Apres-Ski Outfits: Five Yves Salomon Looks for the Chalet and Town

A good apres ski outfit is warm first and polished second: a down jacket, a soft knit, comfortable trousers, a fur hat and boots that grip on ice. Yves Salomon, the Paris fur house, makes every one of those layers. Below are five apres-ski outfits built from its new down jackets, fox ushankas, earmuffs, mittens, merino knit trousers and shearling boots, all available at Coveti.

Key facts

• Apres-ski means the time after skiing: the terrace, the village walk, the chalet dinner. The clothes are for town and snow, not for the slopes.
• Yves Salomon is a Paris fur house; the family became furriers after settling in France in 1920, and the brand says Maison Yves Salomon was born in 1980.
• Down jackets: filled mostly with 95% duck down and 5% duck feathers; several are rated to minus 10 degrees Celsius in the brand’s descriptions.
• Hats: ushankas in fox fur, Loro Piana flannel with fox and waterproof technical fabric with fox, from $1,360.
• Boots: shearling-lined boots and ankle boots with rubber and ridged soles, from $1,450.
• Trousers: merino knit wide-leg trousers with an elasticated waist, from $880.
• Stores: the house has a boutique in Aspen as well as in Paris and London.

What is an apres-ski outfit?

Apres-ski is the part of a ski holiday that happens without skis: a hot chocolate on a sunny terrace, a walk through the village, a long lunch, a drink by the fire and dinner in the chalet. The clothes have to handle snow underfoot and a cold wind outside, then look right in a warm room. That means layers you can take off.

The best ski outfit for women off the slopes is not a ski suit. Salopettes and a ski shell are built for movement and visibility; after four o’clock they look like work clothes. Swap them for a down jacket that reads like a coat, a soft knit, wide warm trousers and boots with real grip. Add one statement piece, usually a fur hat, and you are done.

Yves Salomon suits apres-ski because it is a fur and shearling house. Its down jackets come with fox and mink collars that can be removed indoors, its hats are built for wind, and its boots are lined with Merino shearling. The house even keeps a boutique in Aspen.

The apres-ski formula

Every look below follows the same five layers. Use the table to build your own.

Five Yves Salomon apres-ski outfits

1. The camel village walk

Long Belted Waterproof Down Jacket with Fox Fur Trim in Camel, from $2,630, with the Flannel and Fox Fur Ushanka in Camel ($1,360), the Merino Knit Wide Leg Trousers in Beige ($880) and the Suede and Brushed Merinillo Lambskin Ankle Boots in Beige ($1,550). The jacket comes with fox-trimmed mittens, so your hands are covered too. One colour from hat to boots looks expensive and costs nothing in thought.

2. The black terrace lunch

Short Waterproof Down Jacket with Lambskin Shearling Bib in Black, from $2,880, with the Merino Knit Jumper in Black ($770), Rex Rabbit Fur Earmuffs in Black ($340) and Merino Lambskin Shearling Boots in Black ($1,550). The curly Merino bib inside the hood comes out when the sun hits the terrace. Add slim black trousers and dark glasses.

3. The brown chalet afternoon

Short Flannel Down Jacket with Detachable Fox Fur Collar and Mittens in Brown, from $4,690, with the Cashmere Knit Funnel Neck Sweater in Brown ($2,300), Loose Fit Flannel Trousers with Elasticated Waistband in Brown ($1,770), the Fox Fur Ushanka Hat in Brown ($1,960) and the Lace-Up Mid-Length Shearling Boots in Brown ($1,550). Jacket and trousers share the same flannel, so the look reads as a winter suit. Take the fox collar off indoors.

4. The pink morning coffee

A-Line Waterproof Down Jacket with Lambswool Trim in Pink, from $1,930, with the Short Oversized Knitted Jumper in Beige ($890), the Merino Knit Wide Leg Trousers in White ($880), a Cashmere Knit Balaclava in Light Grey ($410) and Cashmere Wool Knit Mittens with Cashmere Lambskin in Beige ($560). The most affordable look here and the most fun. The A-line shape flares over the knit, and both the collar and its lambskin lining come off.

5. The black chalet dinner

Short Hooded Down Jacket with Mink Fur Lining in Black, from $5,190, with Mink Fur Earmuffs in Black ($720), Mink Fur and Leather Mittens in Black ($930) and Wide Lambskin Leather Trousers in Black ($2,880). Walk to dinner in boots, then change into the Suede Leather and Mink Fur Mules ($1,760) inside. The mink sits inside the hood, so the jacket looks sleek and only shows fur at the face.

