Should the Skirt be optional? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Should the Skirt be optional?

Skirt optional?

  • Skirt optional for all events

    Votes: 55 78.6%
  • Skirt required for all events

    Votes: 14 20.0%
  • Skirt required for LP only

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Skirt required for SP only

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    70

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Personally, as an overweight adult skater, what I'm most comfortable in for practice, for both ease of movement and aesthetics, is turtleneck or t-shirt, tights, and shorts. I do wear skirts or dresses with shirts over them for practice. For competition or practice, I need a really well cut dress with sleeves, and I've only been able to find one or two that fit well enough. But if it were all about athletics while looking reasonably well put together, I'd be happy if someone would invent attractive competition shorts, with a nice tight matching shirt that will stay down.
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Like this?
14-040627771.jpg


Guess it doesn't match but it came to mind immediately - name matches shorts.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Well, *I* wouldn't wear it, and the bare midriff might be an issue, but it's no less modest than what some of the ice dancers wear, so why not?
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Couldn't someone find a nice leotard and a "cool" pair of shorts that allow for movement? Even some of those "Hippy" tops with a few clips around the bottom inside might look nice with shorts
just the top
http://www.hwbhost.com/images/63509.jpg
- still have that little "floof out" when spinning. Anyhoo, I think that outfit Miki has would also look nice if it was a similar one piece underneath, even a "show girl type thing (without all the frillies, just the sequined leotard) and those shorts over it?
I just think the whole idea of having freedom to wear shorts, dresses, unitards, pants, etc. is a good one. I am under the impression that if a lady fees good about what she wears, she looks that much better.
 

julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
I would absolutely oppose allowing long pants that aren't at the very least very narrow-cut and strapped around the boot like men's skating pants. (And again, not in dance. Women in ballroom do not compete in pants.) Shorts would be one thing, but jazz pants? Wicked ugly lines. The flopping fabric around the lower leg is annoying, too. In skating, comfort is nice and all, but you're presenting a performance that's all about body positions, and loosey-goosey modern dance stuff distracts. (Heck, the original reason certain Eastern European countries started doing the handkerchief-hem nightmares of dance costumes was to mesmerize the judges with floaty bits of fabric so they wouldn't notice when the footwork wasn't the greatest.)

"Culture on Ice" is a good book. MUCH better than "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes." (Got "Culture on Ice" for Christmas last year. Anthro majors who skate ask for weird presents.) A little academic jargon-heavy, but refreshingly not a barrage of "OMG figure skating is teh sexist!" like a lot/most feminist 'analysis' of the sport is. For one thing, she doesn't just look at ladies--she remembers there are three other Olympic disciplines, all of which involve men.
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Completely agree about the loose fit pants, didn't care for the Chinese pairs at the Olympics. The flappy pants were tacky on a lady. Thought i was watching "Victor Victoria."

As far as a pair of shorts in general, I do feel they are more "modest" then a skirt. No matter the top that is matched.

I personally would never want to see a pair of pants or shorts in the first portion of Dancing, yet the other 2 I would be open to interpretation of the number chosen. But it would really have to be a unique number to sell that.

It is sad that the judges would be distracted by such a thing - as julietvalcouer stated above - but it is more than likely true that they do get distracted. I don't doubt it one bit. Look at why Pusinko learned to whip his arms around. Kinda pathetic that the Judges can't stay a little more focused on what they need to.
 

CzarinaAnya

Medalist
Joined
Aug 29, 2003
I think it should depend on whether or not the costume looks like it's bordering on vulgar. I just want to hide my eyes when some of the unitards come out to skate lol. Bordering on vulgar for me would be Elena Sokolova's orange bodysuit. You can practically see her "slot" on her behind. My opinion of a unitard done in good taste is the black one that Fumie Suguri wears.
 

c_e_ahlen

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
I hate wearing skirt at practice, so I would like to have the option to skate competitions without it as well. It's just more comfortable.
 

K-Mo

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
I am definitely partial to the skirt, but in an ideal world, each skater would have the chance to work with a sytlist to find just the right thing that will look good on them. Sometimes skirts are TOO long and it becomes distracting. The skirt needs to be the right length. Some skaters look better with long sleeves. Some look better with no sleeves. I've only seen a few skaters who can pull off a unitard, but if they look good, more power to them!
 
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