Totally agree. I love both Yuna Olympic dresses (well, I actually love most of what Yuna wore during her career...she was a fashionista!) and they were part of two perfect routines, so they feel rather iconic to me. Same for Lip's red coat, which was the most appropriate choice for the program.
Top 10 Iconic Ladies dresses of all time
- Thread starter skateluvr
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I'm really just a post 6.0 skating fan, so I'm going to keep my choices within the 2006-recent period.
1. Mao Asada- Ballade no.1 white dress tied with her Sochi Nocturne SP dress.
2. Mao Asada- Scheherazade
3. Carolina Kostner- Bolero
4. Yu na Kim- Bond
5. Yu na Kim- Danse Macabre tied with her Arirang costume
6. Akiko Suzuki- O
7. Kiira Korpi- that canary yellow dress she wore for 2011
8. Yulia Lipnitskaia- Schindler's List
9. Ashley Wagner- Samson et Dalila
10. Li Zijun- Sleeping Beauty
A lot of honorable mentions for sure but these are my top choices. Although looking back, I do agree that Nancy Kerrigan had lovely costumes. I love Michelle's Salome and Bolero dresses.
1. Mao Asada- Ballade no.1 white dress tied with her Sochi Nocturne SP dress.
2. Mao Asada- Scheherazade
3. Carolina Kostner- Bolero
4. Yu na Kim- Bond
5. Yu na Kim- Danse Macabre tied with her Arirang costume
6. Akiko Suzuki- O
7. Kiira Korpi- that canary yellow dress she wore for 2011
8. Yulia Lipnitskaia- Schindler's List
9. Ashley Wagner- Samson et Dalila
10. Li Zijun- Sleeping Beauty
A lot of honorable mentions for sure but these are my top choices. Although looking back, I do agree that Nancy Kerrigan had lovely costumes. I love Michelle's Salome and Bolero dresses.
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- Mar 16, 2005
Lu Chen 96 LP worlds perfect
All of those are very nice, but I would argue that none is iconic, except maybe Yulia's red coat (maybe, because it is more tied to the theme of the program than it is a stand-alone memorable dress). Mao Asada's Scheherazade, in fact, is reminiscent of Oksana Baiul's harem pants and Michelle Kwan's Salome, which suggests that those outfits are actually the iconic ones.
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See, for me they are but that's because of the impact they had on me, tied in contextually to when and where they were worn, but each to their own. They're not winning outfits OG style, but in the time period that I've focused on, that's just how I feel about it. Yulia will always be associated with that red coat dress.
Aside from the obvious mentions- I find this sort of 'status' has a lot more impact within the Ice Dance category, tbh. But again, the term iconic is subjective, especially when it comes to clothes.
Agree with the pretty vs iconic distinction. Anyways, I'd say Yuna's blue gershwin dress is the most iconic of her's- she's has many great dresses, but the color and design(and the occasion, if course) of that one is a stand-out classic. Another would be Yulia's red schindler's list. Mao in lavender in general is iconic, but I remember the one from her sp in the olympic season the most. Oh, of course, the already-mentioned peggy fleming chartreuse dress- the epitome of iconic.
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- Jul 26, 2003
I think Peggy's dress is certainly iconic. It really stood out and it was helped by the fact that the 1968 Olympics were the first to be broadcast on color TV, so that green really showed.
So many mentions of Surya, but I honestly thought all her dresses looked the same and don't remember anyone really standing out, except for her 1992 matador costume. However, I only remember that because of the theme as opposed to the actual outfit itself.
So many mentions of Surya, but I honestly thought all her dresses looked the same and don't remember anyone really standing out, except for her 1992 matador costume. However, I only remember that because of the theme as opposed to the actual outfit itself.
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- Jun 27, 2012
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I believe iconic dress can be famous, great skater's dresses or famous program's costume. I don't think for example So Yun Park's costume is iconic...
Witt: Carmen
Kwan:2002 gold Ex costume
Baiul: Swan costume
Lipny :red coat costume
Yuna : James Bond SP
Cohen: R&J
Mao: 2014 FS costume
Lulu: Rachmaninov FS 1996
Witt: Carmen
Kwan:2002 gold Ex costume
Baiul: Swan costume
Lipny :red coat costume
Yuna : James Bond SP
Cohen: R&J
Mao: 2014 FS costume
Lulu: Rachmaninov FS 1996
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- Joined
- Nov 24, 2006
Without a doubt, the first dress that came to my mind was Kerrigan's white LP dress from 1992. It was a shame that for the next five years we kept seeing other skaters wearing knock-offs of that design. (Amber Corwin wore a blue version in 99)
Nicole Bobek was always exquisitely dressed. Her Zhivago dress was stunning in person.
Nicole Bobek was always exquisitely dressed. Her Zhivago dress was stunning in person.
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- Oct 23, 2011
Totally agree. Should be in top 10 most beautiful costumes. She was stunning. Another one I See Nicole in now is the blue and white Greek peasant dress costume. What program was that anyone know?
Perhaps her 1998 technical program 'Zorba the Greek'?
How has Tonya's 1994 olympics LP dress not been mentioned? It was a historic night for skating and it was center stage for that moment. Much more iconic and memorable when more casual fans or the general public are considered, though not necessarily "stunning" or gorgeous, than many of these listed here.
I'd also probably add Kristi's 1992 Olympic LP dress. Such a standout design.
But nothing comes close to Nancy 's 1994 LP dress. The skating dress of the ages.
I'd also probably add Kristi's 1992 Olympic LP dress. Such a standout design.
