Colmar Fleeces and Base Layers: Building the Mid-Layer

Colmar base layers and fleeces are the thermal pieces worn under a ski shell: slim, Light-rated tops, a bodysuit and seamless trousers against the skin, then regular-fit fleeces and technical sweatshirts rated Warm to Very Warm above them. Coveti carries 19 of these styles from the Italian ski house Colmar, filed with our women’s ski base layers, starting with the Thermal Seamless Dryarn Ski Top in Eclipse Grey.

For most skiers the build is simple. Start with one Light base layer in polyamide and spandex, add one Warm fleece, and keep the Very Warm plush and teddy fleeces for cold, still days and long chairlifts. Colmar prints a warmth level on each of these pieces, so you can read the layering off the label instead of guessing at it.

This guide works through the five base layer styles and the fourteen fleeces and sweatshirts one group at a time. The table below collects the published figures in one place. If you are new to the house itself, our profile Who Is Colmar? covers the Monza story from 1923 to the national team kit of today.

Base layer against mid-layer: how Colmar divides the work

A ski outfit is built in three parts: a thin, close base layer, a mid-layer that traps warm air, and a shell against snow and wind. Colmar cuts the two groups in this guide differently for those jobs.

Every base layer at Coveti is a Slim fit and every one carries Colmar’s Light warmth level. Colmar describes Light as suited to mild climates and the change of seasons, with light insulation and moderate protection from the cold. They are the first skin of a system, and their job is to sit flat.

The fleeces and sweatshirts are all a Regular fit. Twelve of the fourteen styles are rated Warm to Very Warm, and the two national team sweatshirts sit at Medium. Colmar describes Warm as made for cold climates where good protection is needed, and Very Warm as made for harsh climates and static situations in very cold environments. That word static matters. A Very Warm fleece is a piece for standing in a lift queue at minus fifteen, less so for a fast morning of laps in spring sun.

None of these pieces carries a waterproof rating, and none should. Colmar publishes water column figures on its shells and padded pieces, which we cover in ski jacket waterproof ratings explained. Fleece is not a weather layer. It goes under the shell, and the shell does the weather.

The base layers: seamless Dryarn, thermal tops and the bodysuit

Colmar’s base layers come in two fabric families, and the difference is worth knowing before you choose.

The first family is the seamless Dryarn pair. The Thermal Seamless Dryarn Ski Top in Eclipse Grey is $320 at Coveti, and the matching Dryarn Seamless Thermal Trousers in Eclipse Grey are $260 at Coveti. Both are knitted from 44% polyamide, 44% polypropylene and 12% spandex, and Colmar lists both as antibacterial. They are the only seamless pieces in this group, and they are the only ones sold in paired letter sizes, S/M and L/XL. The trousers are also the only thermal leggings in the Colmar line we carry, so if you want a full head to ankle base layer, this pair is where you start.

The second family is a smooth polyamide jersey, 80% polyamide and 20% spandex, cut into three shapes. The Thermal Stretch Ski Jumper in Black is a crew neck at $290 at Coveti, the most direct base layer of the group, with a branded elasticated band at the cuffs and hem. The Thermal Ski Sweatshirt with Half-Zip in Alice Light Blue adds a half-zip at the neck for $320 at Coveti, which helps on a warm afternoon when you want to vent without unzipping the shell all the way. It also comes in white and black.

The third shape is the one people ask about most. The Technical Microfibre Bodysuit in Black is $320 at Coveti, a half-zip bodysuit in the same polyamide and spandex blend, with stretch cuffs. A bodysuit cannot ride up out of your trousers when you lean into a turn, and it leaves a clean line under a fitted shell. That makes it a good partner for the slim softshell trousers and salopettes in our guide to Colmar ski trousers and salopettes. It comes in black and in white.

The fleeces: stretch, plush and teddy

Colmar’s fleeces split by texture, and texture tracks warmth fairly closely.

The stretch fleeces are the thinnest and the most versatile. The Half-Zip Stretch Ski Fleece in Black is $310 at Coveti, in 93% polyester and 7% spandex, rated Warm. It comes in seven colourways, from white and Azteco Green to Disco Pink, Tulle Pink, Capri Blue and Midnight Blue, which makes it the widest run of any Colmar piece we stock. Its full-zip sibling, the Stretch Ski Fleece in White, is $330 at Coveti in the same fabric.

