THE TOP OF THE STRETCH
Stretch fabric so tight you can lean on it has been the dictum for ski pants ever since downhill racers discovered that you can pare off seconds of time by paring away inches of wind-resisting fabric. This year stretch appears at the top as well—in close-fitting jackets that move with the body. While the quilted parka is still the warmest made, and an essential for frostbite conditions, it has been adopted by the station wagon set and in consequence downgraded by skiers. For active skiers stretch jackets are usually warm enough. What's more, the look—not acquired cheaply—is worth the price, since it comes from the best ski tailors in the world: Bogner of Munich, ski wear division of Christian Dior, Ernst Engel of New York.
Among the slimmest stretch suits of all are those by Ernst Engel (left). His men's ski pants and jacket have elasticized side inserts, modeled on those worn by French racers. His new women's pants are cinched below the knee with a strap that takes some of the tiring pressure off the strap under the instep.
When skiers uncoil from all this tautness, they revert to the soft, the warm or the luxurious. This year winter-sport furs for both men and women not only are exotic but won't frost around the face even at temperatures as cold as 40° below. Women now prefer long skirts at the chalet hearthside rather than another pair of stretch pants, and fuzzy sweaters to man-tailored shirts. The clothes on the following pages were photographed on skiers in Aspen, where the after-ski life is as busy as the ski life. For where-to-buy information and prices, please turn to page 59.
Tony Rogers and Sandy Wright show the stretchability of Edelweiss' pullover shirt of wool and stretch nylon and Bogner's one-piece jump suit with a jacket that can double with regular ski pants (left). At right, Dior Sport's new look for skiing: jeans-stitched jacket and western-style ski pants in black wool-and-stretch-nylon Elastiss.
At D. V. Edmundson's house in Aspen, Garvene Eriksen (right), wife of Skier Stein, wears Bonnie Cashin's mohair sweater and "long Johns." At left: Tony Rogers in ski suit with stretch inserts and Sandy Wright in cinched pants and pullover, all Ernst Engel.
After dark in Aspen, long skirts take over from stretch pants. Polly Bent wears Vera Maxwell's jersey dress and tweed redingote at Aspen's Wheeler Opera House, where contemporary companies perform in a Gay Nineties setting. Off the mountain, skiers' furs range from Anne Farish's silky mink-paw parka by Jules Hartenstein to Bob Cutting's rugged wolverine jacket and trapper's hat by Alaska-Arctic Furs.
WHERE TO BUY
The clothes on page 52: Man's Edelweiss wool-and-stretch-nylon pullover ($40) and pants ($35) at the Chicago Ski Shop, Chicago; Pete Lane's Store, Sun Valley. Gremlin hat ($2.75), Molinari gloves ($12) and Nordica Sprint boots ($70) imported by Beconta. Bogner wool-and-stretch-nylon jump suit ($79.50) and jacket ($75) at Helm of Sun Valley; Scandinavian Ski & Sport Shops, New York City; Stein Eriksen Sport Shop, Aspen. Headband ($1.50) from Beconta. Cotton-and-Helanca shirt ($4) by Medico. Golo boots ($23) at B. Altman, New York.
Page 53: Ski jacket ($100) and pants ($60) from Dior Sport at The Aspen Leaf, Denver; Sig Buchmayr, New York and Sugarbush, Vt. Pompon hat ($6) by Betmar. Ski gloves ($12) by Dior Sport at Bonwit Teller. Nordica Innsbruck boots ($52.50).
Page 54: Ernst Engel nylon parka with stretch inserts ($40) and racer's pants ($50), cinched ski pants—Engel calls them "Engels"—of worsted and stretch nylon ($50), pullover ($55), matching cotton T shirt ($8.50) and mohair helmet ($8.50), all at The Aspen Leaf, Denver; Saks Fifth Avenue, New York. Ski goggles ($2.75) from Beconta. Ski gloves by Dior Sport.
Page 55: Hand-knit mohair-and-wool sweater ($55) and pants ($60) by Bonnie Cashin for Philip Sills at Bonwit Teller, New York. Capezio boots ($19) at Bonwit Teller.
Page 56: Vera Maxwell's tweed redingote and jersey dress ($350) at Lord & Taylor, New York. Van S Authentic necklace.
Page 57: Jules Hartenstein mink-paw ski jacket ($495 plus federal tax) at Stix, Baer & Fuller, St. Louis; Jules Hartenstein, New York. Alaska-Arctic wolverine jacket ($400 plus federal tax) and hat ($75 plus federal tax) at Elli of Aspen; Saks Fifth Avenue, New York.
THREE PHOTOS
NEAL BARR
THREE PHOTOS
CHRISTA