My daughter’s going on a school ski trip in a couple of months, assuming travel is possible.
It’s unlikely her gear will get any further use other than for this trip, so apart from Decathlon and Sportpursuit, is there anywhere people would recommend for decent quality but not too expensive ski wear?
She’s 5ft4in and in small adult sizes now, so youth/junior clothing probably won’t fit. Mountain Warehouse is the only other high street store I can think of, but their quality is really poor I’ve found.
TIA
If pre-owned is an option then Vinted would be worth a look. A quick scan suggests there is a fair choice on there.
Try tkmaxx.com . You can order to collect in store . Easy to return .
Daughter? Fussy? 15yrs old? Don't buy anything without her pre-approval !
Have you a ski shop locally? Some offer rental of clothing.
TKMaxx, Vinted & GoOutdoors all good shouts - thanks.
Oh, believe me, all purchases I make will be subject to royal approval! :)Originally Posted by blackal
Daughter? Fussy? 15yrs old? Don't buy anything without her pre-approval !
Would never have thought of that - will look into it.
Get her one item that 'stands out' (brand, style) and get the other gear from Decathlon etc. Their helmets are good, btw. My wife was in Grindelwald (Swiss) last week and the major (expensive) brands in the shops there were Peak Performance and Rab and the 'usual suspects' like Moncler and Woolrich. Less costly and worn by many on the slopes: North Face.
This is good stuff- I’ve got one of their jackets.
https://www.revolutionrace.co.uk/wom...ts/ski-jackets
Also Trespass are OK
University trips I have been on in the past had options to rent jacket and trousers and some friends rented kit (not sure where) when we went away as a group pre covid. Might be most cost effective unless she is planning to use the jacket etc for something else afterwards?
Take a look on eBay, too.
Lots of branded stuff, hardly (or never) used there for bargain prices.
Of course, a fussy 15 year old may not be prepared to wear used or rental clothing. So much to learn!
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Take a look on eBay, too.
Lots of branded stuff, hardly (or never) used there for bargain prices.
Of course, a fussy 15 year old may not be prepared to wear used or rental clothing. So much to learn!
M
She buys a lot of her clother from Charity shops, kilo sales, DePop etc, so I don't think that would be an issue in principle. The issue with ebay, FB Marketplace, etc, is not knowing whether it will fit, then being stuck with it.
Some good suggestions above - thanks folks.
Depending on where you live the Essex (chelmsford) decathlon is closing down this month and had some heavily reduced kids/womens ski wear
I don’t recall seeing Trespass yet, that would be another option. But personally I would try Decathlon. Great deals in Chelmsford, I picked up some bits with 75% off
Bluewater, snow and Rock
Something a bit retro for madam?
Similar position with our 15 year old son. Explained to him he was growing and unlikely to use the kit again anytime soon, so wouldn’t be spending a fortune.
Took him to Decathlon and bought mid-price kit. Jacket, trousers, gloves, goggles, socks, mid-layer top and some thermals. Total cost was £300.
Decathlon had limited choice/colours for jackets and trousers when we went in December.
Sport pursuit would be another shout
I bought my first ever proper ski outfit about three years ago from tk maxx , mountain force brand . And used it once before Covid hit ..
I don’t recall seeing Trespass yet, that would be another option. But personally I would try Decathlon. Great deals in Chelmsford, I picked up some bits with 75% offDamn, a bit far to make it worthwhile.
Hmm, better get our skates on then..
They have a DaKine Ski/Snowboard jacket on there reduced from £200 to £40-odd that I thought looked pretty cool, but she doesn't like the pattern...!
Last edited by gcleminson; 20th January 2022 at 11:02.
Now that takes me back! Campri @ C&A..!Something a bit retro for madam?
Speaking from experience, whatever you get her, it will be wrong in some detail. Even if she chooses it herself.
If I was ever to have to go through that palaver again, I’d definitely be attempting to persuade her that rental was the way forward.
Where are you based?
I can possibly advise a shop/brand that might work for you
What is your budget (sorry to ask, but neccessary)
Sorry, forgot to say, I have 20years wholesale Ski clothing & equipment experence in the Ski industry to use as a knowledge base
Hi John, Thanks, I'm base in E Sussex. We had a Snow & Rock nearby but that's closed now, so if you're aware of anywhere that'd be great. We need a Jacket, Salopettes, Goggles & Gloves. Don't have a set budget. I'm normally of the 'buy well, buy once' school of thought, but I'm conscious that: a. these will realistically never be worn again. b. there's a pretty high risk the trip won't even go ahead, due to the travel restrictions and the need to travel across three different countries to get there, so don't want to spend a fortune for both those reasons.
