Anthony Thomas Melillo’s vacation style guide
The king of casual-cool dressing, designer ANTHONY THOMAS MELILLO, on what to wear, do and see in the storied ski resort of Aspen
The season to chill out in our comfiest clothes is upon us. With this in mind, now is the time to upgrade your loungewear for the perfect holiday capsule wardrobe. For easy sophistication, look to casualwear brand ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo, which is all about relaxed elegance. Since perfecting the T-shirt in 2012, designer Anthony Thomas Melillo has been on a sartorial mission to refine the rest of our off-duty wardrobe. With their signature super-luxe finish, Melillo’s elevated basics are the type of pieces that are perfect for lounging at home in, yet they wouldn’t look out of place at a festive party.
Collaborating with NET-A-PORTER on the perfect winter capsule collection, he has created pure cashmere knits and pants that can be worn together by day or dressed up with a silk blouse or tailored pants and heels to take you from après ski to an evening soirée with ease. For Melillo himself, the holiday period is spent in Aspen, a ski resort town in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, and then onto the Caribbean island of St Barths to bring in the New Year.
The lowdown
“Aspen is magical. I first started visiting four years ago because two of my best friends had been going for years. The first time I went, all flights from Denver had been canceled, so we had to drive through the mountains at 2am from Denver to Aspen. The drive alone made me fall in love with it – it was a snow-filled wonderland of hills and valleys. I love that it feels like a fairytale; from the Christmas decorations to the little storefronts that look like gingerbread houses, and the winding cobblestone paths and sidewalks.”
The dress code
“My style in Aspen is very relaxed, as always, but with a little more effort than, say, my beach style. Aspen makes you want to dress up in a casual way with cool snow accessories like ski hats, sunglasses, gloves and scarves. All of these things for me become a little more fun and colorful here. An example would be a classic pair of black ATM cashmere joggers and a sweater, pared back with a great white Moncler ski jacket or a Yves Salomon parka with a fun lining and a bright-colored The Elder Statesman ski cap. I always pack two pairs of ATM cashmere joggers and three ATM cashmere sweaters as my base, then I’ll layer on a lot of performance underwear and socks – because it’s really cold – and one great parka for evenings.”
The must-dos
“Ski during the day and have lunch on top of Ajax mountain. My favorite place to stay is The Little Nell hotel as it has the best service and the best après ski hang out. There is a beautiful, cozy lobby where you can go after a day of skiing to meet up with friends and have the most decadent hot chocolate. Go exploring, too – there are so many trails that lead you to amazing new sights.”