Weddingbee boards

So... my husband, best friend, and her almost-fiance (long story, but aren't they all?) are all skiers/ snowboarders, so I think it's time for me to try.  My husband's birthday is coming up in January and I'd like to take him to North Carolina for a snow weekend.

However....

I don't know how to shop for clothing!  Help?  I can rent everything except the clothes, and if I'm going to shell out the money for a good jacket and pants, I want them to be the right kind, ya know?  Anyone have hints?  Recommendations? Links to websites with really great sales? (You know me.  Well, you might know me if you were around back when I blogged here regularly.)

{I know, I know, such a girly thing to be worried about the clothes.  What can I say?}

Ooooh, Mr. Snow used to compete in snowboarding (and I clumsily and slowly slide down the hill), so we have bought a ton of snowboarding stuff.

Snowboarding and skiing clothing and gear are different. Do you want multi-purpose stuff?

I have burton pants and a jacket (bought at the end of the 2007 season). They're great for snowboarding. I can't help much with skiing clothes.

I also recommend cute long underwear (I have some by Burton as well). 

(I am also totally girly worrying about my clothes too, but I'm so nerdy that I try to look kinda effortless and non-matchy/matchy like the real snowboarders... There are always a few super-cute ladies with matching pants and jackets and boards and bindings, but the *real* girls boarders don't look like that..so I have black pants and brown jacket and tan and yellow boots. I'm worse than the matchy girls...)

We buy a lot of our stuff at dogfunk.com. They have really good sales, but I haven't checked lately. The best time to buy is end-of-season (late Feb/early March). 

If you need any *how to look less like a nerd while all your expert snowboarder friends take off on slopes* advice, let me know!

Hey, thanks, y'all.  My hubby snowboards and I hear skiing is easier, so I guess multi-purpose makes sense?  I'm with Snow - I'd love to look like I just grabbed any old thing, but then I also hate looking out of place.  *sigh* 

I like the idea of kids' pants -- I'm 5'0" and petite -- and eBay!

Do I care which brands?  The North Face, Helly Hansen, Columbia, and Burton were all recommended to me.

I think the brand only matters in terms of fit, function, and style. When I was first learning (and not sure I'd stick with it) I bought some pretty inexpensive columbia snowpants that worked OK (I'm long-torsoed so the pants and jacket kinda gaped around the waist). My Burton pants connect to my jacket, so no gapes (and no snow down my pants). The more expensive brands have little details like that.

Otherwise, Burton makes the most fashionable style and fits of the brands you listed (like, if you want low-waisted or python-printed snowboard pants, for example). Columbia and North Face will probably be more multi-functional (with Columbia being less expensive than North Face). I don't know about HH...

And, like Blueshoes2 said, the gloves are really important. They can make or break your day (I have gore-tex Dakine gloves, and I recommend a pair that has the nose pad so you just wipe your nose on the glove instead of fiddling with tissues...gross, but really convenient)

Hey, peeps, thanks! (As I was drifting off to sleep last night, I thought, should I call them "weeps"? "Beeps"?  Get it? Yea, I'm a dork.)

CB, you're the first person who's been able to explain the whole snowboarding/ ski apparel difference.  Thanks! 

Is there a functional difference in jackets, or is it primarily about style? I've noticed "boarding" lines are a bit funkier, more slouchy, but can't tell if there's a functional difference. 

Oooh, also, I saw a pullover style jacket that seemed popular, but is it a pain to pull it over my head?  And do I wear a hat under the hood?  And a scarf too?

Marylee - good call on the wrist guards, but I'm hoping I can finally put those gymnastics/ cheerleading skills to use... I know how to fall!  Seriously, I don't think anything else I learned in all those years of cheerleading was as useful as NOT putting my arms out when I fall. :)

Oh, last (girly) question (for now): do I go with classic colors and styles on jacket and pants, or is it cooler to have something crazy or interesting on one or the other?  I want to be a little "me," but I don't want to be the dumb*ss on the slopes in the screaming pink jacket.  I'm currently in love with a blue plaid-y Burton Dante jacket.  Except I need it in a small and the clearance at REI only has it in a medium. :)

IMHO, skiing has a less steep learning curve than snowboarding for a complete newbie but gets harder to perfect beyond blue slopes. Snowboarding is a pain in the a*** (literally) the first few times but it gets to be quite easy afterwards relative to skiing. Watch out for weather conditions. It's very nice and comfortable to learn on powdery days.

As for gear, ditto posts above. If you can shop online (confident about sizing ,etc), it's probably the most economical. REI, backcountry, sierra trading post have great finds. REI brands have great quality but are cheaper than North face, patagnonia, etc because of lack of advertising. Synthetic base layer and thick ski/boarding socks are a must. NO COTTON. Pesonally, I warm up (or get hot) easily so I actually wear synthetic long-sleeve base layer and a sweater and a waterproof fleece (e.g. like this one). On a sunny winter day, I just wear the base layer and my fleece. It's more streamlined and I look less "puffy". Pants are the most important! buy good quality pants, thick & waterproof, superwarm, 'cuz that's is most useful for me when I take a fall, sit on my a$$, get stuck in deep snow and can't get out, etc.

As for colors, everything is game. I personally wouldn't want white or black for my top because I want to be easily spotted when I'm stuck in snow and need help (right, not very rational but it makes me feel good psychologically).