Ski suits

The ski-suits are worn majorly during snowboarding and skiing such as alpine skiing events. The participants are required to wear the suit over their regular clothing. The suits are available either in one-piece similar to a jumpsuit or a two-piece. The two-piece set consists of a ski jacket and matching trousers or ski pants, also known as salopettes. The ski-suit is manufactured from wind and water-resistant fabric or waterproof material. The suits have additional non-removable liner composed of various synthetic and natural fabrics such as nylon, silk, cotton or taffeta.

Ski-suits keep the participants warm during winter sports competitions. The ski suits are designed as a unisex garment made from Gore-Tex or similar materials. Pockets are also added to the suits which are waterproof and help in keeping the items dry.

Types of ski-suits depending on the design

• One-piece ski suits - It’s also regarded as freedom suit and covers the participant’s torso, arms and legs. The suits are equipped with one and two zippers with additional flap closure with Velcro, buttons and sometimes have a belt in the waist. The one-piece suits are mostly designed as an outer shell layer. In the 2000s, a modified version known as soft-shell ski suit was launched and became highly popular. The soft ski suits are more stylish, elastic, warm and provide more comfort. These are usually more economical than hard-shell suits. In the late 1940s, the first-ever one-piece ski suits were designed by an Italian fashion designer and Olympic skier Emilio Pucci.
• Ski jacket - The ski jackets cover the participant’s arms and torso to the waist and sometimes buttocks also; these are usually available as a single piece or in a set of two-piece suits (with ski trousers). The jackets usually resemble a safari jacket aided with a belt and shirt-like collar. The hooded jackets are known as parka, anorak, down jacket or winter shell.
• Ski pants - These are also regarded as salopettes which are also a part of a two-piece ski suit. These are designed in the same colour and fabric as their corresponding ski jacket. These are sometimes designed in a bib-and-brace style with a jacket worn over them.
• Race suits - Race suits are also regarded as speed suits. The race suits are usually worn by the professional racers or junior racers to enhance their racing speed. The suits are designed as one-piece suits. These are majorly composed of polyurethanes around 85-90% and 10-15% of polyester and can reduce the wind resistance by up to 50%. The deduction of resistance allows achieving a higher degree of speed and lets the skiers to ski faster. The Olympic skiers can achieve a phenomenal speed of 160 km per hour by using race suits.

Development of ski-suits through the years

During the 1920s, the sport of skiing developed a huge fan-base. With the increasing popularity, the need for ski suits also increased. By the end of the decade, women skiers started wearing skiing trousers similar to the men. In the 1930s, women’s ski clothing was very much in fashion as well as very functional as it was manufactured from heavy wool, stretchy yarn and had a cotton flannel lining.

During the late 1930s, ski skirts were introduced for female skiers, especially for the experts. By the 1940s, the skiwear became more streamlined and commonly manufactured from wool gabardine and had zippers in the lower legs section.

In 1948, the one-piece ski suit made a debut. It was invented by Emilio Pucci to provide comfort and warmth. Even today, one-piece suits are highly popular. These are considered to be stylish, convenient and comfortable. Tigon one-piece ski-suits are considered as the finest suits which eliminate the additional requirement of the middle layer as these have a very soft fleece lining. By the 1970s, wool was replaced by synthetic materials for manufacturing ski suits. In recent times, the ski suits are modified greatly to become waterproof, breathable and more flexible and come in various colours.