The plush fleeces are deeper. The Plush-Effect Full-Zip Ski Fleece in Capri Blue is $350 at Coveti and rated Very Warm, with an elasticated band at the hem and cuffs. Colmar lists it as 70% recycled fabric. It comes in four colourways, Incense White, Azteco Green, Capri Blue and Black. The Plush Half-Zip Ski Fleece in Tulle Pink and Black is also $350 at Coveti and also Very Warm, with a second fabric in polyester and spandex. The Plush-Effect Ski Fleece in Black, at $340 at Coveti, is the lighter of the plush pieces at Warm.

The teddy fleece is the deepest pile of all. The Teddy-Effect Ski Fleece in White is $370 at Coveti, a full-zip in 100% polyester rated Very Warm, and it also comes in black. It is the fleece we would pack for a January week at altitude.

Two jacquard fleeces round out the group. The Ski Fleece with Jacquard Design in White is a half-zip at $370 at Coveti, and the full-zip version in Tulle Pink is $390 at Coveti. Both are 94% polyester and 6% spandex, both are rated Warm, and both have zipped side pockets, which most of the plain fleeces do not.

Technical sweatshirts and the national team pieces

Alongside the fleeces, Colmar makes a set of technical sweatshirts. They are mid-layers by job, smoother in face than a fleece, and more at home under a shell on a mild day.

The Ritmo Technical Half-Zip Sweatshirt in Black and Capri Blue is $400 at Coveti, rated Warm, in two polyester fabrics. The Neowarm pair are both Warm too: a full-zip in Capri Blue at $390 at Coveti and a half-zip in Tulle Pink at $370 at Coveti. The Hooded Rib-Knit Ski Sweatshirt in Incense White is the warmest of the sweatshirts, rated Very Warm, with a fixed hood, a lining and zipped side pockets, at $420 at Coveti. A fixed hood can crowd a helmet under a shell hood, so we see it more as a village layer.

Then there are the team pieces. The Austrian National Team Ski Sweatshirt in Arctic Grey is $530 at Coveti and the Slovenian National Ski Team Sweatshirt in Mint Green is $450 at Coveti. Both are full-zip, both are 93% polyester and 7% spandex, and both are rated Medium, a step lighter than most of the fleeces. Colmar describes Medium as balanced insulation for variable temperatures and cool days. They are also the only mid-layers here with zipped side pockets and an elasticated band at the bottom and cuffs together, and the only ones sized XXS to XXL. They pair with the Austrian and Slovenian team jackets and salopettes covered in Colmar ski jackets for women.

How the layers sit under a shell

Match the warmth of the mid-layer to the insulation already in the jacket. That sounds obvious, yet it is where most people overdress.

If your jacket is a padded down piece rated Very Warm, such as the Shaping and Puffy jackets, you rarely need more than a base layer under it. Add a Very Warm fleece on top and you will be wet with sweat by the second run. A Light thermal jumper, perhaps a Warm stretch fleece on the coldest mornings, is plenty.

If your jacket is a shell with little insulation of its own, the picture flips. Colmar rates its 3L shells at Light and Medium, which means the warmth has to come from what you wear underneath. That is the case for the plush and teddy fleeces: a Light base layer, then a Very Warm fleece, then the shell.

The general method is set out in our guide on how to layer for skiing, and the wider category is covered in women’s ski base layers. One note specific to Colmar: a half-zip mid-layer is easier to vent under a jacket than a crew, so on a variable day the half-zip fleeces earn their place.

For the lower half, the Dryarn trousers are the only thermal leggings in the group, so they go under padded trousers on very cold days and under softshell salopettes almost every day. You can browse the full range in our designer ski fleeces and sweatshirts edit.

Sizing the layers

The base layers and fleeces do not use Colmar’s Italian number sizes. The fleeces, sweatshirts and polyamide base layers run XS to XL. The two team sweatshirts run wider, XXS to XXL. The seamless Dryarn top and trousers come in two paired sizes, S/M and L/XL. Colmar’s women’s models wear a size S in letter sizes, and IT 42 in jackets and trousers, which Coveti lists as UK 10.

