New Site for a New Season

It's the 1st of November and as promised, today is the big day where we can finally reveal the all new site for What's Whistler Wearing. Over the coming weeks we'll be continuing to add lots more new features and of course we'll be continuing our brand reviews to make sure we help you find that all important new look.

As the new season is approaching faster than Bode Miller we'll be back on the slopes on opening day (26th November - for those of you who haven't been watching closely enough). With the Winter Olympics coming to Whistler, and the snowbase already starting to build it's looking like being another amazing season at the world's number one resort. Look forward to seeing you there and if you see us around, come and say hi.

So without any further ado, clink on the new logo above to take you through to the new site.

Snow!

Prepare to get that tingly feeling... it's been snowing on Whistler and there's more on the way. Here's how the webcam looks right now:

Window Shopping - The North Face

If you're shopping for skiwear (or hiking gear, or camping equipment), The North Face are impossible to miss. Their market presence is undeniable: North Face is a byword for quality outdoor clothing that won't break the bank. I was talking to a friend last week who has just bought her second North Face ski jacket because, she says, the last one "was really comfortable and hard wearing considering how much I ended up in the snow". (She exaggerates; her skiing rocks, as indeed did the jacket).

Perhaps the flip side of the tried-and-trusted brand identity is that North Face gear can be a little bit... well, boring. The kind of gear that springs to mind is simple skiwear in safe, not too daring colours, and why not? - it sells. Jackets like the Stavros are very much in that traditional mould, and if your trusty black pants need replacing, TNF are a safe bet every time.

But times are changing, and some of the North Face gear on show last season hinted at more exciting things to come. Sure enough a look at this year's North Face

collection turns up some nice surprises.

The men's Drip Print jacket has a fantastic design that varies subtly from one garment to the next a

s the drips fan out. In the women's line, the '80s style Jitterbug down-filled jacket looks like it fell out of the wardrobe on Saved By The Bell - the last thing I expected from this label! Meanwhile best-selling La Fonda jacket with its detachable faux fur trim is more mainstream, but still nicely styled. The Nuptse vest is sure to do well on the slopes in Europe too.

If you're shopping for reliable quality, you don't need me to point you towards The North Face. But this year, it's definitely worth checking them out for some style surprises too.

Kate

Window Shopping - Westbeach

Westbeach is one of the true Canadian institutions or as they put it on their site "The Canadian Snowboarding Original". What's more as one of the West coast brands, all their outerwear is designed in Vancouver and then tested on the local mountains and even though they are designing clothing for snowboarders, i think any self-respecting skier might just about get over the cusses on their site and be able to live with wearing some of the gear. They're celebrating 30 years this year and we were lucky enough to be at the Schick fashion show in Whistler last season when they showcased some of their vintage outfits which in my view are still cool enough to be worn today.

Locals might be familiar with the names of some of this year's ranges with runs such as "Franz" and "Peak to Creek" among those given recognition. They've even got a short explanation as to why they picked each of the names and even though some of the links are tenuous we're loving the thought, dedication and loyalty to their origins.

There are 12 different styles of jackets (although in reality it's only 10 - there is an insulated and shell version for two) but the styles I think are going to be popular are the Maverick and the Tall. The first because it has some amazing colour jackets and the latter because it has been specifically designed for what they call the "park rats". My favourite has got to be what I suspect will be this season's signature jacket: the Maverick in white (see right). Other styles worth a mention are the "peak to creek" with its zip off to one side meaning that on those cold days, there's no chin chafing.

In comparison with the jackets, their pants are almost understated with only a few coming in the more bold colours seen with their jackets. Difficult to pick a favourite but I would probably have to opt for the Whisky Jack pants in Yellow so named after the Whisky Jack birds that hang out near skilifts and scavenge for food (particularly at Harmony chairlift on Whistler - see the proof below).

All in all, a superb range, even if it is designed for snowboarders. Next time I'll be looking at Oakley.

Cheers

Jez

New site coming soon...

Watch this space folks... the new and improved What'sWhistlerWearing will be launched on 1 November, and we're super stoked about it. For now, here's an exclusive glimpse of the new logo. Sweet, eh?

Keep checking in here through October for more ski and snowboard fashion reviews.

Window Shopping - Kjus

After all these snowboard labels, it's about time we reviewed some straight-down-the-line ski fashion, and where better to start than Kjus?

