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Brands that make clothing only for women are not usually my area of expertise, but my friend and longtime Boston Herald ski columnist Moira McCarthy knows ski fashion inside and out, and she suggested Krimson Klover to me a few years ago. Ever since, my wife has become enamored of their distinctive après ski styles. If the sweater in this picture looks familiar, that’s because Krimson Klover’s “Ski” motif has become an icon in winter wear, but they also make a full lineup of other really recognizable, distinctive sweaters and shirts. It’s a woman founded, woman owned company with a high-degree of social responsibility, partnering with humane certified manufacturers and focusing on sustainable materials such as natural fibers and recycled synthetics.

If you are interested in ski travel, make sure to check out my recent extremely extensive feature here at Forbes on why you should consider skiing in Europe this year. Many readers are surprised to learn how much cheaper it is (much!), even at the luxury level, for lift tickets (think 75% off or more), lessons (50-70%) and even rentals (as much as 80% off), plus the food is better, the towns are charming, the resorts are much bigger (like ten times), the pre-and-post ski extensions are better, there are great lodging options you cannot equal in the U.S., and the dollar is very strong right now.

The Sabre jacket is made of the newest chemical free ePE smart fabric from waterproof/breathable technology leader Gore-Tex that is also PFAS-free. Features include a built in RECCO avalanche reflector, articulated joints for extra mobility, a highly adjustable helmet compatible hood, zippered hand pockets, zippered wrist pocket for lift pass, zippered internal security pocket and two large open inside pockets for water bottle, accessories, etc. It also has an internal waist snow gaiter/powder skirt (0).
Not everyone likes to ski in an insulated jacket, but if you do, or if you get cold and want one, this is it, especially in frigid or subzero conditions. The Sender hooded jacket, made in fits for both men and women, combines Loopinsulation with a wind and water repellent outer fabric that is PFC-Free, and a tight baffle grid pattern keeps the soft fluffy insulation where it is supposed to be, without clumping, and also looks really cool. The jacket has near best performance across the board: warmth, durability, weight, warmth to weight ratio, and is quick drying and highly windproof, while being made not “with” recycled materials, but from 100% recycled materials. For pricey Mammut, it’s also a bargain at 0.
But the game changer came when recovery leader HyperIce, who makes a full suite of high-tech athletic recovery products, rolled out the heated percussion head attachment. This replaces the most common massage gun attachment, the big round flat head, with a heated version that charges vis USB, heats up really fast, has three temperature levels, and delivers both warmth and massage to those aching muscles, especially great on your quads. If you ski hard, you’ll love the way this feels, and you can work on your legs while holding a glass of champagne in the other hand. I also use mine at home when not skiing, almost every day, why not?

Mammut Sender Insulated Jacket for Men and Women

But boots are a much different story…

The Coolest (And Warmest) Après Ski Boots & Shoes

The new Black Hole Wheeled Duffel comes in a few sizes, but you want the 100-liter, the biggest, the one that can handle a week long ski trip. It is big, organized, and highly weather resistant which is important when your stuff is sitting on the runway at airports like Jackson Hole or Eagle in a blizzard. In keeping with Patagonia’s earth friendly mission, the body fabric is 100% recycled materials, and so is the lining, webbing and matte finish laminate. Wheels and axles are super heavy duty and unlikely to fail, but these are meant for expeditions, often off the grid, so in the rare event they do, this is the only bag of its kind I have ever seen sold that includes a backup spare axle in a hidden compartment so you can make on the go repairs.

