Après ski sweaters and clothing

CONTENTS

1. Après Ski Party meaning

2. What to Wear to an Après Ski Party

3. More About Skiing: What to Wear (Ski Slopes)

   • Layering

   • Modularity

   • Icewear Clothing for Winter Sports

4. Skiing in Iceland

   • The Hidden Benefits of Little-Known Ski Slopes

Key findings about what to wear to ski:

• The après ski party is as much a part of skiing as the snow-covered slopes themselves. Après ski traditions make for some of the most memorable moments on skiing excursions.

• Skiing requires special clothing to stay warm and to regulate body temperature and perspiration, while also keeping you looking your best for the après party.

• Layering and modularity are the two keys to dressing right for winter sports in general, and skiing is no different.

• Iceland is a little-known treasure trove of skiing sites. 

• Icewear après ski sweater (women) and ski sweater (men's) provide skiers the comfort, performance and look that is synonymous with “ski slopes.”

• The Icewear Magasin store also has a large selection of other brands' winter sports clothing.

The slopes call out to you…

After weeks (or months) of planning, you finally head to your destination ski resort. The slopes nearby home are fine, but you've had your sights set on new horizons for a while. You’ve planned a vacation to ski in Iceland.

No matter where you come from, if you arrive to Iceland from abroad, you’ll be flying to your final destination since the island nation is about 850 miles from the northern tip of the UK. The distance is worth it, though, to traverse the stunning landscapes across the country—including ski slopes, if you’re into that.

Once the first, long-awaited day of skiing is done, will you be ready for the après ski party in Iceland? Whether you plan on closing the day with friends and family in your group or with friends you meet along the way, no skiing expedition is worth it without an après ski party to remember.

When it comes down to final preparations for your trip, how do you know what to pack for the après ski party? Keep reading to learn about the right attire and the après ski sweater women and men can both make epic memories in.

Après ski party meaning

What goes on at an après ski party, exactly? 

Après is French for “after,” and "ski" is actually an Old Norse word—though, you already know what that means. Together, the après ski party is the “after ski” party. Generally, this is used to describe the social event that takes place after each day of skiing. It’s hard to beat the glamor of good drinks and even better company on the slopes.

The après ski party is said to be as much a part of skiing culture as skiing itself. Skiing is a distinctly social activity, even though the runs are independent. People share experiences on the chair lifts up mountains and as they arrive to destination slopes in the first place. There, a special camaraderie is born.

Then, the natural thing to do is to connect with those kindred spirits at the end of the day, usually over an après ski drink.

What to wear to an après ski party

It’s a party, but it’s on a mountainside…so, what do you wear to an après ski party? Starting late in the afternoon right after the lifts close, it’s too early (and too cold) to wear anything light. A warm fire and even warmer libations will be waiting for you, but any ensemble you wear still has to keep you properly bundled up.

Some of the classic après ensembles include traditional wool sweaters with Scandinavian designs. When in Iceland for a ski trip, wool sweaters often include the classic lopapeysa pattern and other Norwegian and Scandinavian-inspired designs. These warm and beautiful sweaters often have high turtlenecks or buttons sewn down the front, all in the name of fashion gracefully added to comfortable, familiar beauty of these classic sweaters. 

There’s no official dress code for an après ski party, but there are definitely some norms you’ll want to follow. An après ski sweater often harkens to classic Icewear sweaters, for example. Other accessories that are typically sported at an après include:

• A warm, comfortable vest (try a down vest for extraordinary softness)

• Gloves (even the same windproof gloves you used on the slopes)

• A fitted hat (a hat with a Nordic design is spot-on for ski culture)

• Boots (for example, suede waterproof boots)

• A lightweight backpack (to store your ski goggles after the slopes) 

At the après ski party, skiers spend hours with their goggles and helmets still with them. Therefore, think of comfortable storage (for example, jackets with pockets) to keep comfortable as the après commences.

More about skiing: what to wear on the slopes

What should you wear while skiing? If the après party starts right after the last run, what you wear to ski will have to work for the slopes and the social après, too. 

Therefore, you need to know what to wear before you pack. Buy needed items in advance to test them out, too. Proper ski attire starts with what works for you, personally. Avoid getting caught up in the hype of each new groundbreaking item that hits the shelves; ski marketing can be quite glamorous, and enthusiastic skiers can be easily seduced.

At the end of the day, dial in your ski attire with functionality in mind and with proper layering and modularity.

Layering

Start with a good base layer, then build layers up depending on the weather conditions. 

If you’re traveling to a ski resort, bring multiple layers that serve for different conditions, because you never know what can change.

Layers collectively protect you from:

• Cold

• Wind

• Moisture

Items like wool sweaters, headwear and socks do wonders to protect you completely. Wool is naturally anti-microbial and breathable to help regulate your temperature, meaning it's perfect for ski-wear.

Remember, moisture will be coming from the elements as well as from inside your clothes from perspiration. This is why your optimal base layer is more important than any other. Spend extra time finding which base layers work for you.

Modularity

Of course, you don’t have to wear all your layers all the time—that’s the point. This is where modularity comes in. Modularity refers to swapping layers out to make sure you’re comfortable no matter the conditions.

For example, if the sun comes out on a surprise cloudless day, the temperature could change in a big way. In that case, ditch your middle insulating later and ski with just a shell over your base.

On the other hand, if it’s extra cold, adding that middle layer is easy. Check out this ski sweater (women) and ski sweater (men’s) for ideas on the best middle layers to ski and party comfortably all day long.

Icewear clothing for winter sports

Clothing for winter sports has to protect you before, during and after your activity. For hiking, that might mean finding the right waterproof boots. For snowboarding, maybe you’re due for superior windproof gloves. 

Icewear clothing for winter sports includes everything from snow pants to gloves to every imaginable layering option. The Icewear Magasin store has an even bigger selection, including other brands that sell related products.

For skiing, wool sweaters serve the purpose of keeping you warm as an insulation layer as well as showcasing traditional, picture-perfect Nordic ski sweater patterns and designs at the après ski party.

Skiing in Iceland

Did you know there are 46 Icelandic words for snow? It’s no wonder. Iceland might not be the first destination on the map when skiers look up ski slopes, but for tourists or locals who visit Iceland for winter sports, the local skiing options do not disappoint.

Some of the ski destinations in Iceland are even more magical because they're hidden gems; you won't have to wait in lines like you would in Germany or France. Skiing locations in Iceland to look into include:

• Breiðholt is a small slope right inside the Reykjavik city limits. It’s more popular for its convenience than its inclines, but it is popular among locals for that reason. Enjoy free hot cocoa and lifts every visit!

• Bláfjöll ski resort is right outside of Reykjavik and is also very popular. Most people who ski in Iceland—locals and tourists alike—go there at some point during the season. Bláfjöll enjoys almost 10 miles of slopes available for skiing and snowboarding.

• Skálafell is also close to Reykjavik (about 25 minutes away from the city by car). The slopes are due east of the city limits, and during the summer are open for mountain biking as well.

• There are also more remote skiing locations in the north, whose seasons vary.

More hidden benefits of little-known ski slopes

The real benefit of skiing in Iceland is that the whole experience—from slope side to the après ski party—is more intimate. Skiers meet others who share the same interests and spirit of adventure, and true friendships are born.

Plan your après ski party sweater and outfit now.