Have outfits simply gone over the top? | Page 7 | Golden Skate

Have outfits simply gone over the top?

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I suspect that selective memory is at play. In 1995-96, Michelle and her team were criticized for her Salome packaging choices as she was 15 at the time. Also, if we're going to talk about over-the-top costumes, Michelle wore this one to Worlds a bit later in her career--honestly, it was an eyesore because it didn't fit with the program at all. Tara Lipinski's cringe-worthy routine to "Genie in a Bottle" the season after her Olympic triumph was also of note. Sarah Hughes wore this during her an exhibition the year after her own Olympic triumph--if we're going to criticize Ashley Wagner for her R&J orange dress (which, I personally had no problem with)--then I'm going to have to say that this dress is just as "negligee"-ish as that one.

Can't say much for Irina though. Her career is too long and I haven't followed her nearly as close as I followed Michelle.



Females of all ages have to deal with "violence" and negativity regardless of what they wear. As it stands, society seems to promote violence against and taking advantage of women, period--and that is something that needs to change.

Both Salome and Genie in a bottle were attempts to make young skaters look older. Danny was not thrilled. Carroll and Lori decided that this music could let her act out a role, while wearing a "period" style costume. They knew they had to make her grow up fast with makeup etc, in order to compete with Lu Chen. I always felt LuLu was a beautiful complete woman and should have won that gold. MK was perfect, technically a little better and even the ending pose on the money was extraordinary. They felt she could win if she looked like a woman, since she lost in 95 because she looked like herself, a young, plain, virginal Chinese girl with very modest, protective parents. It was calculated. And I remember the talk about the SOI "sexualization of Tara." and having her dance with Kurt was called a bit pervey.

I don't like what they did with Tara. She was still playing with paper dolls according to Boitano. But this was not competition. I mention mainly competition as Gala skates have the worst costumes/music combos you can find. Johnny as Gaga among the most unappealing. Selective memory, not exactly, just thinking of the majority of the costumes of MK. I never saw that costume on Sarah. Yes, a bit headed to negligee. Sarah was tall and looked older than Tara by far. I don't find the Salome offensive for one reason. It was a character, and the use of illusion fabric was not too bad. It was not a see through negligee. But you have to say, wasn't Frank crafty to make his little jumper look older. She did improve stylistically a lot that year. That, the makeup and costume don't offend me. Michelle had not even developed. I recall thinking how desperate they were to present her as a lady when Lu Chen was 25 and her main competition. Frank knows how to win. I do not find that costume offensive or obscene. And Danny clearly caved because he wanted Michelle to win. So he backed down. If it were not a character piece, she never would have worn such a costume.

There is much I'd like to say about a century of costumes/clothing evolutuion for women, but this is wrong forum. It would be new knowledge to most here of any age, I have no doubt. I also will say one more thing. If you are from a certain ethnic background or religious background, the word 'modesty' has literal and specific meaning. Miley Cyrus doesn't need to be naked and writhing to sing. Obviously the song is not what is being sold.

I don't want to see young girls skating in negligees. It just has no redeeming value. I see the fashions in Russia, and I am sad to see how many young ladies look. And in USA and Europe. I think it speaks volumes that the youth here are so desensitized (and the elders) that is doesn't shock or even matter. Do you think women looking like this are fallen of the pedestal? I do. Men need to be taught respect for girls and it starts at home. Sadly, the culture is so permissive. perhaps the world is really going to hell. :think:
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I'm not a fan of the whole gender bender idea - I'm totally fine with there being girls and boys and sets of "appropriate" clothing for each in the workplace and on ice.

And I'm glad you are being honest here with your values.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
You certainly seem to have problems with Johnny being different, so saying his difference contributed to how he was treated by skating officials and judges who share your attitude isn't much of a stretch...Luckily Yuzuru is from Japan, and Japanese officials and fans seem to be much more interested in their skaters doing well than whether they look "masculine" or "feminine" (notions of which vary from one culture to another anyway). As it should be.

Also, I have no idea of what you mean by Rudy being "the real deal"?



This sentence implies that the gay men in the sport need to take the heterosexual skaters into consideration, but not the other way around. How about we just accept different skaters and different fans all in our fold, without judgement? You also should not assume all those who are offended by your attitude to be gay--many straight people find heteronormative attitudes offensive, too.

Matilda,I'm not sure I understand your first sentence. Johnny likes to work it both ways, no pun intended. He uses his gender bending to get reality TV shows, then decries the fact Smucker's don't like him. Then he gets his fans to think he does not get the marks because he is "different." He is hardly a victim. He is a very smart, crafty fellow who learned any publicity translates into money.

