Random costume questions

I was watching SC with some friends who aren't huge skating fans, and we ended up talking a lot about costumes. Here are some of the questions that were raised - if anyone can answer or has opinions, thanks in advance!

1. Do costumes need to be dry cleaned after each event? what happens with back to back events in this case? and how do skaters pack costumes for travel (and then get them un-wrinkled) for comps?

2. what happens when bags do not arrive in time for comps re: costumes? do coaches carry a back-up?

3. If costumes - as opposed to, say, team uniforms as in gymnastics or snow boarding - are part of the whole presentation, why is there not a costume mark? should their be one - or is there one I am unaware of? (there are costume deductions in dance, right? is that true in the other disciplines? what is the basis for deductions?). Or, should their be team uniforms?

4. do costumes look very different live? do they look different at eye/judge level versus in the "nose bleed" sections.

5. why do some skaters seem to have the same dress in both LP and SP with different colors (Kwan did this in her later years with the Vera Wang almost the same dress in different colors; but she's the Kween! But, RAchel appears to have basically the same dress in two colors this year - and we weren't loving the illusion fabric as full length arms, but that is just an example, not a snark against her).

6. about how long does it take to make a costume and what is a "normal" price range for this elite level? what happens when costumes rip during the season or if the skater has significant weight change....are new ones commissioned or is it relatively easy to adjust them?

What fun questions! I'm dying to hear the answers.

The only one I can help with is how the costumes look up close. I've seen only a few of the elite skaters up close, but their costumes were just as stunning on the ice as they were "in person".

Interesting topic on real things that probably have many answers!

I have seen some costumes up close and I can tell you, usually (IMO) there are more intricacies (usually in terms of beading or sparkle effect) than comes across on TV. There are times I've liked a dress more in person (Sasha's black and white Swan Lake comes to mind) than on TV, but I can't imagine there are many that look better on TV than in person.

Obviously, like anything else, the more "elite" a skater, the more costly their costumes will be. I'd imagine the ones with the money will buy more than one because not every dress will fit the same way, and sometimes accidents happen. Michelle wore two different LP dresses between Nationals, Olympics and Worlds in 2002.

I'm sure skaters probably carry a back up costume or two on the plane with them (if they fly that is). Or maybe mail their costumes and/or skates ahead of time? I recall one incident where Michelle had to wear her practice dress for the Worlds 2001 due to lost luggage, but she had her skates so not sure how that worked out.

Here's a case of a skater who lost both their costume and skates:

http://figureskating.about.com/od/c...-Allowed-As-Carry-On-Luggage-On-Airplanes.htm

I notice that she made do somehow without a costume; probably with a practice costume, but skating on rental skates for the competition was amazing.

I use febreeze as needed and spot wash areas as needed. I pack my dresses in zip lock bags. With all the stones and illusion they compress nicely into small bags and can go on the carry on. Dresses can range in price from $600.00 to several thousand depending on the stones and WHO makes it. Everything looks clearer up close.

I remember Caroline Zhang used to wear the same empire skating costume in different colors during her junior years. She had a blue one, a green one, a red and white one, a purple and white one, a black one. I thought she ordered them in bulk. Now she's still wearing empire dresses, but they are way more intricate and sparkly than before.

emma said:

1. Do costumes need to be dry cleaned after each event? what happens with back to back events in this case? and how do skaters pack costumes for travel (and then get them un-wrinkled) for comps?

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Most costumes cannot be dry cleaned at all because the stones and beading would be dulled or destroyed. By the end of the season, some of the costumes are pretty ratty looking up close. Most are made of materials that don’t wrinkle easily. Hanging them on the bathroom door while showering is always an effective way of getting the wrinkles out, and most of the better hotels have irons and ironing boards for touchups. Fabreeze is a lifesaver.

emma said:

2. what happens when bags do not arrive in time for comps re: costumes? do coaches carry a back-up?

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You rely on the generosity of strangers. Other skaters are great for helping out fellow competitors whose luggage has gone missing. It’s easier for the guys than the women since they can get by with a pair of black pants and a decent shirt in a pinch.

emma said:

3. If costumes - as opposed to, say, team uniforms as in gymnastics or snow boarding - are part of the whole presentation, why is there not a costume mark? should their be one - or is there one I am unaware of? (there are costume deductions in dance, right? is that true in the other disciplines? what is the basis for deductions?). Or, should their be team uniforms?

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Skating is first and foremost and athletic competition and as such, costumes are not judged, but there are a number of rules which govern the do’s and don’t for costumes and there are deductions for violating those rules, not just in ice-dance but in all disciplines. That said, the judges usually issuing warnings about inappropriate costumes before taking a deduction which is why some outfits are seen once and disappear never to be seen again.

emma said:

4. do costumes look very different live? do they look different at eye/judge level versus in the "nose bleed" sections.

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Fine details are always lost at a distance but generally speaking the ugly outfits are ugly up close and from far away, and those which flatter the skaters look good from any perspective.

emma said:

5. why do some skaters seem to have the same dress in both LP and SP with different colors (Kwan did this in her later years with the Vera Wang almost the same dress in different colors; but she's the Kween! But, RAchel appears to have basically the same dress in two colors this year - and we weren't loving the illusion fabric as full length arms, but that is just an example, not a snark against her).

