 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys,
I just stumbled over this site and, being a keen skiier, thought it would be rude not to join up  I was also hoping that one of you might be able to help me out.
I've recently managed to introduce my partner to the wonderful world of skiing. We're heading off to Serre Chevalier this winter, and she's decided that now is the time to purchase some ski clothing.
The thing is, a while back (before she skied) I told her about an outfit I'd seen another (female) skier wearing on the slopes. She's keen to try and find something similar, but we have no idea if it exists, what it's called or where to find it! She's not keen on "baggy" sallopettes so this would be ideal. The best I can do is describe it and hope it sounds familiar to someone!
Ok, so, they were plain black - they could have been neoprene or lycra. They were tight fitting, but looked reasonably thick. At the bottom, they had a series of 3 or 4 ribs, just under an inch high each and extending round at least the front of the trousers - these fitted perfectly over a pair of ski boots, and I'm assuming that this was exactly the point!
I'd thought they might be "race trousers" as the streamlining would be of great use here, but I can't seem to find any having looked.
Anyway, I hope someone out there can interpret my ramblings and point us in the right direction!
Thanks!
Mark.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mtudor, Welcome to snowHeads.
Those kind of saloppettes were fashionable many years ago, but I can't remember seeing anyone wearing them for about 20 years other than some rather elderly French and Italian skiers (whose ski kit was of a similar vintage). I don't think you'll be able to buy them new, I don't think that any of the big UK ski retailers will sell them. They're also not that good in poor weather.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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zammo, sorry but he is the best dressed of the three!
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mtudor, Welcome. the only place (apart from ebay) where I think you might find something similar would be in a French Decathalon. I doubt they would have anything even vaguely similar in and English store. They were not very warm, not very waterproof, and compared to salopettes very "last year". If she's fashion conscious she REALLY won't want to be wearing them. Not all salopettes have braces (I never use that type), and not all are really baggy. Most ski salopettes are just baggy enough to be comfortable, and with the new softshell stuff available I would think she could find something both realtively fashionable and serviceable.
Remember - trendy on the slopes= warm and dry! Serre Chevalier is not courcheval 1800, so no worries there. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hi EasiSki,
Naturally yeah warmth and comfort is of the essence and I'm not advocating style over practicality.
I think people may be getting the wrong idea about the kind of things I mean - I'm not thinking braces typed salopettes, or ones that make you look like a nutter - or someone out of the French decathlon now that you mention it!
They were simply a pair of plain black close-fit trousers which looked more flattering than the baggy type.
This softshell stuff sounds interesting, I've not come across it before. I presume it is simply a thinner fabric which insulates (like gortex?) as opposed to stuffing the trouser full of padding - guessing here!
Cheers,
Mark.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks Greg,
I'll do that too.. maybe I'm just living by an outdated stereotype of what's available!
Mark.
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mtudor, Are these more the items?
short link and
short linkthere are two apirs on Ebay under 'stretch ski' 
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You know it makes sense.
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Annie,
Yeah! I think that's the kinda thing! Thanks! We'd be looking for them without the braces but that's given me a key bit of information -> Typing in Stretch Ski keywords into google led me to non other than Snow & Rock.
http://www.snowandrock.com/shop/activity/ski/clothing/pants/products/BEL0006.htm
Although it doesn't show the trousers very well, the description sounds close to what we're looking for and the big benefit here is that Helen can try them on and see if she likes them against the more traditional soft shell trousers.
Thanks for your replies everyone!
Mark.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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mtudor, Glad I could help! However, as past owners of a pair of these very things, they ar OK in warmer spring conditions, and no falling snow, but less warm/waterproof at other times. The do generally look better than Michelin Man padded salopettes, but ski wear in general is so much better now, you don't have to go down that route. Good luck with S & R, although - is it me? - is £230 expensive? 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Annie - We'll bear that in mind choosing and I'll talk it over with Helen and see what she thinks. Maybe we can get something somewhere in the middle.
As for £230 - yeah it's slightly on the pricey side and I think that's true in general of Snow and Rock TBH. Shame really cos it's a great shop. Internet shopping is probably the best bet I'm guessing.
Bernard C, thanks for the link, looks like it might prove amusing reading so will have a look. It seems like stretch ski trousers are still available (which is what we were looking for) but that the practicalities might be in question.
