25 wonderfully stylish vintage ski wear images

Nearly half a year ago, when the thermometer was hovering around 40C, the local beaches were packed with swimsuit clad sunbathers, and it scarcely felt like the A/C was pulling its weight, I wrote a post about my hunt for vintage snow and ski clothing.

In the months since then, I haven't had the best of luck in finding pieces that fit the bill, though classic wool ski pants have been forthcoming (thank you very, very much to the sweet soul who helped me there), and that's certainly a great start. The search continues into 2014 now, even though it may mean I don't have a head-to-toe ensemble to show you this winter - there's always the next, and hopefully I'll have just such a ski bunny appropriate outfit to share then.

In the comment section of that post last August, my very dear friend, Joanna from Dividing Vintage Moments, asked if I might post more on vintage ski wear, and today, with the season in full swing, I'm happy to do just that.
 
Now, I'm not a skier in the slightest. I tried it a couple of times as a youngster, but that's all the firsthand experience with skis that I can claim, and as my health now makes skiing impossible, I'm content instead to simply enjoy watching others ski in person or on TV, looking at stellar vintage images of famous names, fashion models, and everyday folks alike in their ski hill finest, and to plow along in my hunt for vintage snow attire.

Both of those things have led me to discover oodles of great yesteryear ski (and snow) wear images over the past year in particular, and this morning - as I know there are many of you out there like Joanna and myself who are also die hard fans of vintage winter sportswear - I am delighted to share twenty-five that really stand out for me.

Each of these images (spanning the 1930s, 40s and 50s), unearthed from across various corners of the web, which speak volumes for themselves, is fun and fashionable to no end! I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I've loved discovering all of them over the past several months.
















































































...And just because it was too gosh darn cute not to share, a bonus 26th vintage ski wear photo. 

{All images in this post have been pinned to my Pinterest board, A Sporting Vintage Chance. To learn more about a specific image's respective online source, please visit that board and follow through to said source via Pinterest.}

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Whether one cuts up the slopes or not, so long as you live in a climate that gets chilly weather for at least a small percentage of the year, there's no reason why you can't sport a vintage ski wear look, too (which of the looks above really jumps out at you in particular?). Many items designed for outdoor winter sports in decades past were highly sturdy, warm as a freshly baked potato, and fabulously stylish - not to mention superbly practical in the face of Old Man Winter's icy wrath.

Much as I've been doing myself, if you'd like to add some (or some more) vintage ski and snow appropriate garments to your wardrobe, be sure to keep close tabs on etsy and eBay, as well as your local second hand, thrift and vintage stores. Used sporting goods shops, antique stores, flea markets, and estates sales can also be potential sources of these kinds of garments, from ear muffs to boots, mittens to jackets - not mention, should you really want to go all out, vintage skis themselves.

This isn't a hunt I'm planning on throwing in the towel - or would that be, more aptly, the wool scarf - on anytime soon, and I'm sure that the other items I'm searching diligently for (chiefly a coat and vintage snow boots) will come my way at some point. Who knows, maybe it'll be smack dab in the middle of the summer, when the last thing most (none vintage wearing) people are thinking about is old school ski wear.

Wherever and whenever my ensemble eventually comes together, you can be your bottom dollar it will be appearing here the moment the temperatures plummet down to freezing again next! :)