Colmar Ski Suits: One-Piece Suits and the Racing Suit

A Colmar ski suit is a one-piece garment that runs from collar to ankle in a single zipped shell, and Coveti now carries five of them from the Italian ski house Colmar. Four are resort suits, built to be skied in all day. The fifth is a race suit. All five sit in our edit of women’s designer ski suits, and the warmest of the resort pair is the Desire Padded Ski Suit in Black, with a 20,000 mm waterproof rating and a graphene lining.

The short answer: Colmar makes two kinds of resort one-piece for women this season, a padded suit rated 20,000 mm and Warm, and a softshell suit rated 10,000 mm and Medium. Alongside them sits the Austrian Team Women’s Racing Suit, a close stretch suit for gates with no published waterproof rating. Pick by the weather you ski in.

Colmar has been cutting close-fitting ski clothes for a long time. The house was founded in Monza in 1923 by Mario Colombo, and at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Zeno Colò won gold wearing Colmar, in a close, aerodynamic technical jacket introduced for the occasion. The full story is in our profile who is Colmar. What matters here is that the one-piece suit is the logical end of that idea: one shell, no gap at the waist, nothing for snow to find.

What a one-piece ski suit does that separates cannot

A jacket and trousers meet at the waist. However well the powder skirt is made, that join is where cold air and snow get in after a fall, and it is where layers ride up when you reach for a pole. A one-piece suit removes the join. The torso is sealed from the collar down, so the body keeps its warmth with less bulk.

There is a trade. A suit has to fit through the torso as well as the chest and hips, so sizing is less forgiving than buying a jacket and trousers in two different sizes. It is also one garment to take off at lunch, which some skiers mind and others never think about. For a wider look at the category across houses, our guide to women’s ski suits sets the one-piece against bibs and two-piece sets.

Colmar cuts all five of its women’s suits in a Slim fit. That is a statement of intent. These are suits meant to follow the line of the body, closer to the racing tradition than to the roomy one-piece of the 1980s.

The Desire padded suits: the warm resort choice

The Desire is Colmar’s padded one-piece, and it comes in two versions at Coveti. The Desire Padded Ski Suit in Black is $1,410 at Coveti. The Desire Padded Ski Suit with Fur in White is $1,520 at Coveti, and adds a fixed hood trimmed in synthetic fur. Colmar notes the trim is “detachable fur for easy care”, so the hood can go in the wash without it.

Both carry the top tier of Colmar’s published ratings: 20,000 mm waterproof and 20K breathability, with a Warm warmth level. Colmar lists stretch fabric, a water-repellent finish and a graphene lining on both. The outer is a polyamide and spandex blend on the black suit, a polyester and spandex blend with polyamide panels on the white one. Colmar does not publish a named wadding weight for either, which is why the table below says so rather than guessing.

The details are the ones a skier uses. There is a waterproof front zip, a fixed hood, a ski lift pass pocket, a key carabiner on the pocket and a second carabiner for gloves, plus multi-use inner pockets. The black suit lists stretch inner cuffs. Of the five suits, these two are the ones to choose for a cold, snowy week in the Alps when you would rather not think about the weather at all.

Ritmo and Darling: the softshell suits

The second pair is lighter. The Ritmo Softshell Ski Suit in Black and Incense White is $1,170 at Coveti, and the Darling Softshell Ski Suit in Azteco Green is $1,120 at Coveti. Both are rated 10,000 mm waterproof with 10K breathability and a Medium warmth level, and both are padded with 100% polyester rather than down.

Colmar describes 10K breathability as “suitable for moderate hikes and regular outdoor activities”, and 10,000 mm as “suitable for heavy rain”. Read together, that is a suit for active days in normal conditions: spring skiing, sunny weeks, skiers who run warm and move a lot. A Medium warmth level leaves room for the mid-layer to do more of the work, which suits anyone who likes to adjust through the day.

