Fond memories abound of rainbows and unicorns and all the ski paraphernalia that was like, totally awesome several decades ago. I figured this out on a recent trip to Deer Valley when I bravely appeared in public wearing an uber-retro onesie ski suit. It is, shall we say, an interesting outfit that heavily harkens back to 1980s ski-wear trends. Truthfully, even if one-piece ski suits were once all the rage, I am not sure this particular look was ever legitimately stylish. The outfit is a crystal white color accented by saturated rainbow stripes that run boldly across the chest, arms, and legs. It definitely makes a statement, although exactly what sort of statement is still a little murky.

The first day of our trip, I tentatively put the thing on and one glance in the full-length mirror underscored what I already thought must be true—I looked ridiculous. It felt more like a Halloween costume for an acid-tripping, Studio 54 groupie than anything you might wear for skiing. My housemates, however, were elated when they saw me. They were all wide smiles and giggles and right then and there I was christened Rainbow Brite.

Wearing the Sunrise Shredder—its official name—on the mountain turned into an intriguing social experiment. Fellow skiers yelled to me from the lifts. People skied past shouting kudos, and I ended up on the receiving side of countless thumbs ups and high fives. When I stopped for lunch and Darth Vader-style removed my helmet and goggles to reveal my identity, people approached in droves. It was like happening upon newly discovered fame as I posed for pictures with strangers at après ski. On one occasion, while having cocktails in The Après Lounge at Montage Hotel, a room full of about a dozen people all whipped out their phones to check out the website where I had acquired the ensemble, and even appeared to be placing orders for themselves as I zipped up to exit for a few more runs. One woman actually said I looked “darling,” which was a far cry from any adjective I might have selected to describe me. There were so many compliments, I began to wonder if it all stemmed from the fact that people were amazed I had the nerve to wear the onesie in public. On another afternoon skiing Park City, some dude cruised over and asked if I was wearing it for Rainbow Week. He seemed thrilled to see me donning the colorful stripes. I had no idea it was Rainbow Week, or what that even meant, but nodded yes and feigned knowledge of the celebration. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the absurd silliness of the outfit must somehow make it seem cool.

My moment of shy discomfort with the Sunrise Shredder has passed. Wearing it was nothing but fun, not to mention being a comical ice breaker when meeting new people all over the mountain. Long live Rainbow Brite.

To check out the Sunrise Shredder or other similar items, visit http://www.tipsyelves.com.