Hats, earmuffs and mittens: finishing the look

A fur hat is the single piece that turns warm clothes into an apres-ski outfit. The ushanka, also called a chapka, is the most practical shape because the ear flaps tie under the chin. Yves Salomon makes three kinds. The Fox Fur Ushanka Hat is fur all over with a silk lining. The Flannel and Fox Fur Ushanka sets fox around the face against quilted Loro Piana wool and silk flannel, with a buckle strap. The Technical Fabric Ushanka with Fox Fur is waterproof outside and fur-lined inside, the toughest of the three.

Earmuffs are lighter and do not flatten your hair. The fox pair is the fluffiest, the rex rabbit pair the neatest, and the Curly Merino Lambskin Shearling Earmuffs match the brand’s shearling coats. For hands, mittens beat gloves in deep cold. The Curly Merino Lambskin Mittens pair with any of the shearling pieces. Browse more in Coveti’s hats and gloves, and read our Yves Salomon fur accessories guide.

Boots for snow and the chalet

Snow in a ski village is packed and slippery, so the sole matters more than the shaft. Yves Salomon’s winter boots all sit on rubber soles. The Lace-Up Mid-Length Shearling Boots have a thick ridged sole and calfskin leather, and the brand describes them as good for pavements in town and rougher mountain paths. The Merino Lambskin Shearling Boots pair a suede upper with a Merino shearling lining and insole. The two suede and Merinillo ankle boots lace up and grip well on cold streets.

Wear wide trousers over the ankle boots and tuck knit trousers into the taller boots. For the evening, keep a pair of mules in your bag. See more on Coveti’s designer boots page.

What to pack for a ski week

You do not need five outfits for five days. A capsule of eight pieces covers a week:

• One down jacket with a removable fur collar, worn every day.
• Two knits: one merino, one cashmere with a high neck.
• Two pairs of trousers: merino knit for the day, leather for dinner.
• One fur hat and one pair of earmuffs.
• One pair of mittens.
• One pair of shearling boots, plus mules for the chalet.

Pick a colour story and stay in it. Camel, beige and brown mix with each other; black mixes with everything. If you already own an Army parka, it works as the outer layer in town, as our Yves Salomon Army parka guide explains.

Frequently asked questions

Is Yves Salomon good for apres-ski?

Yes. Yves Salomon is a fur and shearling house, so its down jackets, fur hats, earmuffs, mittens and shearling boots are made for cold weather. Several down jackets are rated to minus 10 degrees Celsius in the brand’s descriptions, and the removable collars mean you can dress down indoors.

What should I wear for apres-ski with Yves Salomon?

Start with an Yves Salomon down jacket with a removable collar, then add a merino jumper, merino knit wide-leg trousers, a fox ushanka and shearling-lined boots with a rubber sole. Finish with mittens. Keep to one colour family so every piece works together.

Are Yves Salomon down jackets warm enough for a ski resort?

For the village and the terrace, yes. The brand rates several styles, including the Long Belted Waterproof Down Jacket and the Short Waterproof Down Jacket with Lambskin Shearling Bib, to minus 10 degrees Celsius. For skiing itself, wear a dedicated ski shell over thermal layers.

Which Yves Salomon hat is best for snow?

The Technical Fabric Ushanka with Fox Fur. Its outer is waterproof technical fabric with a hard-wearing coating, and fox fur lines the interior and covers the visor. The brand describes it as practical on the slopes and in the street. It costs from $1,530 at Coveti.

Which Yves Salomon boots grip on snow?

The Lace-Up Mid-Length Shearling Boots have a thick ridged sole, and the suede and Merinillo ankle boots have ridged rubber soles. The Merino Lambskin Shearling Boots have a rubber outer sole. All are lined with lambskin shearling for warmth.

Can I wear Yves Salomon knit trousers for apres-ski?

Yes. The Merino Knit Wide Leg Trousers have an elasticated waist with a knit drawstring and a crease-resistant superfine merino, so they are warm and comfortable after a day outside. They cost from $880 and come in white, beige, brown, khaki and blue grey.

See the full collection on the Yves Salomon brand page, compare down styles in our Yves Salomon down jackets guide, and keep your fur in shape with how to care for fur and shearling.