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Personal preference. Some people get the idea that a certain cut or style is flattering and are reluctant to deviate from that. I do think that if a skater thinks they look good (regardless of whether we agree with them or not), it will give them confidence in their performance.

emma said:

6. about how long does it take to make a costume and what is a "normal" price range for this elite level? what happens when costumes rip during the season or if the skater has significant weight change....are new ones commissioned or is it relatively easy to adjust them?

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The price depends on the materials used and the labour involved. Intricate beading is done by hand one bead at a time and is a skill and art unto itself. The more hand sewing that is involved, the more expensive the dress. The dresses are mostly made of fabrics which stretch and all have “breathing room” because this is athletic performance and athlete’s lungs need room to expand to ensure their ability to breathe properly. Athletes tend to lose weight throughout the season, not gain it, so weight fluctuations are generally not an issue but seams can and do rip. Most can be repaired or hidden. Like I said, some costumes don’t look very good up close by the end of the season.

The dresses can cost a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars depending on the designer, the embellishment and the work involved in the creation of the design. Dresses with Svardovski crystals are more expensive than dresses with no-name crystals. Vera Wang charges more than Sally Skatemom. It’s all relative.

Thanks for the info! What fascinating details.

thanks for the detailed response, dragonlady! And Dorispulaski - that does sound like a skater's nightmare!

So, out of curiosity - does anyone think that at least a portion of the comp should be in uniforms? I was wondering if the SP's and SD's would lend themselves to team uniforms or if you think that would just ruin the artistry aspects of figure skating all together. I ask in part because with COP, and even though commentators still call the PCS's the "artistic" score, there is much more emphasis - it seems - on the skills, elements, and execution (there seems to be, thus, more emphasis on the 'sport' part), so why not a sporty uniform to "announce" this? And, I'm also asking because my friends were curious about the lack of uniforms (which they contrasted with gymnastics) and they loved the idea of "cool" uniforms (not sure what they would look like, but they went on and on about part of the attraction to snow boarding is the cool clothes/uniforms).

ETA MKSfan - it never occurred to me that costumes could be so small...to fit in a zip locked carry on bag...but once you mentioned that, I could totally see it. Thanks!

How can we snark on the costumes if they're all wearing uniforms? No I wouldn't like that at all.

Tell your friends that the skaters think their outfits are cool too and young skaters can't wait until they get their first competition outfit with beads and sequins.

emma said:

So, out of curiosity - does anyone think that at least a portion of the comp should be in uniforms? I was wondering if the SP's and SD's would lend themselves to team uniforms or if you think that would just ruin the artistry aspects of figure skating all together. I ask in part because with COP, and even though commentators still call the PCS's the "artistic" score, there is much more emphasis - it seems - on the skills, elements, and execution (there seems to be, thus, more emphasis on the 'sport' part), so why not a sporty uniform to "announce" this? And, I'm also asking because my friends were curious about the lack of uniforms (which they contrasted with gymnastics) and they loved the idea of "cool" uniforms (not sure what they would look like, but they went on and on about part of the attraction to snow boarding is the cool clothes/uniforms).

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Gymnastics uniforms always look bad. They are not the least bit cool.

Annabel Langlois had to sit out a grand prix event ( Cup Of Russia) when the airlines lost her skates, as far as I know they were never found and she had to break in a new ppair in the middle of the season.

To those who look down on figure skaters as sissy, let them know that even little 14 year old skating girls are considered by the authorities to be dangerous potential terrorists capable of killing people or taking over a plane with their skates. To keep us all safe, such lethal weapons are banned as carry on in a plane. Let them slice themselves and each other on ice.

If I were travelling by air to compete, I would have my extra pair of skates in my coach's luggage. And extra costumes too.

I'm told that the skaters are now allowed to take their skates in their carry-on bags.

Considering the costs involved, few skaters can afford extra skates and costumes so that really isn't practical.

^^^^I know Patrick Chan, and no doubt most elite skaters too, has two pairs of skates every year that he trains althernately in. A simple standby costume is still better than none.

With all that a skater has invested in training for a competition, a little precautionary effort and cost are certainly worthwile, like an insurance premium for your valuable assets.

A second pair of skates is not an unreasonable investment once skaters reach the level of staying with one boot and blade level; and some skaters go through more than one pair in a year, thus, having a backup pair that the skater alternates in means that new skates don't need to be broken in during the skating year - you just alternate your two pairs and last out the season that way.

Back in the day of figures ... all skaters, after all, had to have two pairs of skates - one for freeskate, one for figures - so one wonders if 4 pairs of skates were carried about - ?

In terms of backup costumes ... we have always had a backup costume from the days (so long ago!) of pre-preliminary (Canadian)! Once our skaters stopped growing, prior year's costumes, if in reasonable shape and appropriate for the music, were utilized for emergencies. And costumes are always, always, in the carryon luggage.

Skaters can also go through a variety of costumes in a season. If you watch Tessa Virtue, for example, you'll see that she changes dresses until she settles on one that works for her (and the judges). While there is no explicit COSTUME MARK in the PCS, the costume does contribute (or sometimes, ick, detracts) from the overall impression, which means that costuming is a serious consideration.