How important is costuming?

[OS]

Some more

Joubert
Joubert #2
Lycasek, Patrick, Kozuka
Poodle
Soccer ball
Verner

:hap93: :giveup:

 

[Pamigena]

Damn, so I truly am in the 0,000001% of people who actually love Yuzuru's Romeo and Juliet 2.0 costume arty:

we're a special breed you just have to own that

 

[4everchan]

machida is the bestLOL

Ta da!!.....the colour combination is

Machida
Misha #2

 

[Crossover]

Ta da!!.....the colour combination is

Machida
Misha #2

LOL :hap93:

 

[alia jackson]

Yulia

Han Yan signature is the vest, Javi is the suspenders

 

[cheerknithanson]

Yulia

Han Yan signature is the vest, Javi is the suspenders

Let's be honest though, Javi ROCKS in suspenders. He can pull them off very well.

 

[Interspectator]

Damn, so I truly am in the 0,000001% of people who actually love Yuzuru's Romeo and Juliet 2.0 costume arty:

Oh, and welcome to Golden Skate!

 

[NoNameFace]

interesting thread...

the costuming in my opinion can really make or breake the performance in some cases (this Olympic OD from Domnina/Shabalin...probably the most relevant example) and using props can also enhance the value of performance I think (I still rewatch a fabulous Pechalat/Bourzat OD from 2007/08 season - a traditional spanish flamenco with a fan used by Nathalie, this was really innovative and so in character of the dance!).

This season - as always Anna Cappelini has great costumes, Javier's SP attire is just suave (along with facial hair ), Mao's magenta SP number is really dazzling (but wish she would go with something golden with fringe...), Ashley's SP latin dress is kinda pretty (but I believe she can do better without going overboard).

The costume cases which confuse me the most this season are:

- Anna Pogorilaya's SP 'dress' (ekhm, these are more like accidental scraps sewn together...totally not for the program and not for skating at all IMO, she could rock something burgundy with high neck and open back),

- Patrick Chan's SP costume (this grandpa sweater and somehow 'baggy' pants with elephant ears as pockets are not fitting to the program at all...),

- Elizaveta's all costumes - last year's ones were not best but acceptable, this season's...just not working at all, all illusions are placed in wrong places in my opinion and the whole effect is not very flattering. For SP I imagine something simple in black-to-red ombre effect would be great for her, for LP a purple dress with some delicate embriodery would be pretty I think;

 

[alia jackson]

Mura (google translated the tweet )
Mao-caroon
Mao #2
Yuzu
Machida
Mura #2
Baby Yuzu
Kostner


Someone need to skate in this

 

[melmel]

we're a special breed you just have to own that

There's only one costume of Yuzu that I find really ugly :reye:

Oh, and welcome to Golden Skate!

Thank you !

 

[koheikun90]

Sometimes I wish the ISU bans costumes and implements standard athletic wear like other sports to allow the skating to speak for itself.

 

[melmel]

Sometimes I wish the ISU bans costumes and implements standard athletic wear like other sports to allow the skating to speak for itself.

And let's take out the music too
Seriously, I would never have watched figure skating if there wasn't costumes and music. Also, dressing up is fun. When I was doing horse vaulting, having a flashy costume for the free program was part of the fun. And we were even more severely limited than in figure skating.

And if we take out the costume, the music and the artistic parts of the sport, we french will have to completely rename it ! And you don't want to see french people debating on naming a thing it would look like this: :curse::hpull: and last for 10 years

 

[silverfoxes]

And let's take out the music too
Seriously, I would never have watched figure skating if there wasn't costumes and music. Also, dressing up is fun. When I was doing horse vaulting, having a flashy costume for the free program was part of the fun. And we were even more severely limited than in figure skating.

