I personally think that the way people dress varies way too much to tell how good someone is. Gapers wear all the expensive gear as it is marketed at them. I feel gapers watch the pros and just want whatever there favourite pro has. They may also have more money to spend on the gear as they probably don't ski as often and aren't spending all there money to be able to ski all day everyday.
I feel like theres a period where skiers wear whatever they can, that point where a skier is good but before they are sponsored. These guys are at a level where there spending that money that gapers would spend on how they dress on there equipment because anybody who is of any level is going to damage the essential equipment more often (skis), so naturally they will wear whatever they can and spend the money to be able to keep skiing.
The best skiers get all there gear for free so they don't choose what they ski in. They are given whatever the company they ride for wants the gaper to spend his excess money on. In the end I think gapers are a lot more willing to spend money on the nicest gear as they have more money to spend on it and it is marketed at them.
j
