I opened my phone to 30 messages from the Lady Shred text chain filled with messages from my ski friends. 鈥淯m, Free People is spotlighting ski fashion?!鈥 the first one spouted. A series of screenshots followed. I clicked into the Free People听. The models were holding skis upside down. Some wore听high-water ski pants tucked into boots, and long underwear as outerwear. Lady, do you know how much snow you鈥檙e going to get in your butt crack if you fall wearing a cropped jacket?
Clothing is a . What you put on your body is a clear, immediate signal of what you鈥檙e into, where you come from, and where you feel you belong.听And that鈥檚 where my hackles went up. It felt like Free People was co-opting something that was mine. And they were doing it wrong, stealing a specific slice of self-definition that I cling to tightly, just because mountaintop selfies are trendy.
Part of skiing, for me, has always been about toughness听补苍诲 parsing the line between capability and visibility. It鈥檚 periodically been one of the few spaces where value was placed on what my body could do听instead of what it looked like. I鈥檝e never wanted fuzzy cropped sweaters. I want听three-layer Gore-Tex and to not have to think about wearing something cute underneath. My outerwear is a declaration that I鈥檓听a girl who gets it.
It鈥檚 a specific sartorial tenor鈥攆eminine听but capable. Lady Shred is often peppered with complaints and questions about where to find ski pants that are tough and fit wide hips. In a sport that鈥檚 historically male-dominated, it鈥檚 been a battle to get equal representation from brands. That鈥檚 why Free People鈥檚 idea of fashion-first skiing prickled.
I have strong opinions about outerwear, but I鈥檓 not fashionable. My idea of apr猫s style is a beanie instead of a helmet. And听I was reminded, via that text chain, that some of the Free People leggings are pretty cute, and that not everyone wants the same thing out of their time in the mountains.
So I called Free People to find out why they care听about skiing. It turns out that听Kathryn Schutt, the divisional merchandise manager responsible for the accessories in the brand鈥檚 Ski Shop, grew up skiing in Telluride. The sport鈥檚听a big part of her life, too.
The Free People听Ski Shop juxtaposes the brand鈥檚 own clothing with endemic听industry gearmakers. There are 听补苍诲 听next to Free People听sweaters that look like they鈥檙e from Aspen in the sixties. 鈥淚 wanted a mix of our tried-and-true vintage-retro vibe alongside K2 and brands I grew up with, and high-end fashion听like ,鈥 Schutt says. She asked patroller friends in Telluride for advice on brands to include.
Schutt听says skiwear has been a trend in recent runway shows, like outerwear label听, and that Free People has been following the vanstagram听movement. The brand thinks those trends track听with its听boho customer base. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the winter side of this girl who loves to be adventurous and explore,鈥 she says.
If skiing is trending, maybe that鈥檚 not such a bad thing. Jen Gurecki, CEO of women鈥檚 snow-gear brand Coalition Skis, says the Free People team approached Coalition because it liked the idea of a women-specific brand. She says Free People picked the skis based on graphics, not intended use, but she still thinks the exposure is a way to pull beginners into the sport and to diversify it. 鈥淭he reason I chose to participate is that I see the value in raising the awareness to a broader group of women,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he more women who have an affinity, the more it鈥檚 good for the entire industry. How can we expect to grow as a sport if we鈥檙e not promoting it to other sides?鈥
鈥淔or way too long, the industry has been really exclusive, but core skiers are only 6 percent of the market,鈥 Gurecki adds. 鈥淚t would be better if we鈥檙e more inclusive and kind. If we don鈥檛 figure out a way to make it look different, no one is going to be fucking skiing.鈥
Free People鈥檚 new line听does look different. Schutt says听her team created four different trend profiles, ranging from cabin vibes听to a young competitive听skier. They designed Free People鈥檚 clothes around the profiles, and then picked gear from brands that fell in line with each.
There鈥檚 almost no overlap between what听I听think is good and the equipment and apparel Free People chose.听I鈥檓 all for old-school beanies, but it鈥檚 hard to get behind a $659 helmet that doesn鈥檛 protect against rotational force, even if they do paint that shit gold. Safety is a real thing. So is quality, which is why I听obsessively cover gear. But style is personal, and Free People is a company that听propagates a specific fashion aesthetic.
Since talking with Gurecki and Shutt, I鈥檝e come to believe that skiing can be a trend听补苍诲 still be skiing. For a long time, getting legitimate women鈥檚 ski gear felt like a battle: we had to defend our territory and show our skill set. But that鈥檚 becoming an old frame of reference. Now听we can stake out more land. 鈥淭here鈥檚 this idea in the ski world that women are fighting for a really small piece of the pie,鈥 Gurecki says听when I ask her what she thinks Free People鈥檚 new line will do for skiing. 鈥淚 get it, but I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 healthy for our industry, or for women. What Free People has done is听bake听another pie.鈥