I would stop watching as well. Seriously, who could get excited about watching glorified practice sessions with people skating to Rachmaninoff or Chopin (or any other kind of music) in generic athletic wear? I thought most people wanted more artistry in skating, not less. And how can you expect a skater to sell a program or get into a character wearing plain training clothes? And for sure a lot of young skaters - girls particularly - are drawn to skating initially because of the beautiful costumes they see on tv, & the chance to express themselves, in a way they can't in other sports. So let's see how popular skating is once you take even that way. Sorry...worst idea ever.

 

[Crossover]

Let's be honest though, Javi ROCKS in suspenders. He can pull them off very well.

Along with Javi, Florent also looks awesome in suspenders. :luv17:

 

[noskates]

With the exception of Johnny Weir, who arguably could pull it off, I think ruffles, over blinged out, see-through material and weird colors on men is wayyyyyyyy too distracting. I would love to see Yuzu in just all black with maybe a few sequins. I hate the women's costumes where their butts are hanging out of their panties - Osmond and Kostner, for example. How difficult is it to make a costume that fits? I wish Max would wear something other than those tight leggings or whatever they are, the ice dance ladies who wear such long dresses (a la ballroom style) where you can't see their legs or much of their feet, most of Polina's dresses, Tuk's muumuus or whatever they are, just detract from the skating IMO.

I look to skaters like Michelle Kwan who was always elegantly dressed. I'm sure she paid a fortune for those dresses but she always looked beautiful and they always fit her music.

 

[Pamigena]

Seriously, who could get excited about watching glorified practice sessions with people skating to Rachmaninoff or Chopin (or any other kind of music) in generic athletic wear?

Is that a trick question? because I can definitely get excited about practice sessions and athletic wear :

But in all seriousness, if you ban costumes, figure skating would be as dead as a doornail. For way too many people costumes (good or bad) are a big part of the attraction.

 

[silverfoxes]

Is that a trick question? because I can definitely get excited about practice sessions and athletic wear :

Ok, let me rephrase...sure practices are interesting, but if the competition looks exactly like a practice session, what is there to look forward to except the scores? There's nothing special to see. Style does matter, & skaters who dress in very plain-looking everyday clothes are not going to be remembered in the same way as those who consider the entire package.

 

[gkelly]

Ok, let me rephrase...sure practices are interesting, but if the competition looks exactly like a practice session, what is there to look forward to except the scores? There's nothing special to see.

A skater alone on the ice, fully focused on performing the whole program to the music and to the spectators.

The majority of a practice session is focused repeating jumps, or other skills, out of context to solidify technique. There's a lot of down time, and a lot of repetition.

Skaters do skate runthroughs of their programs, but they may leave out some jumps or other skills stragetically, they may have to abort or detour some skills because of traffic interference from other skater, they may not project the performance to spectators especially if there's no one there watching anyway.

So which would you rather watch? A practice session where the skater is wearing a pretty outfit but focusing on practicing? Or a performance where the skater is wearing plain black leggings and t-shirt, but focused on performing the program?

(No correct answer -- preferences may vary. E.g., skaters may attempt cutting edge skills in practice that are not consistent enough to try in competition, or interesting basic spins, open single jumps, stroking exercises, etc., as a warmup. The interaction between different skaters on the ice may be interesting. And when one skater is busy standing by the boards talking to the coach or drinking water or otherwise not skating, other skaters on the session might be doing something interesting.)

 

[Pamigena]

Ok, let me rephrase...sure practices are interesting, but if the competition looks exactly like a practice session, what is there to look forward to except the scores? There's nothing special to see. Style does matter, & skaters who dress in very plain-looking everyday clothes are not going to be remembered in the same way as those who consider the entire package.

I will not rephrase because you (hopefully) know what I meant there's only so many smilies I can throw in before I actually write [jokeSTART] [/jokeEND]
(or maybe I'm just not funny entirely possible)

 

[Interspectator]

There's only one costume of Yuzu that I find really ugly :reye:

Gotta agree with you on this one. The costume has no redeeming qualities. :noshake:
But I wouldn't want Yuzu to let go of his love of frills and sequins, or anyone else who likes it. Good costumes and bad costumes are part of my reason for watching skating.