Founded by Olympic and World Champion racer Lasse Kjus, this is high-end performance skiwear. Kjus (pronounced shoos, to rhyme with moose) are all about clean lines and sleek shapes that makes no concessions whatsoever to the baggy look - this outerwear is descended from downhill racing suits, not streetwear or skate fashion.

There's no doubting the quality of Kjus' clothes - they really do perform in all conditions. Jez has been wearing a Kjus jacket for a couple of seasons now, and we've dubbed it "Superjacket" for its all-round awesomeness. Of course, that quality doesn't come cheap, but you get what you pay for, right?

In the 2010 collection, the ladies Salt&Pepper jacket is a great example of what Kjus do best: slick design in fitted shapes. My only grumble is the not-so-subtle "spirit of skiing" slogan on the hood (not visible here) - a strangely cheesy detail from an otherwise classy company. Of course, if you're like me, the hood gets detached on day one in favour of a helmet. Safety first... style a very close second ;)

Kate

Window Shopping - Nomis

2008/9 was the first year that East coast brand Nomis (which, for those of you haven't noticed, is co-founder Simon Chamberlain's name backwards) launched their outerwear range and it went down a storm. We met a few people wearing Nomis last season, yet again proving Whistler's 6th sense for spotting new, super cool brands. One of the highlights of those from last season was Matt who was wearing one of the samples developed for last season's range. Still, with October here and the first snows almost within touching distance, the crucial question is what will Nomis do this season?

It would be fair to say that Nomis have not deviated too far from last season and whilst their range isn't the biggest and most diverse, what they do do, they do very very well. They've resisted the temptation to go down the primary colour route as so many others have and their colour range is simple: blue, purple, lime green, black and white all put together in a series of trendy check patterns, and stripes with a liberal sprinkling of branding.

For my part, I'm choosing the Tony Jacket in Black Splatter but I have to say that I think the whole range of Tony jackets are going to fly off the shelves. In terms of pants, I'm after a pair of the Denim Pants in Purple.

Next up for me is going to be Westbeach.

Cheers

Jez

Window Shopping - 3CS

Chuck a snowball in Whistler Blackcomb and chances are you'll hit an Australian. Yes, thanks to the working visa programme and a favourable exchange rate, Bruce and Sheila have made WB their home from home, and frankly it's hard to imagine the place without the Aussie influence.

And that goes for the fashion too. Aussie label 3CS brings a very antipodean take on snow outerwear - their goofy website models are a sign of a company that's not taking itself too seriously. 3CS provided some highlights of last year's hall of fame, and we'll be looking out for them again in 2010.

Right now I'm coveting the clean lines of this Celcius jacket in white, and the purple Preset snowboard pants.

Last time I checked, Evolution was the only store in Whistler that carried 3CS (not to be confused with the other Evolution, who are more interested in selling you a condo). In fact, Evolution were the first stockists of 3CS in North America. Proof, if it were needed, that Whistler is the mothership of snowboard style. Bonza.

Kate

Window Shopping - Nikita

Icelandic label Nikita are heading for their tenth birthday, and continue to stand out in the snow fashion world for being one of a handful of companies who are first and foremost women's brands (Roxy is the other one that springs to mind). In the sometimes boy-dominated world of snowboarding, this makes Nikita pretty refreshing - their MO is female-centric design influenced more by women's streetwear than by what the guys are sporting in the terrain park. Since 2007, brother label Atikin (gettit?) has been doing men's streetwear, but so far the winter gear is ladies only.

Nikita claim they don't care about so-called trends in cut and colour, but simply produce gear they would wear themselves, for a customer base of "cool girls around the world". This year's line feature some light and bright prints on jackets, with blockier colours on the bottom half. I especially like these jean-style Ambient pants, while the bomber-ish Moonlight jacket (pictured) is typical Nikita - cute colours, a little bit sugar-sweet but not enough to give you toothache. The Coldplay jacket combines an 80s style print with fur trim hood for extra snugness.

Admittedly, if you like your look a bit tougher or more unisex, you probably won't find your gear here. But if you want a fun, feminine take on snow wear, this is going to be your bag.

Kate

Window Shopping - Rossignol

Update: We have now moved to the new site for What's Whistler Wearing. Clink on the new logo below to take you through to this post on the new site.

In this window shopping series, we'll be reviewing a number of labels, from the mainstream to the up and coming. I'll be checking out the men's ranges and Kate will be doing the chicks. So, without further ado, my first choice to go under the microscope is one of the biggies - Rossignol.

