How important is costuming?

ordinary person · Nov 26, 2015

Important enough to cover your bottoms and front with a pair of real tights like this skater of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWgmcCd6w3Y&list=PLB89A1747BF825EFD&index=55

Amei · Nov 26, 2015

mrrice said:
Speaking of Costuming. What do you think of skaters who skate with their hair down? I just watched an interview with Kaetlyn Osmond and she looks like different person with her hair down. I guess it depends on the music selection but, personally, I'd rather a skater wear their hair up stylishly than down and wild. Even if a skater were performing to Janice Joplin, I'd rather the "wild feel" of the music come from the costuming, make up, and facial expression, rather than a skater whipping and flipping their hair. A situation I often encountered when I was judging

I prefer the skater's hair to be up - look at Lipnitskaia's last 2 exhibition programs, this year and last year, the hair down was pretty distracting especially when she went to spin or jump, I would not want to see that in competition.

Sheena · Nov 28, 2015

lyverbird1 said:
One pet irk for me is when the effort to match the costume to the music is overly obvious. I do like when there is a connection but subtlety is most welcome. Worst offenders for me are the flame costumes for Firebird, the green Oirish costume for Riverdance, the all blue garment for Rhapsody in Blue, feathery dresses for Swan Lake and the samey-samey POTO costumes. I guess you could call them warhorse costumes! I loved Gilles and Poirier's Hitchcock costumes - completely matched the mood and feeling of the theme without having to scream it out loud!

I saw Riverdance three times & I cannot recall a single green costume in it!

ordinary person · Nov 28, 2015

Sheena said:
I saw Riverdance three times & I cannot recall a single green costume in it!

http://www.westfalenhallen.de/event...dance-2015-24-03-2015//year/2015/month/3.html

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture...orld-tour-announces-North-American-dates.html

You were saying?

Plisskin · Nov 28, 2015

ordinary person said:
http://www.westfalenhallen.de/event...dance-2015-24-03-2015//year/2015/month/3.html

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture...orld-tour-announces-North-American-dates.html

You were saying?

Yeah...I grew up with the original with Michael Flatley and Jean Butler and there was plenty of green, lol.

http://www.michaelflatleyireland.com/images/rdrats.jpg
http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_...age.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvtbxnB-RN4

iluvtodd · Nov 29, 2015

We saw the original Riverdance, too, and there was definitely plenty of green!

lyverbird1 · Dec 2, 2015

No green in Riverdance?!?!?! :shocked:
There was sure lots of green in the days of Flately and Butler. But I guess my original point referred to the costumes that skaters wear that are greener than anything that ever appeared in Riverdance (notable examples being Bourne and Kraatz and Jason Brown!). And there's so much more to the scope of beautiful Irish themed music than pieces from this show, I'd love to hear and see different Irish themes in skating!

plushyfan · Dec 2, 2015

The green color of the Irish. Ireland is a green island. What is the problem with the green costume?

blue dog · Dec 2, 2015

Honestly, it depends mostly on the skater. I've had costumes for my programs that are beautiful, but i absolutely felt uncomfortable in. Then there were some that my fellow adult skaters deemed to simple (needs more sparkle, they'd say), but felt natural to me.

On that note, I really love the simpler is better trend that the men have taken lately. A lot of the costumes I'm seeing (especially in dance) trend toward simple.

Mattieu · Dec 2, 2015

blue dog said:
Honestly, it depends mostly on the skater. I've had costumes for my programs that are beautiful, but i absolutely felt uncomfortable in. Then there were some that my fellow adult skaters deemed to simple (needs more sparkle, they'd say), but felt natural to me.

On that note, I really love the simpler is better trend that the men have taken lately. A lot of the costumes I'm seeing (especially in dance) trend toward simple.

Yes, let the skating speak for itself without the distraction of all that sparkle! I love simple costumes.

musicfan80 · Dec 2, 2015

blue dog said:
Honestly, it depends mostly on the skater. I've had costumes for my programs that are beautiful, but i absolutely felt uncomfortable in. Then there were some that my fellow adult skaters deemed to simple (needs more sparkle, they'd say), but felt natural to me.

On that note, I really love the simpler is better trend that the men have taken lately. A lot of the costumes I'm seeing (especially in dance) trend toward simple.

Mattieu said:
Yes, let the skating speak for itself without the distraction of all that sparkle! I love simple costumes.

Isn't another concern how the costume looks on the ice itself and under the bright lights? Would that be another reason why some fabrics just don't work and some kinds to sparkle is so risky to have on a costume?

Sheena · Dec 3, 2015

Sheena said:
I saw Riverdance three times & I cannot recall a single green costume in it!

Sorry, I apologise to all. I had meant no green as in lyverbird's description of "green Oirish Costume for Riverdance" (should have specified this at the time). Thanks for posting photos etc reminding me of that great dance show. Someone (plushyfan, I think) said that Ireland is green, absolutely true but it is the soft green of grass, hedge & tree - not the garish & tacky (in my mind) emerald green that can sometimes appear when Irish music is used.

Personally I don't like garish costumes of any kind - it was interesting that one of the times I saw Suraya Bonlay live at Europeans & thought her costume very garish live but was later surprised how well it looked on tv!

Costuming is also a matter of personal taste - there are programmes which I could hardly bare to look at because of the costume(s), which most other people love!

lyverbird1 · Dec 3, 2015

plushyfan said:
The green color of the Irish. Ireland is a green island. What is the problem with the green costume?

If someone wants to be different when skating to Irish themed music, they could always skate in blue which is our official national colour!

I don't necessarily have a problem with garish emerald green but it's been done, it's overly obvious and throws subtlety out the window.

Icey · Dec 3, 2015

The playing field should be leveled and a limit set on how much can be spent on a costume for a competition.

gkelly · Dec 3, 2015

How do you enforce that?

And how does that affect the uneven playing field between skaters who have a talent for clothing design and construction (or family members who do), vs. others who have to pay for everything?

If you really want to level the playing field, either make everyone dress the same -- maybe team uniforms for each country -- or else introduce a strict dress code with only certain colors and types of fabrics allowed, no stones or similar ornamentation, etc.

loopy · Dec 3, 2015

I just love costumes. I watch a competition and then read views on the costumes. For me it is really fun, I don't do that after watching a ballet or most theater productions or tennis. I did notice the terrible blue uniform on Thanksgiving football. Panthers! More like bright blue speed skating clothing!

I think for skaters, the dress is part of their mental prep for a competition. It helps them get into the mindset. When they go to the rink in leggings and a tee shirt, they are in practice mindset.

noskates · Dec 5, 2015

Hmmm - don't know that I agree that a limit should be set on spending. But I do think there should maybe be some guidelines. It seems the costumes are getting skimpier and skimpier. I personally dont' enjoy seeing a 15 yr old girl dressed up like a trollop! And again what is it with the Canadian ladies and panties that fit. I noticed Daleman's don't fit any better than her countrywoman's.

How important is costuming?

ordinary person

Amei

Sheena

ordinary person

Plisskin

iluvtodd

lyverbird1

plushyfan

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

Mattieu

musicfan80

Sheena

lyverbird1

Icey

gkelly

loopy

noskates

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