Johnny had no reliable quad. What he did in Vancouver was beautiful 6.0 skating. He had no transitions. The fact that better skaters whose coaches know how to play CoP outskated him explain his rank. Maybe he could have been a bit higher. But who would you mark lower? Johnny never really grew as a skater. He did grow as an exhibitionist. And no, I don't have to like some pictures that were so unwholesome I go "yeech." I don't have to like men in heals, or pretend I do. If the judges could not get behind Johnny, it may have been his dated skating. And if they were privately offended or angry at the effect he had on male FS perception, do you blame them?

He got himself in front of every camera. he did anything for publicity. He did win because he is doing commentary in Sochi and NBC is salivating, hoping he will open is mouth and get arrested. Or kiss his husband. NBC know there could be trouble. Just the way TV bagged nancy after 94 Olympic comments, even in Massachusetts, the way they trashed Tonya every way they could, the way they let us know Pasha ice dancer was a homewrecker. They are shamelessly hoping for controversy now.

Either that or Johnny has finally found acceptance. But he sure has toned down the outfits since he married a lawyer. Maybe he just grew up and realized that people were tired of him. Whatever it takes to remain relevant means an income stream. If people got bored of skin and the maxi dress was worn everywhere, Madonna would adapt. This is the nature of publicity hounds. I don't know him. Maybe he is a nice guy. But his "victim" stance and way he trashed an actual OGM champion (Evan) was pretty awful. And trying to out him was even worse. If I could meet any skater for a chat, Johnny would not be it. I don't really respect him. Should I?
 

bump

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
They've always been absurd...it's part of what makes figure skating so much fun to watch...the tacky/campy aspects of it. I love when you see male skaters with Johnny Weir diva stuff going on...especially when they seem oblivious to the fact that it makes them look like they're going to permanently be on fire (um, Yuzuru Hanyu)...
 

Ilvskating

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Carolina's new LP dress is just way too short, and of bad cut. It is very distracting and you can see her underwear almost all the time. She really needs to make the front longer and move the slits back a bit.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
The top part is pretty. Johnny commented the bottom looked like she was sitting by the pool in Vegas. I don't like this window drapey style I have seen on a few skaters this season. Meryl Davis for one inn the Fd or tiny Aliona in the LP. I agree it is a miss. Caro has looked very elegant last two years. I have already forgotten her first LP costume, having seen it once. Is the consensus this is better or worse? I thought she was copying Meryl maybe because they are using same music.
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Carolina's new LP dress is just way too short, and of bad cut. It is very distracting and you can see her underwear almost all the time. She really needs to make the front longer and move the slits back a bit.

In fact Carolina`s new dress is long for her standars, I think some people are exageratting, regarding short skirts, the girls all time are doing jumps, spins, etc. and all time the skirt is up, and the dress of Sotnikova is horrible and transparent but basically is horrible because it is just horrible , regardless if it is or not transparent, yes, she could to do better but it is not necessary to exagerate, besides why people get upset seeing the body of another person?, it is just a body, all are the same, we all have one. All people react like that because since they were kids all people educate them to fell shame to show or watch a naked body. I see people naked in my job all the time and I could not care less :rolleye:
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I can't help but ask Chapis-what do you do for work? Are you in medical profession. The point is FS is a sport and there are standards, tho clearly ISU has lowered them even more.

Toni mentioned beach volleyball. The women are FORCED to wear Bikinis? They cannot wear a one piece suit? My mom and I always wore classy one piece and got loads of complements tough we could easily do bikinis. We are going backwards for sure in the women's movement if the pros are forced to wear string bikinis. So maybe mostly men are the fans of this "sport." 20 years ago, women's groups would protest that. Desensitization, no one has a sense of modesty. Sad to say most clothes are now short, tight, cheap material. At least where I can go shop. Larger sizes are different, as larger women know they look bad in short , tight, stretchy junk. I hate going shopping now. How man y women get implants now? A lot. Veneers etc. No one can be grey, not acceptable to look old.

I used to find cotton, silk, linen. Now its all stetchy rubber stuff. We don't make clothes in America and women are wearing some awful stuff nowadays. The Royal family are the best dressed in England, very conservative. Everyone else is too poor to have natural fabrics, lined matching coats, 200.00 hats. The trashy look is what sells. Women need to stand up for elegance. But we are made to feel that men like a certain look, when very often, they do not.