The folks at Arms of Andes, a leading manufacturer of alpaca products using wool from the world’s second highest mountain range, claim that their fibers are even more moisture wicking than merino, dries faster, and has the lowest blistering/chafing rating when wet of any material. I tried some of their underlayers and I am sold—it’s just as warm and just as light but even softer, cozier and feels more luxurious. Arms of Andes makes a full lineup of base layers perfect for skiing or snowboarding as well as hiking and just about every other outdoor pursuit, in cold weather and every weather. They have tees, long sleeve sip necks, long underwear, joggers, hoodies and so on, for men and women, and the prices are quite reasonable when compared with top merino brands. If you love merino, give alpaca a try.
The Guide Gloves were a Top Pick from one of my favorite outdoor equipment testing sites, GearLab.com, and I understand why. They have a removable PrimaLoft and boiled wool liner, and I am big fan of removable liner gloves because if you end up sweating, they dry faster overnight om a ski trip, they create an additional layer of insulation using trapped air, the best insulator, and in this case PrimaLoft is the best synthetic insulation and wool the best natural one, neither of which loses potency if it gets wet. But they probably won’t get wet because the shell is fully waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex. Another bonus is that come spring, when you ski in the sun and high temps, you can just ditch the liners and ski in the shells, two gloves for the price of one. The shells are also four-way stretch and reinforced across the palms, fingers and all wear points with heavy duty goat leather that will least for years and years of hard skiing. The high gauntlets ensure no snow can get in your wrists, they cinch close around the forearm, and for 0 you won’t find a better ski glove. Plus, they look cool.
I used to pack a portable mini-massage gun with me on ski trips, but it never had the power and oomph I was looking for, so I stared just sucking it up and putting a full-size HyperVolt 2 Pro percussion massager in my carry on (If you check things with lithium batteries the TSA has a way of making them disappear). It’s not that big or heavy and after a long day—or five straight days—of skiing, you’ll be glad you packed it. I also take it on cycling, hiking and other active travel trips.

Alpaca Wool Layers

Goggles are one of the most important but underrated pieces of gear for skiing. There are a lot of jackets that can keep you warm and a lot of gloves that will work, but you can’t afford to have “just okay” goggles. Seeing clearly is fundamental to skiing or snowboarding well—and safely. There are several keys to good goggles: they have to have optically high-quality lenses, lenses with colors that let you see under all sorts of weather conditions, designs that don’t fog, and perhaps most overlooked, goggles that fit. This is especially true now that elements have become almost ubiquitous in winter sports. Before helmets almost any size or shape goggles worked, but with helmet this is far from the case. You want goggles that line up precisely with the top of the helmet. Too little and you create a line of frostbite exposure, too much and you get overlap and fogging. When I upgraded last season to a best-in-class Smith Vantage MIPS helmet last year, my go-to goggles no longer cut it, and I strongly recommend pairing your helmet and goggle brand, especially when it comes to Smith, which has long been a leader in both categories.

That is why the Sabre was just rated the Best Resort Shell Jacket on the market for 2024-2025 for skiing or snowboarding by Ski Magazine. One of my favorite reviews sites, OutdoorGearLab.com, picked it as their favorite shell jacket period, with a 5-star rating. They wrote, “The Arc’teryx Sabre is our favorite shell jacket, providing excellent weather resistance and thoughtful, durable construction to keep you dry and happy on the gnarliest days. This jacket is expensive, but in our experience, it lasts many years without showing wear. The style is refined and classy without making too much of a statement. It’s a very comfortable jacket, with a fine fleece feel to the shell’s inside… Overall, this jacket is a big hit, earning our top award. If you’re looking for the best ski shell on the market for resort use, look no further.”

Krimson Klover Women’s Ski Fashion

Then there is the actual fit of the boot around your foot and lower leg, which directly affects both comfort and warmth. And construction of blood flow makes your toes cold, and imperfect fit hurts. You can solve all of these problems in one quick stop by popping into any one of nearly 30 retail stores operated by Surefoot, the top custom boot fitter in the country—by far. These include most major Western ski resorts (Vail, Aspen, Mammoth, Jackson, Park City, Big Sky, Whistler, etc.), Vermont’s Killington and Stowe in the East, major cities (New York, London, Vancouver) and top European resorts (Val d’Isere, Verbier, etc.)
Okay so you now have all the latest and greatest in ski and snowboard accessories, But you need some way to take it with you on the road.

Massage Gun

It also has multiple pockets for organizing your gear, heavy carry handles, internal compression straps so you can jam even more stuff in, and an internal frame that collapse for easy fold flat storage (under the bed maybe?) when not in use. If you live in a New York City apartment you will really appreciate this feature. In addition to all the recycled materials, it is made in a Fair Trade Certified factory so you can feel better about where your dollars go.