They don't dress up for dinner anymore—they just show up

There used to be a time in every skier's life, after a hard day on the hill, after sauna, after drinks and just before dinner, when the ma√Ætre d'h√¥tel would say, "I'm sorry, sir, but you must wear a jacket and tie in the dining room." That was back in skiing's dark ages, say a couple of years ago, before a new sort of relaxed revolution began to take shape in what men wear to the mountains. This season the revolution has spread—a pair of suitably faded Levi's and cowboy hat will get you most anywhere, and the year's newest touches lean more fashionably on the functional: shirts, sweaters, belts and vests, the kind of thing every man has got to have anyway. The people who design men's clothes have now turned to such things as wool doubleknits (which will stand a lot of partying and stay presentable), cotton velvet and a fabric called ribless corduroy—which gives an appearance of velour or the moleskin that everyone wore back in the '30s. Some of the results of these innovations are visible at The Inn at Saw Mill Farm near Vermont's Mount Snow (opposite page). Winter revolutionaries Greg Herbert and Tonto Shadeau (top left) go the doubleknit route—Herbert in bold-striped shirt and Shadeau in a jump suit—and both wear wide leather ornamented belts. Belts are a part of the scene, studded with brass for looks and wild Western in styling. Ping-Ponging below, Rutgers Barclay shows up in a colorful Turkish sweater and Herbert wears a ribless corduroy safari shirt, an easygoing outfit for after ski. Outdoors, Barclay wears his velvet jeans—they are imported from France in all colors and they are warm—plus a shaggy-looking reversible lambskin vest and tops it all off with a cowboy hat. Resident pinto pony Tybar is wearing what pinto ponies usually wear at this time of year, but if he appears a bit skittish there is good reason. Barclay's fur after-ski boots once belonged to a reindeer in Lapland.

The Look: where to buy
The all-wool doubleknit outfits worn by Herbert and Shadeau at top are designed by Luis Estévez and made in France by Saint Joseph for Cezar, Ltd. Shirt ($65), slacks ($60) and jump suit ($90) all available at Leighton's New York City. In the picture at lower left the wool sweater ($42.50), handloomed and embroidered in Turkey for Icelandic Imports, is available at Lazarus, Columbus, Ohio. The 100% cotton corduroy safari shirt ($21) can be found at Rich Originals in New York City. At right: the reversible lambskin vest ($250) and reindeer boots ($50) are made by Head Ski & Sports Wear and carried by Bloomingdale's, New York City. The cotton velvet jeans ($35) are imported from France by DeNoyer Boutique, New York City. The belts ($6 to $15) are by Canterbury Belts, Ltd. and are available at good stores everywhere.

THREE PHOTOS

BOB GOMEL