Should Ladies have the OPTION of wearing a Skirt or "Pants" in any event?
Their choice.
I personally would hate to see the skirt go away, but I think someone like Carolina should TRY a "unitard" or pants.
Skirt optional for all events
Skirt required for all events
Skirt required for LP only
Skirt required for SP only
Should Ladies have the OPTION of wearing a Skirt or "Pants" in any event?
Their choice.
I personally would hate to see the skirt go away, but I think someone like Carolina should TRY a "unitard" or pants.
Last edited by SeaniBu; 06-01-2006 at 12:59 PM.
I'm pretty sure they do now have a choice and the skirt is optional for any event.
Ant
'Required' is kind of a big word, let's say that from my point of view, skirts would be HIGHLY recommended and most DEFINITELY preferred.
Even though I voted for optional for all events, I do think that if a skater is skating to a very classical piece a skirt would be more appropriate.
Dee
Thank goodness skirts are now optional.
I'm not sure what you mean by "very classical," Dee. E.g., I could see a skater choosing to take a very formalist approach to a piece of Baroque or Classical (Mozart, Haydn) music and choose to dress in a unitard or something similar that emphasizes clean body lines.
I think it should be optional. Not all skaters look good in pants and not all music is suitable for a skirtless costume. However, it should be a skater's choice, rather than something forced on them.
Vash
Im with Wolfgang - skirts DEFINETLY preferred.
IMO, Meier was far "sexier" then anything I saw in the skirts (although that yellow was Hello). Carolina's skirt did look good - but too short, made it look like it was sized wrong and her figure would look great in pants too IMO - and her stroking might not SEEM as hunched over.
I NEVER want to see skirts go away, but love seeing "pants" come around, that is just FS version of "Pro Choice." The fact a woman chose her outfit makes it that much more attractive to me - CIP pants or skirts.
But DEAD SET AGANST UNIFORMS!!!!!! YUCK!
Last edited by SeaniBu; 05-22-2006 at 09:29 PM.
I voted "skirt optional for all events". Pants are at least as effective for athletic purposes, if not more so.
Also, it sets a certain tone to say they all have to skate in a costume nearly as skimpy as a swimsuit(and for athletic purposes, their skirts have to be barely there, or they couldn't do their jumps.)
Femininity comes in many flavors, and figure skating should reflect this too. Out with enforced stereotypes, in with variety.
Why not say "PANTS optional for all events"? The skirt was here first.
After all, we can't tell trains to yield right of way to cars, can we.
Well, the LONG skirt was there first. Great for modesty, not so great for ease of movement. You wouldn't recommend going back to 1920s outfits just out of tradition, would you?Originally Posted by jsteam4501s
Even after short skirts became traditional, occasionally female skaters did compete in shorts or slacks or stretch pants (especially for figures) or unitards, until the rules were changed to specifically require a skirt. But if the purpose of those rules was to maintain dignity, modesty, and athleticism, why not just say that any clothing that serves those purposes is an allowable option?
I like skirts. There are very few unitards that I have seen that I even remotely like. Irina does pull them off well, and Fumie's pants last year looked good. Other than that, I'll take skirts over pants any day.
To have the skirt for women as a requirement says that the hint of a traditional feminine appearance takes priority over athletic quality. Thus, the skating establishment is uncomfortable with women who challenge the traditional view of women as objects to be looked at (There is an interesting scholarly book written by Ellen Kestnbaum, a skater who holds a PhD, called Culture on Ice:figure Skating and Cultural Meaning who addresses this very issue). Essentially, figure skating is still VERY sexist. Personally, aesthetics and whether or not a skater looks good in a unitard or non-skirted outfit is irrelevant. I'm a adult skater and frankly, if aesthetics were an issue, the vast majority of female adult skaters should not be wearing skirts. Most should be wearing pants (or at the very least, they should have custom dresses made by a reputable designer and not wear off the rack outfits cut for twelve-year olds, but that's another issue). Similarly, there is some rule about men being prohibited from wearing tights like a ballet dancer. I see nothing wrong with men wearing tights, either. Both rules are sexist and outdated. Apparently the ISU set these rules when Debi Thomas wore a unitard in the '88 Olympics and was unsettled by this. I think it was Brian Boitano who wore tights in a Robin Hood program which set them off, too.
And another thing: while we're on the subject of sexism inherent in figure skating, we may as well address the archaic term "ladies" as contrasted with "men." I loathe being called a "lady." It suggests a delicate quality in relation to the hardier term "man."
To have the skirt for women as a requirement says that the hint of a traditional feminine appearance takes priority over athletic quality. Thus, the skating establishment is uncomfortable with women who challenge the traditional view of women as objects to be looked at (There is an interesting scholarly book written by Ellen Kestnbaum, a skater who holds a PhD, called Culture on Ice:figure Skating and Cultural Meaning who addresses this very issue. Essentially, figure skating is still VERY sexist. Personally, aesthetics and whether or not a skater looks good in a unitard or non-skirted outfit is irrelevant. I'm a adult skater and frankly, if aesthetics were an issue, the vast majority of female adult skaters should not be wearing skirts. Most should be wearing pants (or at the very least, they should have custom dresses made by a reputable designer and not wear off the rack outfits cut for twelve-year olds, but that's another issue). Similarly, there is some rule about men being prohibited from wearing tights like a ballet dancer. I see nothing wrong with men wearing tights, either. Both rules are sexist and outdated. Apparently the ISU set these rules when Debi Thomas wore a unitard in the '88 Olympics and was unsettled by this. I think it was Brian Boitano who wore tights in a Robin Hood program which set them off, too.
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