Mark.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mtudor, I know exactly what you're after. Maria Bogner invented the stretch ski pant in the 50s. They still make the best available www.bogner.com - unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a distributor in the UK anymore. The likes of Harrods / Harvey Nicks probably still import them though. They are pricey over here. The wife bought some in an Austrian store at the end of one season for around £80. She swears by them. They are the real deal. Maybe try a German or Austrian store via the web.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi Bode,
I've see the Bognor name around a little when researching this so it seems likely. Can you point me in the direction of a photograph on that website as I can't seem to find them - though I did manage to find a pair of rather shocking leopard print ones... 
What is your wife's view on the warmth, waterproofing etc of the stretch ski pant Bode?
Thanks!
Mark.
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mtudor, go to Collections... Bogner Ski... images 8,9. Can't see the whole pant there but that's it.
They are warm enough for your typical alpine "hovering around zero" kind of day and water resistant but not waterproof. But, forget all that... "Does my bum look big in this" is way more important.
USA is the other place to look... http://www.gorsuchltd.com/Category.aspx?id=3011 - especially with the £/$ the way it is.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| demos wrote: |
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=19366
There are some ideas there... |
I ended up with a Softshell from Killy: 'Loon' pants from last year, as the Haglofs demos has wasn't exactly locatable near here. The shop did have the non skiing softshells from Haglofs, which definetly felt good.
The water resist and breathability techmumbo for the Killy is a lot better then my jacket... which in turn is a lot better then my old baggy cheapopants... which did fine 
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easiski, Bogner will do you a totally embroidered creation for around 3 grand... demand always exceeds supply. Brands like Postcard, High Society etc do very well... Snow+Rock seem to carry loads of such gear and it's priced well beyond it's technical capability. The fairweather market exists big time and some people simply don't go up in "technical" weather... I'm married to one such lovely.
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There were a few stretch pants in the shops here a couple of years ago - but they're Swiss, 'nuff said !!!
Speaking entirely personally - warmth and mobility/fit are the absolute key. Not much fun skiing in trousers that clamp your hips in a vice while gaping wide at the waist. And when you're in the freezing cold and a howling gale, what you look like is the very least of your worries. In any case, when everybody looks like an abominable snowman, nobody's going to be looking either 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I agree with easiski, there are some daft prices around. If you haven't looked there yet, mtudor, try to visit a TK Maxx. They have lots of good quality ski stuff reduced to low prices, though you do have to wade through loads of tat to find the good things. You could try a range of trousers there, and when I was in our local branch recently there were some quite nice, slimmer fitting, black trousers. I have some which I bought in a French shop, half price at end of season, a couple of years ago. They are fine in everything but very cold weather, comfortable, fitted and flared slightly so they fit over the boots (but none of those ridge things around, which are definitely passé!). TK Maxx would be a good place to get kitted up and to get some idea of stuff you can buy without paying S & R prices. For example they usually have Trespass and Columbia jackets for around £50. These are not "top of the range" but perfectly acceptable, waterproof and breathable, and I have worn one for the whole of each of the last two seasons. You definitely don't need to pay more to go for a week's holiday, unless money is no object. The money saved could be spent on high quality ski lessons - much more important for your SOs intro to ski holidays! And if there is still some money left, spend it on some nice drinks and lunch. You absolutely do NOT have to pay £230 for a pair of trousers. I did buy a very fancy pair in TK Maxx last week, |Rossignol Snowboarding trousers, reduced from £160 to £60. Never in a hundred years would I have paid £160 for them, though.
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My wife bought Eider last year, close fit and very technical with Gore XCR, i think S&R do them...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Pam, thanks for the tips, I was definitely gonna check out TK Maxx. Don't read me wrong here, I'm all for getting good value for money so if there is something of that nature in TKMaxx all the better. Having said that, I wouldn't want her to buy rubbish gear and then either suffer for it or have to replace it later (a philosophy Im sure most people agree with). Hopefully there will be something nice in TKMaxx and as you mention it, my own ski gear is Columbia, it was budget (£120 for the lot) and I've never had any problems with it. It's possibly slightly on the bulky side but I can get away with that more being a guy apparently..