Cheers
Hi,
Thinking that this might be a one-off and you have said that you want to stick to a budget, I would definetly recommend you buy from Sport Pursuit. I have dealt with them a lot in the past and their set up is great. I had a look on there this morning and they have some great quality branded skiwear that you won't go wrong with (brands like Eider, Salomon are great quality, Dare2Be is a good budget one). I would order a few items and send back what you dont want. I know of a couple of shops quite near to you, but you will pay a lot more for ski wear from them ( example: Jacket from SP around £60-£100, retail shop same qulity £200-£infinity. I used to sell a jacket that retailed at £1000!!)
You might even be able to buy a jacket that your daughter could use as a winter coat as well?
My biggest piece of advice is get her some good quality thermals and socks, ideally made of Merino wool. Merino doesn't allow bacteria to grow on and therefore, it will not smell. I wore one top for 3 weeks whilst trekking in Nepal and it didn't smell at all ( I also sold the No1 brand for this for 12 years and never encountered any issues). This way she will only need one top and one set of bottoms, it's also THE best insulator and it allows the body to cool without staying wet (like synthetic layers do. Also synthetic will smell after one day, so you could end up buying a lot)
Also gloves need to be waterproof. She will fall over a lot while learning and poor gloves get wet quickly and then cold. Cold hands are no fun (I saw a couple of pairs of good priced DaKine ones on SP)
Put a little bit less budget into the ski pants, most people generate a lot of heat in their legs whilst skiing, so comfort is key here
I hope all of this helps, if you want anymore info, please just ask
Good Luck
John
About quality thermals & socks: also a must-have for those (like me...) who sail during the winter month.
Merino wool is alsolutely the best. Some suppliers of regular underwear brands have it in the collection as well, but not often on display in their normal shops.
An alternative is looking for items from sellers of dedicated clothing for the building industry. Good brands like Snickers or Blåkläder, often merino wool quality and a lot cheaper than the 'fancy' brands.
Agree Sports Pursuit are decent but just one thing to look out for is that they don’t do free returns so you have to pay the postage. I’ve used them a few times and their service is good
Thanks for the above. Perhaps should have mentioned I'm an experienced Fell / Mountain runner so know baselayers inside out (no pun) - I much prefer synthetic to merino as merino takes longer to dry out, although appreciate they can begin to 'hum' after a couple of days.. Ski-specific kit I have no clue of however.
I've been using Sport pursuit for years, but the problem with their drop-ship model is delivery can ofter take a good few weeks, which means the whole trying / returning / exchaning thing would leave us too short on time. Might just have to order a few in one go and keep the one that fits best.
Still looking? Aldi have a skiwear special buys.
https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/specialbuys...tm_cid=DM90168
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No experience but strongly suspect Aldi is not the go-to clothing shop for fussy 15yo’s!!
Thanks guys, we were in town today as a matter of fact - got a couple of fleeces from Blacks in their sale, then much to my surprise she loved a pair of Decathlon salopettes, and I have to say they looked pretty well designed - even had Recco, although hopefully they won’t be taken off-piste..!
Did a bulk order of diff sizes etc from Sport Pursuit earlier in the week and got a decent Salomon ski jacket she was also v happy with too, so perhaps I was doing her a disservice saying she was fussy!
Pretty much sorted now, bar goggles.
Cheers for all the tips :)
Glad you managed to find some gear that she likes!
Hope she has a great holiday and wants to continue skiing afterwards
It’s a brilliant (albeit expensive) sport
John
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Pretty sure a friend of mine still wears the suit on the right!
OP, did you buy her a helmet?
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
https://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/
they always seem to have a sale of some sort on
Thanks, will take a look.
No, the school have organised those.
OK, they'll probably be the cheapest around and rental ones.
There are different standards for helmets.
I didn't wear one for years and, to be honest, mostly wear one to keep my ears warm now (well, I say now, I've not been since 2019!), but personally, I wouldn't wear a rental helmet.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I've a fair bit of barely used ski clothes, from the fussy 5'4" wife, which I could sell on.
Definitely some Westbeach, Dianese, and god knows what else.
DM me if interested & I'll dig some out for pictures for you.
Thanks but pretty much sorted now, miraculously. A lot less hassle than the quest to find her an acceptable swimming wetsuit last year!!
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