Warm-Up

• If you're looking to use existing clothing, first go through your drawers and closets. You don't want to wear cotton, particularly for your base layer. Cotton is slow-drying and will become wet, cold and heavy once you begin perspiring. Look for clothing that is wool, fleece or blended polyester. If you don't have any such clothing, consider purchasing some performance ski wear. If you do, you'll need to organize it into three layers.
  
  

Base Layer

• Begin with the first layer, which is a base layer. Here you have one main goal: wicking moisture from your body. Base layer skiing clothing needs to effectively pull moisture off of you and dry quickly. This will ensure that you don't have cold, wet fabric sitting against your skin and bringing down your core temperature. Some functional fabrics that work well for base layers include polypropylene, fleece and Merino wool.
  
  You'll want a tight long-sleeve shirt and underwear or long johns depending on temperatures and your personal warmth needs. Add a good pair of wool or fleece socks to keep your feet warm and dry. For flexibility, purchase different weights of base layers to provide more or less warmth.
  
  

Insulating Mid-Layer

• The mid-layer is the most versatile, adjustable layer for skiing. This is where you want to adapt to the conditions of the day by taking a look at the expected high and low temperatures because the mid-layer's purpose is to provide the bulk of your warmth. Wear clothing such as wool sweaters, fleece shirts and jackets that will keep you warm enough, but avoid overcompensating, as too much clothing will cause you to overheat, perspire profusely and become colder.
  
  Take into account any insulation that is built into your jacket. Getting the perfect level of insulation may sound like a daunting task if you have no idea, but approach it as a trial-and-error task. When in doubt, dress on the heavy side. If you get hot, you can shed a layer or two in the locker room or car. Each time you go, adjust your insulation and you'll soon be a good judge of how much insulation you need for given conditions.
  
  When packing for a several-day trip, be sure to pack various weights of insulation, in addition to multiple items. Consider packing things such as a microfleece shirt, heavy wool pullover, fleece windbreaker jacket or fleece vest. When it comes to pants, some ski pants come pre-insulated and some are simply shells that will require you to adjust your insulation just like on your upper body. Fleece pants are a warm, comfortable insulation option.
  
  

Outer Layer

• For a ski jacket and pants, you want items that are as waterproof as possible while remaining breathable (allowing your inside heat and moisture to escape out). Your goal is to block wind and moisture to keep you warm and dry. Some outerwear is simply a wind/waterproof shell, while some is insulated for added warmth.
  
  When buying new clothing, seek out clothing with higher waterproof and breathability ratings for better, more comfortable protection. These scales generally range from 5,000 to 30,000 (millimeters for waterproofing, grams for breathability). When putting together your outerwear, also get a ski hat, waterproof ski gloves, ski mask/neck gaiter for biting cold or high winds, goggles and, of course, boots.