With regard to the comment on it not being worth buying slightly more advanced stuff for a beginner, I guess that depends. I would never advise my SO to go down that route if she wasn't absolutely sure it was something that she was going to continue. But she's already made that decision, having been last year (I may not have made that clear - looking back, I definitely didn't make that clear!) - she loved it so much that she's positive she wants to continue. It's a big big hobby of mine so there is certainly incentive I would hope But in this case, if we go for slightly more advanced stuff now, she will benefit from it earlier and her skill will *grow* into it. That's the theory I tend to hold by anyway. In that case you don't have to continually upgrade!
As for the ridge things being passe... the ones I saw weren't - they were very subtle really and I think more for function than fashion. I tell ya, if I could just get everyone here to project their images of what they think I'm describing from their imaginations, I'm sure we would get some hideous images! All down to my sterling descriptions! *laughs*
Anyway, we've got a lot to think about now and I just wanted to say thanks to all you guys for offering your advice, opinions, silly photos etc. Sometimes you can post in a forum like this and receive some pretty negative comments back but here so many people have replied to try and help I'm actually a little bit surprised! It's nice to have found a friendly ski forum!
Cheers!
Mark.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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ScottP,
I'll check out Eider too, thanks!
Mark.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
In that case you don't have to continually upgrade!
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But she'll want a new jacket every now and again anyway, and if they cost £50 in TK Maxx it's a lot easier to persuade yourself. You could have a really upmarket week's holiday for the cost of some of the outfits in Snow and Rock. In TK Maxx they have some good labels, but they are well marked down for whatever reason (hideous colours, sometimes). I am not a beginner, and I have skied for 10 - 12 weeks for each of the past 3 seasons and my Trespass jackets have been fine - they are more flexible than some and I like their pockets. If it's cold I use layers. In any case, except for people who do ski touring and other madly extreme things miles off piste there is no reason why beginners need less performing garments than "experts". After all, beginners are just as likely to get cold and wet and far more likely to get miserable. It's different with skis, there is more argument for upgrading skis as you improve than there is for getting a fancier pair of trousers!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Are you really supposed to replace your ski jacket my gore-tex is going fine 12 years on very good value for money £22 / year and my pants are 7 years old should I think about buying new ?
(sorry for the hijack !) 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Heh, I can imagine it all now!
For anyone that's interested, we went to Snow & Rock the other day and Helen tried on a pair of the "Postcard Schoeller Stretch Trousers" and they were very similar to the kinda thing we were looking for. Very stylish and flattering.
Now whether we really want to spend the money on them of course is a different matter... lol - but not to draw up the whole "price of ski gear" debate again, I'll leave it at that. Perhaps not worth it, was the thought, but we'll see.
Anyway, just wanted to bring some closure to this thread and give you all an impression of the kinda thing we were looking for. Thanks to everyone who helped - couldn't have found it without you (didn't even think S&R would do em!).
Mark.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mtudor, glad you found what you were after. However you should be aware that Postcard are more of a fashion line of ski wear IMO. If your girlfriend finds herself caught out in bad weather she may be wishing she had more technical gear to keep her warm & dry
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Cathy, will bear that in mind along with the price and make a decision
Have you had personal experience with trousers of this type?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I know this topis has been and gone a while but...
I was in Craigdon outdoor shop in Perth today and they had a pair of trousers I would swear was just what was being looked for.
They were Columbia Titaniun. With the fins around the bottom. I forgot to look at the price - sorry
http://www.columbia.com/Product.aspx?top=2&prod=3440&cat=23040&viewAll=False
If you zoom in on the bottom of the legs you can see the fins.
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mtudor, there's no simple stopping of threads here... the snowHeads could keep going for ages 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| SnowboardVicky wrote: |
| I was in Craigdon outdoor shop in Perth today and they had a pair of trousers I would swear was just what was being looked for. |
Vicky - thanks for the tip - they do look quite similar to the ones I saw though it is difficult to tell exactly from the picture. What a coincidence that you would randomly spot them and then see my post!
I'll show them to Helen and she can compare all the ideas we now have! Will try and track em down in a shop. Thanks!
I take Hoppo's point that there is no stopping of threads here and try not to sound too "closing thoughts"
Mark.
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