THE JOURNAL
MR PORTER travels to Verbier with thrill-seeker Mr Jan Trojan to test drive the latest (1970s-inspired) styles.
Keeping up with Mr Jan Trojan isn’t easy. When he’s not travelling or running marathons, the model and athlete is up a mountain. “I loved the sensation of speed in the middle of nature. I felt free,” he says of what first drew him to skiing. Freeing it might be, but all that slaloming can be exhausting after a while. Which is precisely why, around 3.00pm, it’s customary to down your skis, pick up a cocktail and settle into a leisurely, or, as the case may be in certain resorts, not so leisurely afternoon of apres-ski. A change of pace and location requires an entirely separate wardrobe. One that can take you from chalet to bar while still holding its own against the elements. How to get it right? That’s where we come in. We took Mr Trojan on a road trip through the Swiss Alps to Verbier, an apres-ski mecca if ever there was one, to show you how to get it spot on.
Inspiration-wise, we looked back to a time before neon spandex and colour-blocked snow suits ruled the slopes of the 1980s in favour of something altogether more palatable. There’s a moustachioed or, in Mr Trojan’s case, stubbled sophistication to our 1970s apres selection. It’s retro, yes, but refreshingly refined. It’s intended as a brief respite from our 1990s fixation and all that streetwear we’ve been swaddling ourselves in. A little while ago, you couldn’t utter “sophistication” and “the 1970s” in the same breath. The decade’s sartorial oeuvre has rather redeemed itself the in past few years.
The late, great writer Mr Tom Wolfe characterised the 1970s as the “Me Decade”. While we don’t fully agree, we’ll concede that the clothes those 10 years blessed us with are gloriously self-indulgent. All that plush shearling and velvety corduroy is the sartorial equivalent of an offshore account in the Caymans.
Apres-ski is all about indulgence, and what could be more indulgent than sipping a vin chaud at 3.00pm? A shearling jacket, the 1970s coat du jour. Brunello Cucinelli’s showstopper above is essentially a duvet masquerading as a coat, while the chocolate-brown Brioni bomber blends the nonchalance of a biker jacket with, well, a big hug. At this point you may be asking yourself, “Do I really need a shearling coat and jacket?” Well, you don’t want to freeze, do you? And besides, outerwear, like the technical portion of your alpine wardrobe, is key to getting apres-ski style right, so save ample room in your suitcase. In fact, we’d advise upping your baggage allowance in advance.
Next up, another 1970s hero: corduroy. Corduroy is to the decade what nylon was to the 1990s. Nowadays, though, designers have a few tricks up their sleeves to make it feel fresh and exciting. Tom Ford’s trucker jacket above is an example of a relatively novel use for the waled fabric and lends it a rugged, on-the-road vibe. Then there’s corduroy’s tailoring applications. If your apres-ski experience to date is limited to that season you did in a post-university glühwein-induced haze, you might be surprised to learn that the culinary delights on offer extend beyond tartiflette. Verbier alone boasts 15 restaurants deemed worthy of a star (or two) by Michelin.
Packing something smart, but not too smart, would be sage. Unstructured blazers are great, but look for a substantial fabric, such as corduroy, to achieve the same louche effect in colder conditions. The Italians are excellent at this sort of thing. We heartily recommend anything from the two Massimos – MP Massimo Piombo and Massimo Alba – which both specialise in easy-going cuts.
When up a mountain you should also do as mountain men do. That is, wear plaid – 1970s-style checks can be broadly categorised into two camps: punkish and rustic. The latter being the most obvious route to go down when you’re in any kind of log cabin or chalet setting. This Ralph Lauren Purple Label jacket is made from wool and alpaca and is substantially thicker and more practical than your standard checked shirt. As for the adjacent varsity-style Moncler sweater, we’re certain we saw Mr Robert Redford wearing something similar in Downhill Racer (1969), a film that came to define American alpine apparel for the decade that followed. And if you feel the need to temper the preppiness, throwing a down jacket over the top will do the trick.
Of course, you don’t have to be at a higher altitude to wear all this cosy clobber. You’ll get plenty of wear out of shearling, corduroy and plaid during the long cold winter back home but, like the Dunhill aviator above, it objectively looks better against all that snow-capped scenery. You can’t argue with that view. Gentlemen, start your packing.