The two share a feature list: waterproof front zip, ski lift pass pocket, key carabiner, glove carabiner, multi-use inner pockets, stretch inner cuffs and an adjustable belt. The belt is the visual point. It pulls the suit in at the waist and gives the one-piece a shape that reads as a jumpsuit at the bar after skiing. The Ritmo is a two-tone black and white; the Darling is a single green.

The Austrian Team racing suit is a race suit

The Austrian Team Women’s Racing Suit in Red, $870 at Coveti, belongs to a different category. It is part of the Austrian National Team range Colmar makes this season, and it is built for running gates, not for a day of cruising and lunch on the terrace.

The construction tells you so. The outer is 75% polyester, 19% spandex and 6% polyurethane textile, a stretch fabric that sits on the skin. Colmar lists a zip closure, non-slip elastic on the hem, sleeves and knees with ergonomic curvature, and cuffs with thumb-hole openings. There is no hood, no pocket for a lift pass and no published waterproof rating. The warmth level is Medium.

Racers usually wear a suit like this for the run itself and keep warm layers on top between runs. Bought for a resort holiday, it would leave you cold on the chairlift and wet after the first fall in soft snow. Bought for club racing, masters events and coached training days, it is the most specific piece in the whole Colmar edit. It is sized in letters, XS to XXL, rather than on the Italian ladder.

What to wear under a Colmar ski suit

A slim one-piece leaves little room for bulk, so the layer underneath should be thin and close. Our longer guide to how to layer for skiing covers the principle; here is how it works with Colmar’s own pieces.

Start with a base layer. The Thermal Seamless Dryarn Ski Top in Eclipse Grey, $320 at Coveti, and the matching Dryarn Seamless Thermal Trousers in Eclipse Grey, $260 at Coveti, are seamless, Slim fit and rated Light. Colmar lists an antibacterial treatment on both. Under a suit, seamless matters, because there is no waistband to dig in under a fitted torso. The Thermal Stretch Ski Jumper in Black, $290 at Coveti, is a simpler polyamide and spandex alternative, also Light.

For a cold day, add a fleece. The Half-Zip Stretch Ski Fleece in Black, $310 at Coveti, is the thinnest Warm option, a 93% polyester and 7% spandex knit with a half zip that you can open on the lift. With the softshell Ritmo and Darling suits, which are rated Medium, this is the layer that turns a spring suit into a January suit. Under the padded Desire, it may be more than you need.

The Technical Microfibre Bodysuit in White, $320 at Coveti, is the one piece we would not put under a ski suit. It is a fine base layer, Slim and Light, but a bodysuit inside a one-piece makes every visit to the bathroom a project. It belongs under a jacket and trousers. Our guide to Colmar fleeces and base layers goes through each mid-layer in more detail, and the general guide to women’s ski base layers covers fabric choices across brands.

What goes over a ski suit

Most of the time, nothing. That is the point of a one-piece. On the coldest days, though, a gilet over the top adds warmth to the core without restricting the arms, and it comes off easily at lunch.

The Puffy Padded Gilet in Incense White, $640 at Coveti, is the piece for this. It is filled with 80% duck down and 20% duck feathers, rated Very Warm, and carries a 10,000 mm rating with 10K breathability, so it is not a weak point over a rated suit. Colmar lists a fixed hood with drawstring and a comfort lining with graphene fibre. Over the black Ritmo suit, the pale gilet also breaks up a dark silhouette. Race skiers will want something different over their suit between runs, and our Colmar ski jackets guide covers the national team outerwear.

How to size a Colmar ski suit

The four resort suits run on Colmar’s Italian ladder, IT 38 to IT 50. Coveti lists them on the UK ladder, so IT 38 is UK 6 and IT 50 is UK 18, with IT 42 as UK 10. Colmar matches IT 42 to US 6, FR and ES 38 and DE 36. The racing suit is in letter sizes.

