On the other end of the spectrum, designers are giving a nod to what Pesce calls an "anti-outerwear" movement. At early and late-season mountain events, skiers and snowboarders have been wearing sweatshirts, vests, and flannel shirts, without coats.
Burton's newest tech apparel collection includes pieces that would look at home on a city street but that also work for the slopes. The men's collection has a waterproof, soft-shell hoodie with fleece lining; performance denim jackets; and pants designed with insulation and water-repellent materials, and high-performance corduroy. For women, there's a quick-drying tank top with an antimicrobial finish aimed at keeping odor at bay to wear as a layer under ski gear or for an apres-ski happy hour.
"Anything goes . . . if you can make it functional and lightweight," Burton spokeswoman Anne-Marie Dacyshyn said.
On the sustainability front, Mountain Dew has teamed with Burton to produce apparel that incorporates recycled plastic bottles into not just T-shirts but also outerwear. Mountain Dew's involvement allows Burton to sell the garments for less than they might otherwise cost, according to Burton.
Designers are still playing with volume and including patches of mismatched patterns on outerwear. The playfulness in volume could start showing up in insulated skirts for women and pants shapes that feature more bulbous, insulated shorts, with skintight leggings peeking out underneath for men and women, said Pesce, who attended this year's annual SIA Snow Show, where retailers can see what manufacturers have ready for the coming season.
She sees a mixing of materials, patterns, and colors. That could mean colors that intentionally clash, argyles and plaids mixed with stripes, and textural corduroys or tweeds paired with waterproof materials.