So skating costumes are influenced by runway looks, streetwear, the gamut. When someone hand makes a costume for you, it should look great. Vera Wang is really among the best. Michelle had maybe 2 ugly comp. dresses. The orange one was kind of yuck, but orange is not a color most like, it seems.
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
skateluvr I understand there are ugly dresses and it could be better, but basically this thread started because Sotnikova`s transparent dress, like if she was skating naked and this get upset to some people, the human body is not ugly and less the athletic body, people can to say a dress is bad looking but they don´t should imply that is ugly just because you can see-trough this, if they, you or me want wear more conservative clothes it is ok, but if it is not the case it is not big deal, and even I dobut men come to watch FS because Sotnikova when easliy they can watch porn. And yes I am physician.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
For me, she could skate that program in a gunny sack. ;) :love:

That was the year her luggage got lost. Her sister had to bring whatever she could find for Michelle to wear. Her LP dress was reportedly a practice dress.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
skateluvr I understand there are ugly dresses and it could be better, but basically this thread started because Sotnikova`s transparent dress, like if she was skating naked and this get upset to some people, the human body is not ugly and less the athletic body, people can to say a dress is bad looking but they don´t should imply that is ugly just because you can see-trough this, if they, you or me want wear more conservative clothes it is ok, but if it is not the case it is not big deal, and even I dobut men come to watch FS because Sotnikova when easliy they can watch porn. And yes I am physician.

We seem by consensus to hate the black see through negligee. We do not by consensus wish to see anyone's butt crack in skating. LOL you are a doctor, well, that makes sense. Please no naked skaters. Lovely, elegant, simple costumes should be trendy, not trash. That costume totally detracts from her LP. Just cheap attention getter.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
That was the year her luggage got lost. Her sister had to bring whatever she could find for Michelle to wear. Her LP dress was reportedly a practice dress.

And Michelle had some great practice dresses. The one at her first Olympics was one of my favorites.
 

RobinA

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Carolina's new LP dress is just way too short, and of bad cut. It is very distracting and you can see her underwear almost all the time. She really needs to make the front longer and move the slits back a bit.

Carolina's new dress is freakin' godawful. I never like her custumes, but this one takes the cake. The off-color illusion, the blue diaper, and the top defies description. It doesn't fit the way that kind of design needs to fit. I was glad Tara mentioned that it was distracting, because that was exactly what I was thinking. I cannot imagine what they were thinking. It looks bad close-up, it looks bad on the camera. I missed the underwear, but why is she even wearing underwear? Skaters and dancers don't wear underwear for this very reason. Maybe it was the lining of the thing. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I can only hope for her sake it will be gone.
 

jennyanydots

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 1, 2013
Not hating on Michelle (love her!) but a lot of her dresses weren't modest at all. They often had low cut necklines that made you fear for a wardrobe malfunction with whatever cleavage she had plus the bodices weren't lined very well revealing more than what I wanted to see. And do you remember what she wore for her cameo on Ice Princess?

Carolina's LP dress intrigues me, not in a perverted way mind you. I was expecting something kind of out there although I could never imagine she would come up with that. The nude colored panty portion had me baffled, but in HD you can see it's crystallized which kind of makes it appear less nude to me. Actually the draped skirt flaps up a lot less than a traditional skirt would.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Toni mentioned beach volleyball. The women are FORCED to wear Bikinis? They cannot wear a one piece suit? My mom and I always wore classy one piece and got loads of complements tough we could easily do bikinis. We are going backwards for sure in the women's movement if the pros are forced to wear string bikinis. So maybe mostly men are the fans of this "sport." 20 years ago, women's groups would protest that. Desensitization, no one has a sense of modesty. Sad to say most clothes are now short, tight, cheap material. At least where I can go shop. Larger sizes are different, as larger women know they look bad in short , tight, stretchy junk. I hate going shopping now. How man y women get implants now? A lot. Veneers etc. No one can be grey, not acceptable to look old.

It's required, but they aren't forced - if you don't want to you don't have to become a Kerri Walsh... the idea is it's "beach" volleyball so look like you're at the beach. Interestingly enough the guys are not just in swimming trunks.

Volleyball is a real sport so putting it in quotes is demeaning.


The original Olympians (wayyyyyyyyyy back in time, you know, history) were naked or very nearly so. Guess we're "regressing" in honor of history.


My argument is still the same - this issue of bad costumes is nothing new, so where do we draw the line. MK's dresses are great, sure, but if she's walking around town wearing something with that short of a skirt she'd have "ho" (oh, look, another demeaning ****-shaming term!) length going on. The difference is she is well liked so it's "okay" and any miss is dismissed. In fact all the other women brought up with their "misses" have been dismissed. I just don't get the whole "let's attack these three skaters because of their costumes." So they're tacky/in poor taste. It's not hampering them from getting the job done.

That costume totally detracts from her LP. Just cheap attention getter.
Actually I thought it was lovely on TV, it wasn't until I saw the up close photos that it really looked awful. It'd be interesting to see it live and not under a camera flash.
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Not hating on Michelle (love her!) but a lot of her dresses weren't modest at all. They often had low cut necklines that made you fear for a wardrobe malfunction with whatever cleavage she had plus the bodices weren't lined very well revealing more than what I wanted to see. And do you remember what she wore for her cameo on Ice Princess?

Bow chicka wow wow, I remember.

I recall someone put me on ignore because she didn't appreciate my comments about MK's knockers :laugh: :laugh:
 
Top