimer said he has seen. "It's a motley mix." 

Accents such as cord, fur and stitching provide for eye-catching elements, said the Ispo. Large stitching, rivets, embroidery and clearly set pockets on the seat also attract attention. 

"These outer layers are laminated to suit the pistes," said Buchheimer. 

The brand Powderhorn works western elements like applied leather patches on the shoulders, sleeves and pants. Removable artificial fur collars embellish the jackets, while large seams, rivets, embroidery and distinctly set seat pockets are focal points. The brand Schoeffel also has removable artificial fur collars on its jackets this season and emphasizes contrasting quilting seams. 

Salomon emphasizes glamorous and youthful elements in the description of its collection. Ornamental accents and gold are combined with clean forms, asymmetric patterns and neon colours. The snowboard label Burton is showing pink, neon, stripes, comic and photographic designs. These elements also are integrated into the widely used camouflage pattern. 

Generally, there is a lot of decoration on ski and snowboard fashion, said Buchheimer, noting the stitching, belts and fake fur on the collar or hood. And down jackets with a slick, shimmering outer layer are also in style, mimicking current street fashion. Kjus and Peak Performance are only two winter sports clothing makers that put these styles on the pistes. 

The Italian maker Dolomite has worked them in numerous colour variations into the centre of its collection as short-cropped bomber jackets or long coats, most notably with fur on the collar or hood. (dpa)