Sportalm Ski Wear Has A Rich Austrian History of Making Designer Ski Wear

When Sportalm says: "We take a 'Made in Austria' as a commitment. We aspire to make top-quality fashion that is suitable for the everyday, that looks chic and feels great to wear. Before all else, fashion should be fun." they mean it. They are a true family business, the Sportalm brand owes its success to the strong familiy ties and skills of all its members. Together, this longstanding, traditional company and its faithful employees make Sportalm one of the most successful businesses in the Austrian textiles industry. The pride they take in this is one of the many things that lets you know as a consumer that the ski wear you buy will be of the highest quality.

After five years as managing director of Sportalm, Wilhelm Ehrlich bought the business in 1980 and has steered it consistently on the course to success. He manages to reconcile his keen business sense and grip on reality with a pioneering spirit and passion. His wife Herta Ehrlich contributes decades of fashion and sales experience to the company. The entire Sportalm product range owes its dynamic character to their creative leadership now passed on to their daughters. Ully Ehrlich always finds a fresh approach in conveying a unique attitude toward the ski lifestyle in her collections - combining international flair with local European tradition.

Sportalm has a luxurious style that is easily identified once you understand their look. The first thing you will notice when you try on piece of Sportalm ski apparel is the fit, tailored for the athletic body of skiers and made with fabric that moves with you, wearing a Sportalm ski jacket is a pleasure. In addition to being comfortable they make it a point to cut their apparel so it is flattering to the form, accentuating curves and drawing attention to where you want it, and taking it away from where you don't. The pants are also supportive, giving a firming look and feel, while the jackets silhouette the torsos form giving a thinning appearance and broadening the shoulders.

Sportalm will also use texture to create a style, often times these textures serve a purpose, as to hold heat in or keep insulation in the right places, or to allow for one type of fabric on one area of the jacket and another type of fabric elsewhere to fit the specific needs of the skier wearing the jacket. Oversized zipper pulls, fur trimmed removable hoods and piping on pockets are all signature design elements of this luxury ski wear.

For color they seem to have three distinct looks, one is a more urban look based mainly in blacks, these tend to be extremely sexy. Another look is a very elegant look comprised mainly of whites, this is very fitting for the true ski bunny at heart. Then there is another style of bright colors for the sporty skier looking to make a splash on the mountain.

Their ski wear is not just about fashion, all jackets and pants have some or all of these design features to keep you comfortable, waist powder skirts to keep the snow and wind out of the jacket, wrist gaiters to do the same. Removable hoods with or without fur are very popular on the women's ski wear. All the jackets and pants are made with waterproof breathable shell fabrics and many come with either down or Primaloft insulation, they do this because looking good on the ski hill is worth nothing if you are cold and wet. Keeping you protected from the mountain elements in a designer style allows you to wear their clothing with the confidence it is intended for.

SPORTALM is opening their first store in North America this November in Aspen, CO. Kitzbuhel and Aspen share many attributes. Both cities are internationally renowned and both feature world class recreation. Their idyllic mountain settings are the playgrounds of the rich, fashionable, and famous.