But nothing comes close to Nancy 's 1994 LP dress. The skating dress of the ages.
Emm, Carolina's 'Ave Maria' dress that you yourself mentioned?
Thanks for posting these. I have not watched her skating a lot, so I either had not seen, or did not remember those dresses. The first two are not what you would really call tasteful, but still stunning in their own way. But I especially like the one from Nagano.
Really? Do the ones posted by petitebrie (see above) look the same to you? What they share is being really extravagant and blingy (except the jumpsuit), but that's it. Designs, colors, patterns/ornamentation are all very different.
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Iconic-consensus:
Nancy Kerrigan-white dress 1992
Nancy Kerrigan-gold dress 1994
Peggy Fleming-chartreuse dress 1968
Michelle Kwan-blue velour dress 1998
Katarina Witt-Carmen dress 1988
Iconic-maybe
Yulia Lip-red coat dress 2014
Yuna Kim-Kiss of the Vampire 2013
Michelle Kwan-Salome 1996
Lu Chen-Rach 2 dress 1996
Dorothy Hamill-1976 Olympic LP dress (but was it her hair or the dress?)
Michelle Kwan-Romanza red dress 1996 (many others look like it, if not copied from it)
Iconic contenders:
Gracie Gold-Brad Griffies blue dress 2014 Olympic LP
Carolina Kostner-unitard 2012 Worlds LP
Kwan-purple SP dress 2002
Beautiful, but overlooked:
Michelle Kwan-Ariane 1999 LP
Mirai Nagasu-Great Gatsby 2016 LP
Memorable, but for the wrong reasons
Liza Tuk- mu-mu dresses 2014-15
Oksana Baiul-pink dress 1994 Olympic LP
Adelina Sotnikova-2013-14 LP dress that looked like there was nothing underneath (she fixed it for the Olympics)
Best of the personal faves:
Kim 2010 short and long program dresses (also, 2016 SP dress)
Mao-Madame Butterfly 2016
Baiul-Dying Swan 1994
Cohen R&J-2006
Arakawa-2006 Oly LP
Kwan-2002 Oly Exh. dress
Nancy Kerrigan-white dress 1992
Nancy Kerrigan-gold dress 1994
Peggy Fleming-chartreuse dress 1968
Michelle Kwan-blue velour dress 1998
Katarina Witt-Carmen dress 1988
Iconic-maybe
Yulia Lip-red coat dress 2014
Yuna Kim-Kiss of the Vampire 2013
Michelle Kwan-Salome 1996
Lu Chen-Rach 2 dress 1996
Dorothy Hamill-1976 Olympic LP dress (but was it her hair or the dress?)
Michelle Kwan-Romanza red dress 1996 (many others look like it, if not copied from it)
Iconic contenders:
Gracie Gold-Brad Griffies blue dress 2014 Olympic LP
Carolina Kostner-unitard 2012 Worlds LP
Kwan-purple SP dress 2002
Beautiful, but overlooked:
Michelle Kwan-Ariane 1999 LP
Mirai Nagasu-Great Gatsby 2016 LP
Memorable, but for the wrong reasons
Liza Tuk- mu-mu dresses 2014-15
Oksana Baiul-pink dress 1994 Olympic LP
Adelina Sotnikova-2013-14 LP dress that looked like there was nothing underneath (she fixed it for the Olympics)
Best of the personal faves:
Kim 2010 short and long program dresses (also, 2016 SP dress)
Mao-Madame Butterfly 2016
Baiul-Dying Swan 1994
Cohen R&J-2006
Arakawa-2006 Oly LP
Kwan-2002 Oly Exh. dress
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I'd have to say Ashley Wagner's 2013-2014 short program dress. Not just beautiful and flattering on Ashley, but one of her more memorable programs(Shine on You Crazy Diamond) AND the dress she was wearing at the olympics when she snarled 
and said bulls###! when she saw her score. That photo became iconic of Ashley at the Olympics and went beyond figure skating.
and said bulls###! when she saw her score. That photo became iconic of Ashley at the Olympics and went beyond figure skating.
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- Nov 13, 2012
I thought about Tonya's dress too - but when I think of her I always think of her floral practice leotard/dresses with the black stirrup leggings. http://www.gettyimages.com/pictures...nya-harding-look-on-while-news-photo-52032489
She just looks so strong, athletic and unique.
True! Maybe there should be a separate category for notorious ladies dresses!
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- Jul 26, 2003
They obviously weren't the same dresses, but they all had that busy, blingy look with similar cuts that I can't say they were distinctive from one another really. To me, if one were to photoshop a dress from one competition and put it on Surya from a totally separate competition and season, I would not have blinked an eye.
BTW, every time I see the designer name "Lacroix" it makes me think of Edina Monsoon's obsession with the designer from the show Absolutely Fabulous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFqHlliWmVY
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BTW, for those of you who haven't seen it, you should definitely watch the Lauren Sheehan interview with The Skating Lesson. It's absolutely wonderful and gives insight about the changing figure skating costumes. She designed for Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski, and Nicole Bobek. She's quite self-deprecating. She went through a down period shortly after 1998 Nationals after her costumes for Tara and Nicole received negative press from mainstream press and saw that Michelle Kwan's more understated, clean look was going to be the new style for ladies skating, and that simply wasn't her style. She even said she saw a picture of the Nationals podium and saw Michelle Kwan's dress and then Tara and Nicole's which she said looked like "birthday cake" in comparison. I think she's in a better place now, and I'm glad because after that interview, I want her to get all the business. I really loved her personality and attitude.
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