Skiing holidays have become truly ‘de rigueur’ in recent years, even among those people who may have never previously considered themselves even vaguely interested in or suited to the slopes.

However, this doesn’t mean that ski holidays are exactly easy to prepare for, with the often confusing world of ski fashion demonstrating this especially well.

Here are five of our favourite tips for ensuring that you only buy the right ski clothing, in the right ways, for the right reasons.

1. Prioritise functionality above all else

It sounds like an obvious observation to make, but seriously – the slope is not a catwalk, and in hostile conditions, you will be much more thankful for a jacket that you can quickly get your mobile phone out of, than one that dazzles everyone back at your ski shack.

When you are scrutinising and trying on ski jackets, trousers and other ski fashion, keep an eye out for useful features like special pockets and easy-to-close zippers. Imagine what the given item would actually be like to wear on your holiday, and ask the shop assistants plenty of questions, too!

2. Layer, layer and layer up

A key principle of dressing well for skiing these days is to wear three layers of specially adapted clothing – namely thermal underwear, an insulation layer such as a fleece and an outer, protective, waterproof layer such as a ski jacket.

This is how many layers you will need to ensure you aren’t caught out by any particularly adverse conditions. If you bring a lightweight rucksack as well, you will have somewhere to store one of those layers if the temperatures rise.

3. Don’t presume that costlier is always better

Depending on the nature and length of your ski holiday, you may not need to invest in the most expensive, top-of-the-range clothing. For a one-week ski holiday, for instance, some well-chosen clothing from a second hand or discount store may serve you perfectly well.

Don’t forget to also make the most of the various online deals and money off vouchers for ski clothing out there – even just one TK Maxx or Debenhams voucher code could save you a surprising amount of money.

4. Remember your helmet, gloves and socks!

These are essential elements of your ski ‘wardrobe’ that you can so easily end up buying in a hurry, without giving much thought to exactly what they need to be like.

If you are buying ski socks, for instance, you should make sure they are of the right materials and thickness to keep you warm without making you sweat. Any gloves that you buy should also be waterproof and your helmet will need to fit well and provide a good level of ventilation, in addition to genuinely shielding you from injury.

5. Try to choose multi-functional ski wear

You don’t necessarily have to buy your ski clothing purely with skiing in mind. Could those ski socks that you have bought also double up as cosy house socks for watching the TV on evenings?

What about using your ski jacket as a general winter jacket, or donning your thermal underwear for other outdoor sporting activity when the temperature drops?

Don’t forget that there are many other sources of advice online on how to choose the right ski clothing – you may be interested, for example, in The Telegraph‘s guide to buying the best ski jacket.

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