Innsbruck Influence In Current Ski- Wear

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30472, 20 June 1964, Page 2

Innsbruck Influence In Current Ski- Wear

[By

JILL EWART]

The setting of the last Winter Olympics has had more than a little to do with the current fashions in ski-wear. Since Innsbruck, ski-wear has acquired a definite Tyrolean stamp. Loden cloth, dirndl-print linings to jackets, alpine embroidery and hand knitting have appeared.

Not that the Norwegian invaders have been entirely repelled, as some of the ski styles here come from the north.

But whether you call it an anorak or a parka, ski-wear is international—and this year is has the Austrian look.

The Austrian countryside is essentially pretty, cnalets handpainted with pictures of saints and flowers, a green and fresh look in summer. Innsbruck itself is a picturebook town, with mountains close on three sides. Much of the town is centuries old. When I was there last summer, you could see the

scar in the green hill rising on the south that was to become the ski-jump for the Olympics. Even though the sun was shining, ski equipment was being sold in the shops to interested tourists anxious to take home “the right thing” from the future Winter Olympic hosts.

Loden Cloth Jackets As I looked in the windows and walked along the Maria Theresian-Strasse, the main shopping street, it seemed that every man and woman had, or was acquiring a jacket in green or grey wool-loden cloth fastening with metal buttons and bound in black braid. You could describe the style as a plain Chanel-style, though these traditional jackets probably looked the same even before Madame Chanel was born. The thick warm loden cloth was traditional for keeping out wind and rain, I found. And everybody did have tyem —though teen-agers and tourists. went for the three-quarter-length poncho-cape version in the same loden cloth. ■

Loden cloth has also been used for cosy ski parkas. Local jerseys were thick, and ones that had the

Austrian look were those with small-flower patterns—almost dirndls translated to wool. Sometimes a patterned jersey was combined with a plain cardigan. Plain handknitted parkas with hoods were chosen by spectators. Jerseys with cowl necks that could be pulled over the hair as a hood were in great demand. Wool Stretch Slacks

Latest good news to hit the ski-slopes all over Europe—and New Zealand—is the advent of wool-stretch slacks. Ski-wear ones are of course waterproofed, to give all the advantages of pure wool plus stretch.

You can buy some woolstretch slacks in light-weights here this year, and more are expected on the market next year.

But ski-ing is only half the story—“apres-ski” fashion is where the girls who can ski and those who cannot, can compete.

In Europe the apres-ski answer at the moment is the thick felt-like wool skirt, swirled with braid or embroidery worn with polonecked sweaters and warmwool knee socks. For girls who like to stay in slacks, there is the thighlength side-slit tabard to wear over a heavy-wool jersey and slim slacks. Fur is suggested by the fashion magazines, but cloth or knitted ones can look very attractive in the right colours. The Austrians tend to be practical about colours for sports. Natural greens, browns and greys' are their choice. But two colours spicing the ski-wear are gold and a light aqua and occasional touches of plum red. And white looks wonderful with a winter tan. In the Sketch In the sketch of ski-wear above are:

1. A thick wool skirt, designed in wool embroidery, with a polo-neck sweater and matching wool stockings. 2. A traditional Lapland parka Interpreted in off-white wool blanket cloth with authentic designs at the border and on the hood.

3. A knitted wool parka in a Tyrolean style. This one is in putty grey, edged in black and fastened by a single frog at the neck.