Destination Style Guide
What to Wear in St. Moritz: A Winter Style Guide
St. Moritz has spent more than a century earning its reputation as the most fashionable address in the Alps, and it still dresses like it knows it. Here is how to get it right, from the first run down the Corviglia to a late dinner at Badrutt's Palace.
Fur, cashmere and a view of Badrutt's Palace. St. Moritz dressing, in one frame.
Why St. Moritz Dresses Differently
A Century of Alpine Glamour
British travellers discovered St. Moritz as a winter destination in the 19th century, and the aristocracy who followed came for the frozen lake, the light and each other, favouring fur and cashmere over logos then, just as the town still does today. Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin were among the guests who helped cement its reputation over the decades that followed, and the boutiques along the Via Serlas and the Palace Galerie, opposite Badrutt's Palace, still carry the names (Prada, Gucci, Cartier, Miu Miu among them) that a St. Moritz wardrobe has quietly leaned on for generations.
What that actually looks like on the ground is less about logos and more about materials. Cashmere knitwear, considered outerwear, real fur or a good shearling, and skiwear that performs as well on the Corviglia as it photographs at lunch on the terrace after. Loud branding is rare here. A well-cut piece in a muted palette, worn with confidence, reads far more St. Moritz than anything with a logo across the chest.
St. Moritz street style during Snow Polo World Cup week: considered colour, real texture, nothing shouting for attention.
The Slopes
Performance Meets Polish
Slope style is taken seriously in St. Moritz, where even the ski instructors are known for their red jackets cutting across the white Corviglia runs. A one-piece or matching suit in a clean, saturated colour (burgundy, forest green, black) tends to read more St. Moritz than head-to-toe prints, and the Swiss light is bright enough that a well-chosen pair of goggles or glacier glasses earns its place as a genuine accessory, not just gear.
The same rule that governs the rest of the wardrobe applies on snow: fewer, better pieces. A technical shell that actually performs on Corviglia's longer runs, a base layer that keeps you warm through a long lunch on a sun terrace, and gloves and a hat in a colour that was chosen on purpose. Renting for the week means you can match the suit to the trip instead of the trip to whatever happens to be in the closet at home.
Fewer pieces, better ones, worn with confidence. That is the whole St. Moritz wardrobe rule.Mariane Franca, Founder, 2nd LANE
Après-Ski & Evenings
Dressing for the Second Half of the Day
St. Moritz's day does not end when the lifts close. The cashmere houses along the Via Serlas exist for exactly this reason: a proper knit to change into for tea on a hotel terrace, then something warmer again for dinner. A full-length fur or a good shearling coat is the single piece that carries the most weight here, equally at home walking back from the slopes at 4pm or arriving at Badrutt's Palace or the Kulm Hotel at 8.
For dinner itself, St. Moritz's most-booked tables (King's at Badrutt's Palace, Paradiso, the Grand Restaurant at Suvretta House) lean elegant but not stiff: a well-cut knit dress or tailored separates, a statement coat worn in rather than carried, and jewellery that is real rather than loud. Every evening in St. Moritz is, in its own quiet way, an occasion.
White-tie skaters at THE ICE St. Moritz, and a fur-trimmed hood for a cold walk back into town after dark.
The Edit
The St. Moritz Wardrobe, Four Pieces
The Ski Suit
One clean, saturated colour. Performance fabric, a cut that still photographs well at lunch.
The Fur or Shearling Coat
The single piece that carries you from the slopes to dinner. Worth getting right.
Cashmere Knitwear
For the hours between skiing and dinner. A proper knit, not a logo sweatshirt.
Considered Accessories
A fur hat, real glacier glasses, gloves in a colour you chose on purpose.
The One Day That's Different
Dressing for the Snow Polo World Cup
Every January, St. Moritz's social calendar turns on one fixture: the Snow Polo World Cup, the only high goal polo tournament played on snow, drawing teams onto the frozen Lake St. Moritz every winter since 1985. It is watched from the lakeside hospitality tents in exactly the wardrobe the rest of this guide describes: a long fur or shearling coat over a chic, warm outfit underneath, a fur hat, sunglasses against the glare off the ice, and boots built for standing on snow for an afternoon of champagne and polo, not for walking far.
It is the one day in St. Moritz where the whole town's wardrobe rules are on full display at once, which is exactly why our St. Moritz Polo Ski Retreat is built around a VIP day there.
Polo on the frozen lake, and the fur-and-vintage-car style that surrounds it all week.
Still Have Questions?
What to Wear in St. Moritz: Answered
What should I wear skiing in St. Moritz?
A well-cut ski suit in a clean, saturated colour performs on Corviglia's runs and still photographs well at a terrace lunch. Pair it with real goggles or glacier glasses, a considered hat and gloves, and a warm base layer, since St. Moritz lunches often happen outdoors in full sun.
What's the dress code for the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz?
There's no strict dress code, but the lakeside hospitality crowd dresses for a glamorous afternoon in the cold: a long fur or shearling coat, a chic warm outfit underneath, a fur hat, sunglasses, and boots built for standing on snow rather than walking far.
Is it better to rent or buy luxury skiwear for a St. Moritz trip?
For a single trip, renting means you can wear a different, considered outfit for the slopes, for the Snow Polo World Cup and for dinner at Badrutt's Palace, without buying three wardrobes you may only wear once a year. It also means arriving with your suitcase already packed rather than shopping cold before you leave.
Where can I rent luxury skiwear for St. Moritz?
2nd LANE curates precious-material, considered pieces from leading ski and après-ski labels, available to rent for your trip. Browse the current collection at 2ndlaneaus.com.au, or see our dedicated St. Moritz Polo Ski Retreat for a full week built around the Snow Polo World Cup.
Dressed for St. Moritz
Fewer pieces, better ones, and nothing you have to pack away for good after one trip.
That's the whole idea behind renting for a trip like this. Let us dress you for the Alps.
Mariane
Founder, 2nd LANE