So what to say about this year’s Rossignol gear? Well, in my view there’s something for everyone, from the terrain park lovers to the ski chic. If you can’t find something that you like in this collection, then you’re in trouble. Personally, I’m after one of the Starling GTX PR jackets in Grey and White (above right) and the Gemini Shell PT trousers in Orange (below left). Would love to get my hands on that so if anyone from Rossignol is listening...

Still, enough about what I’m after. Other jackets to keep an eye out for are the two Acute jackets (the Acute and the Acute Print) and the Finche PR which all build on last season’s themes of hedonistic patterns and colours. If you’re not feeling quite that bold, then there is a big range of jackets in plain colours and mellow patterns which are generally available in classic black or red (with the odd one being available in other bright colours). Finally, if none of those light your fire, check out the more unusual Finche jacket with its plastic-finish.

In terms of pants, there are fewer patterns than on the jackets and instead the main focus is on a bigger range of cuts and colours to keep you stylish. What patterns there are are on the mellow side but the colours more than make up for that with the overriding theme bring bright primaries and orange.

Other pieces of kit to check out are the toxic fashion helmet in White/Green or if you’re after yet more patterns, check out the SAS helmet.

All in all, this is definitely a good starter for ten. Next for me will be up and coming brand, Nomis.

Cheers

Jez

New snow fashion - tis the season to be tempted

Greetings, snow bunnies.

It's that time of year again... the summer is over (in London anyway - and yes you can just about tell the difference). It's that time when our thoughts turn to snow, and the winter catalogues have started dropping into the mailbox, so we're salivating over the new season outerwear.

Every year it's the same thought process:

Left brain: "I have a perfectly good set of outerwear, I will resist. I am immune to advertising. Get thee behind me, Burton."

Right brain: "Ooh, that's nice. Maybe I do need a new jacket."

Left brain: "No! The credit card shall not be touched!"

Right brain: "But it's got little cartoons on it!"

Left brain: "I said no. Go sit in the corner."

Right brain (adopts wheedling tone): "But look, it's very practical. It's got a snowskirt, and lots of pockets, and a place to put your mp3, and revolutionary fabric."

Left brain: "Hmm. Revolutionary fabric, you say? Well there's no harm in trying it on..."

This year, just for you guys, we will be putting our left brains and our credit card balances at risk by browsing the best the skiwear industry has to offer, and blogging it here. Check in throughout September to see how our window shopping is going.

Good news for the 2009/2010 Season

Hi all,

Well, great news, we've now made the decision that we're going to be back in Whistler for the 2009/2010 season to once again showcase the best of Whistler fashion. We're in the process of building a web-site to better showcase your outfits so keep an eye out for it in September. You'll be able to check it out at www.whatswhistlerwearing.com once it's launched later this year.

With the Winter Olympics coming to Whistler in February, we'll hopefully be able to pap some great outfits on both pros and amateurs alike. So get your thinking hat on, check out the latest fashions, put together your outfits and maybe you'll be one of next season's hall of famers. The fashion police are coming for you!

See you when the snow starts falling...

Cheers

Jez & Kate

What's Whistler Wearing

The Snow Fashion Awards 2009

Well, it's been a long time since we did a post as we've been thoroughly immersed in the wedding season and catching up with friends back home in the UK. Still with our friends all now suitably hitched we wanted to get back to the serious business and pay homage to last seasons' hall of famers, and recognise a few of the best with the What'sWhistlerWearing Awards. Oh yes - it's prestigious. 

We've split the awards out into different categories, some of which, being honest, are simply because we just loved the gear so had to find a way of honouring it!

We picked the awards the same way we pick people on the slopes - we just like 'em. It's not scientific but that's the joy of having your own website... oh the power. 

If there are any outfits we've missed that you think deserved an award, let us know and if you can drum up enough support we'll maybe put them up!

Ski Fashion v Snowboard Fashion

Update: We have now moved to the new site for What's Whistler Wearing. Clink on the new logo below to take you through to this post on the new site.

First up is the oldest grudge there is: Skiers vs Snowboarders. Who has the coolest look? Well as skiers we're obviously biased but we decided that the only way to settle it was to pick our top 5 from each group and let you decide which group wins! So here they go (skiers and boarders alternately):

Best of the Old Skool

One of the things we love about Whistler is the way it embraces all styles of outfit from the terrain park trendy to the vintage onesies and 80s colours. These two become our official King and Queen of the old school - all hail the nylon.

