Ski apparel in the 1970s

Dear Discolovers, summer is now a distant memory; in fact, it is time for snow and, therefore, skiing. Did you go skiing as children? I did, and I started in the 1970s. Having always visited the same ski resort, I cannot help but notice how mountain fashion has changed from then until today.

Let us begin by saying that the only ski lifts available were T-bars and chairlifts, often single-seaters. Ski boots, especially in the early 1970s, were not yet made of plastic; the primary material was hard leather, featuring four or five metal buckle fastenings. Ski suits were made of padded nylon, and windbreakers were tight and form-fitting, as the fashion of the period dictated, worn over turtlenecks. Synthetic materials and stretch fibers, which provide warmth while ensuring waterproofing and breathability, were still a long way off.
Consequently, it was much easier to sweat or feel cold, especially if one fell. On the head, beanies were worn strictly without pom-poms, and to protect the eyes on the slopes, large goggles with yellowish lenses were used; however, the highlight of mountain attire was fur after-ski boots. In fact, the famous entirely synthetic Moon Boots only arrived at the end of the 1970s, with a design similar to today’s, erasing a decade of poodle-style fur boots. Indeed, they were called exactly that: “poodles,” because they had long fur like a dog and one major flaw: after using them for a while, snow would stick to the ends, quickly turning into small icy balls. In short, ski apparel in the 1970s was not so fashionable, but what memories do you have of those ski holidays from over 30 years ago?