With a one-piece, check the chest, waist and hip ranges on Colmar’s chart, then think about length. Colmar does not publish a torso length for its suits, so we cannot give one. Colmar’s women’s models are 173 to 177 cm tall and wear IT 42, which gives a rough reference for how the suits are cut. If you sit between two sizes and plan to wear a fleece underneath, going up is a reasonable choice, though it is a choice, not a Colmar instruction. The Colmar size guide has the full body chart.

Colmar ski suits around the world

US buyers skiing the Rockies meet dry, cold snow and long chairlift rides, which is good territory for the padded Desire suits. A US 6 is IT 42 on Colmar’s chart, and prices at Coveti are shown in US dollars.

UK buyers heading to the Alps in February will find the Desire the safer choice, with the softshell Ritmo and Darling better for Easter weeks. A UK 10 is IT 42 at Coveti. EU buyers can read the Italian size straight across: IT 42 is FR and ES 38, DE 36. For skiers in Austria and Switzerland who race at club level, the Austrian Team suit is the one that fits their winter.

GCC buyers often ski first at Ski Dubai, an indoor slope where a softshell suit with a fleece underneath is plenty, then travel to the Alps, Japan and the Rockies for longer trips where the padded suit earns its place. Coveti is London-based, every piece is 100% authentic, and we ship worldwide.

Which Colmar ski suit to choose

For cold weeks and skiers who feel the cold, the Desire. Choose the black for a clean look, the white with fur for a softer one. For active skiers, warmer weather and anyone who likes to layer, the Ritmo and the Darling, with a Half-Zip Stretch Ski Fleece kept in the rucksack. For racers only, the Austrian Team suit.

If a one-piece feels like too much commitment, Colmar’s salopettes give a similar sealed torso with a separate jacket on top. Our guide to Colmar ski trousers and salopettes compares them, and the whole range is on the Colmar brand page at Coveti. The table below sets out the five suits side by side, with Colmar’s own published figures.

How we measured: waterproof rating, breathability, warmth level and insulation 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

Is a Colmar ski suit warmer than a jacket and trousers?

A one-piece is usually warmer for the same rating, because there is no gap at the waist for snow and cold air. Colmar’s Desire suits are rated Warm with a graphene lining, while the Ritmo and Darling are rated Medium. The warmth level, not the cut, tells you how much insulation each suit carries.

Can I wear the Austrian Team racing suit for normal skiing?

It is a race suit, so we would not choose it for a resort holiday. Colmar publishes no waterproof rating for it, and it has no hood and no lift pass pocket. It is a stretch suit with thumb-hole cuffs and non-slip hems, cut for gates. For a week of general skiing, the Desire, Ritmo and Darling suits are the right choice.

What size Colmar ski suit should I buy?

Start from your UK size: Coveti lists the resort suits on the UK ladder, where IT 42 is UK 10 and the range runs from UK 6 to UK 18. Check Colmar’s chest, waist and hip chart, and if you fall between sizes and plan to layer a fleece underneath, the larger size is a sensible choice.

What is the difference between the Desire and the Ritmo suit?

The Desire is padded, rated 20,000 mm waterproof with 20K breathability and a Warm warmth level, and has a fixed hood. The Ritmo is a softshell rated 10,000 mm and 10K with a Medium warmth level, and adds an adjustable belt at the waist. The Desire is for cold weeks; the Ritmo suits milder, more active days.

What should I wear under a one-piece ski suit?

Wear a thin, close base layer, ideally seamless so nothing digs in under the fitted torso. Colmar’s Dryarn seamless top and thermal trousers work well. On cold days add a light fleece such as the Half-Zip Stretch Ski Fleece. Skip a bodysuit under a one-piece, since two all-in-one garments make quick changes awkward.

How do I wash a Colmar ski suit?

Follow the label on each suit. On most Colmar pieces the guidance is a machine wash at a maximum of 30 degrees C, with no bleach, no tumble drying and no dry cleaning. On the Desire Padded Ski Suit with Fur, remove the detachable fur trim from the hood before washing.