Best Moves

Having met and photographed lots of cool outfits, we thought we'd pay a small tribute to some of the best shapes thrown by models. These two were deserving winners in this category with Jonkman's ninja swan pose and Haaken giving it some big energy.

Best for Patriotism

Well, there was only one contender for this award. Oddly, Craig is from Vancouver so he's either an ex-pat or just a little bit confused. 

Snowboard and Ski Fashion: What'sWhistlerWearing hot tips for 2010

Update: We have now moved to the new site for What's Whistler Wearing. Clink on the new logo below to take you through to this post on the new site.

As you know, we attended the Schick Fashion Exposed show in Whistler on 24 April, and it was a great opportunity to scope out some of the key trends in snow fashion for the coming 2010 season. Now, bear in mind we're not industry insiders, so our reactions to the 2010 collections are purely our own. See what you think and let us know!

If there was a single unifying theme to the 2010 snow clothes, it's the snowboarders no longer have it all their own way: the days of boarders looking good and skiers looking like your mum are definitely over. Next year's gear is heavily ski influenced, with bright colours, one-piece suits and some fitted shapes on show. That's not to say we're going right back to 1980s Switzerland and neon onesies - but neither is it all about the baggy skate look of the '90s and early 2000s. Maybe that's a reflection of the way freestyle skiing has taken off and blurred the boundaries between the ski and snowboard tribes. It's not a new phenomenon, but next year's gear really shows how far the ski/snowboard crossover look is becoming established.

For pics of the show, check out this Flickr set from Tyler Ingram, which show off some of the models in action. Unfortunately it's not always clear which brand is which, but I've linked back to individual pics where I can remember.

So what were the big brands backing you to wear in 2010?

• Burton are betting big on shiny fabrics for their jackets, and if Burton get into something you can assume it will be everywhere soon. So expect to see more of the same bright colours (primary shades of blue, red, and orange for guys, and jewel colours on girls) but with a high gloss finish. There was a red women's bib pant a bit like this that we especially liked.
• Orage were showing lots of the same trends as this year, but the results were fun and really wearable. Lots of mustard yellow and purple in their collection, plus overall-style onesies for girls, and big chunky jackets all round.
• Gore tex, not content with supplying fabrics for just about everyone, showed some of their own outerwear, with this blanket-stitch pattern featuring heavily.
• Rossignol had one of the most memorable collections, with a big lego theme (hence the pics of our little lego snowboard dudes on the mountain - credit to our flatmate Phylis for those). Their gear was all about bright primary colours, plus a signature lego-brick print on some outerwear, and another blue and white cloud print that I'll be looking out for on the hill next year. Also some shiny plastic-finish down jackets - it'll be interesting to see if those take off.
• Helly Hansen focused on straight-down-the-line wearable looks, mainly in neutral browns and greens, with red and blue accent pieces.
• Westbeach are celebrating their 30th anniversary year, so they were having some fun with a retrospective of some vintage gear. They don't make 'em like this any more. Their new stuff was a little less out there but as you'd expect from Westbeach, very Canadian and very wearable.
• Nikita had some good looks for girls; it's always interesting to see what a female-only brand will do, free from the influence of what the guys are wearing. Their collection was notable for some colourful check jackets and flattering slimmer-cut pants.

What do you think? Can you see yourself wearing any of these on the mountain next year? Post a comment and let us know...

Ugh. Packing sucks.

Unfortunately the great pack-up has taken longer than we planned today, so we won't have time to post properly before hitting the highway. We may be awol for a few days, as we're going to some places where wifi is only a distant dream, but we'll be back soon to bring you the promised posts and the 2009 Best Of awards.

Meanwhile, here's a teaser: Rossignol are hoping that next season you'll be looking something like this:

Day 34 - And that's a wrap, almost.

Wow - we're sitting here slightly shellshocked at the thought that our last ski day of the season is over. What are we going to do with all our time now? What do people do in summer, anyway?

So, given that it was our last day on the hill, the five hall of fame places could only go to the very deserving, and we found some beauties today - cheers to all five of them.

That's not quite it for the blog. We'll be back over the next few days with some sneaky previews of the coming trends in 2010 ski and snowboard wear. And, tune in tomorrow to find out which of our hall-of-famers take the prizes in our Best of WhatsWhistlerWearing awards 2009.

Meanwhile, we're off to commemorate our final ski day with a final apres session, so you might see us tottering towards the taxi rank later.

Laters....