Because the base layers are Slim fit, they are meant to be close. A base layer that hangs loose stops doing its job, so we would not size up here. The fleeces are a Regular fit with room to sit over a base layer as they are. Our Colmar size guide has the full body chart and the Italian to UK conversion for the outer layers.

Caring for Colmar fleeces and base layers

Colmar’s care instructions across most of the line are short: machine wash at a maximum of 30 degrees C, do not bleach, do not tumble dry and do not dry clean. Follow the label on each piece, since it is the final word. Pile fleeces in particular keep their loft better when they dry flat, away from direct heat.

Colmar base layers around the world

In the US, the Rockies are dry and cold, and a Light base layer with a Very Warm fleece under a shell is a common build for Colorado and Utah in January.

For UK skiers heading to the Alps, the season moves fast. A February week can start at minus fifteen and end in soft spring snow, which is the case for packing two mid-layers of different warmth instead of one heavy one. Our ski trip packing list covers the rest of the case.

In the EU, Italian, Austrian and French resorts share that Alpine pattern. Colmar’s fleeces are sold in letter sizes everywhere, so there is no conversion to make, while the jackets and trousers above them use Italian sizes, where IT 42 equals UK 10, US 6, FR 38 and DE 36.

For GCC buyers, Ski Dubai is an indoor slope, and there a base layer and a single Warm fleece under a jacket is usually enough. For trips to the Alps, Japan and the Rockies, plan for real cold and pack one Very Warm fleece as well. Coveti is London-based, ships worldwide, sells only 100% authentic pieces and shows every price in US dollars, wherever you are buying from.

The rest of the line, from shells to salopettes, is on our Colmar women’s skiwear page, and every style named here sits in the table below.

How we measured: fabric, warmth level and fit are the figures Colmar publishes on each product page (colmar.com, read on 1 November 2026). Colourways and prices are the Coveti catalogue on the same date. Where Colmar does not publish a figure, the cell says so. Nothing is estimated.

Frequently asked questions

Which Colmar base layer is the warmest?

All five Colmar base layer styles carry the same Light warmth level, so none is warmer by Colmar’s own rating. The difference is shape and fabric. The seamless Dryarn top and trousers use a polyamide, polypropylene and spandex knit, while the jumper, half-zip and bodysuit use 80% polyamide and 20% spandex. Warmth comes from the fleece you add above.

Is a Colmar fleece warm enough to ski in without a jacket?

A Colmar fleece is a mid-layer, not a weather layer, and none of them carries a waterproof rating. On a calm, sunny spring day a Warm stretch fleece over a base layer can be enough for a run, but in snow and wind you need a shell over it. The Very Warm plush and teddy styles are best under a lightly insulated jacket.

Should I size up in Colmar fleeces for layering?

Most skiers do not need to. The fleeces are cut in a Regular fit with room for a slim base layer underneath, and Colmar’s models wear a size S. Sizing up is a choice some people make for a looser look over a roll neck, but under a fitted ski jacket the extra fabric can bunch at the elbows and hem.

What is the difference between the Plush-Effect and Teddy-Effect fleeces?

The Teddy-Effect fleece is the deeper pile and is rated Very Warm in both its white and black versions. The Plush-Effect full-zip and the Plush half-zip are also Very Warm, while the Plush-Effect Ski Fleece in black is rated Warm. The plush styles add elasticated bands at the hem and cuffs, and Colmar lists them as 70% recycled fabric.

Why would I choose a bodysuit over a thermal top?

A bodysuit stays tucked in. When you bend into a turn, sit on a chairlift and stretch for a pole, a top can ride up and leave a cold gap at the back, and the Technical Microfibre Bodysuit cannot. It also gives a clean line under slim salopettes and fitted jackets. The trade is convenience, since a bodysuit takes longer to change.

How do I wash Colmar base layers?

Most Colmar pieces are machine washable at a maximum of 30 degrees C, and the label says not to bleach, tumble dry and dry clean them. Check the care label on each piece before the first wash. Drying flat, away from radiators, keeps the seamless knits and pile fleeces in good shape across a long season of use.