I have had these Bogner stretch pants for about 15 years. The zipper broke 10 years ago, but it hasn't slowed me down any. Those are the words of Jon Krass, a weekend warrior from the San Francisco Bay area. I am riding up the Shirley Lake chairlift on a sunny afternoon at Squally World I still have skinny skis, too, he tells me, although I have already noticed. Jon is a living testimony to the saying, If it ain't broke don't fix it.

But where would skiing be today, if we all dragged the same pair of skis out of the basement every winter, or we werent fortunate enough to fit into the same pair of stretch pants year after year? It is one of those things that is ok for dad to do, because you just can't change him. His favorite ski outfit probably gets stored right next to the same pair of hideous white tennis shorts he has pranced around in all of these years. We appreciate his loyalty, but the rest of us need to move on.

"Cool Girl" spike belt

The rumor is that snowboarding helped make skiing fun again--that it put the pressure on ski manufactures to make skiing easier and more enjoyable: thus the invention of fat skis and shaped skis. Could snowboarding also, then, take some credit for the slow and painful elimination of the fluorescent one piece powder suits that were so popular in the '80s? Not that powder suits aren't still functional, but the only skiers who really get away with wearing them these days are the well-maintained urban moms.

Snowboarders are way to cool to wear anything their parents might. As much as skiers hate to admit it, snowboarding has not only influenced what tricks skiers are throwing in the park, but also what goes on our bodies.

Attack of the piggy helmet/Swiss Miss chic

It is the younger start up clothing companies like Cold as Ice and Sessions who have been dictating the trends of late. Their clothes are "fun" because they can be worn like regular street clothes, and you just have to have more then one pair. You can wear them on the hill, you can wear them to the bar, and you can even wear them on the dance floor, if you're really good. Of course, companies like The North Face and Patagonia still dominate the expedition aspect of skiing, and probably have a stronger following east of California, where skiers actually need to dress for warmth. Their clothing almost never goes out of style and is always practical.

Passing the fashion exam with dry wears

It is the little things, the accessories so to speak, that truly distinguish the pecking order at the mountain. Belts, especially the kind with the little studs on them, seem to be most popular. The guys or gals who wear these have generally earned that right. I had a friend who once told me I wasn't a good enough rock climber to climb in just a sports bra; same thing goes for the belt in skiing. Before you start wearing an ultra trendy belt, with flames, spikes etc., consider this, are you truly worthy or are you a'poser?

It is the rare instance that you will find a guy who admits he is fashion conscious in a ski town world. Most guys cringe when they have to pay more then ten dollars for a haircut.

They are not afraid, however, to be creative with their facial hair. If they can grow it, they will wear it. Oh, how I love the goatee. You are likely to see several different versions of the goatee as you climb in altitude. There is the no hair on the upperlip goatee, the little bit of fuzz under the lower lip version, and the full on braid it to your knee with tobacco stains. The beauty of the ski bum is that he wakes up and goes to the hill in the morning, not an office, thus allowing him to sport five o'clock shadow whenever he so pleases. Most definitely out, (this should go without saying), is the Tom Selleck mustache. It kind of goes along the same line as tighty whities, yuck!

Tommy Ross can't go wrong in this outfit

For women, it is braids. While the rest of the country is mimicking the hairstyles of Jennifer Anniston, ski town chics have brought back the Swiss Miss look. This hairstyle is very low maintenance, and the au-natural look is appreciated, however, are we all really "cutesy" enough to get away with this? That is a personal judgement call.

There are a few musts that every skier needs to be wearing when he or she hits the hill, regardless of the era. Let's first start with sunscreen. I had a friend recently who fried his face so badly, he looked like a walking skin cancer ad. "We can't believe you are a local," we told him, embarrassed by his obvious rookie mistake. The other fashion safety pre-requisite is the helmet. Who says you have to jump off a cliff to wear a brain bucket these days? Go skiing on a crowed Saturday afternoon, and see how many near misses you have with everyone from a punk snowboarder to somebody's pissed off grandmother. It is like the LA freeway and you just paid $50 for road rage.

There are a few simple rules to keep in mind when you are having a fashion dilemma. If your great aunt gives you another homemade hat with a pom-pom, cut off the pom-pom and stick it in your bra. (They are generally a perfect B/C cup size). If someone with rear entry boats offers to buy you a drink, ask yourself this, "Do I really want to trip over those things in the morning?" And never, ever judge a man by the size of his skis. Any joey can throw down $800 for a pair of fatties. If you want to know the ability level of your potential man, check out the dimensions of his pooper. A perky, prevalent derriere, almost always goes hand and hand with a ripper, and that advice never goes out of style.