Most Beautiful Skating Costumes | Golden Skate

Most Beautiful Skating Costumes

S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
:) For what it's worth, here are a few of my all-time favorite skating costumes worn by my all-time favorite figure skaters:

Dorothy Hamill - "Nutcracker" - gorgeous pink/white with white fur at the sleeves.
"Phantom of the Opera - Music of the Night" - dark blue dress - stunning!
1976 Olympic long program - "American Beauty Rose" dress with rhinestone around the v-neck. Simple and lovely.

Jill Trenary - 1990 World long program - short-sleeved red/gold dress with petal skirt - gorgeous.
1990 World short program - gold dress - stunning!
1988 Olympics long program - red beaded dress - stunning!

Nicole Bobek - 1995 US/World long program to "Dr. Zhivago" - stunning gold dress.

Peggy Fleming - 1968 Olympic long program - chautreuse dress her mother had sewn for her. Rhinestones around the neck and sleeves. Simple and absolutely beautiful.

Michelle Kwan - 1998 US/Olympic long program - very simple, sleeveless blue dress. Stunning and lovely.

Tara Lipinski - 1986 short program dress for "Little Women". Simple brown dress - it was right in character for the music and the movie.
1998 Olympic short program to "Anastasia" - the cream-colored dress with blue vest - very pretty and elegant.

Sasha Cohen - 2004 "Swan Lake" long program - the simple white dress.
Her short program dress, as well, was lovely.

The list goes on and on........
 

Fairy

Spectator
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Sasha Cohen - 2004 "Swan Lake" long program - the simple white dress.
You mean the dress at 2004 World Championships?I don't think it's beautiful,it's just so so~~IMO,the dress she uses at Grand Prix is better.
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
All of the following is of course Just my Personal Opinion

With the possible exception of Peggy's chatruese costume (very savy of Doris to choose a punchy, trendy color for the first Olys to be broadcast "in living color") I don't think that any skater should ever wear anything sewn by their mother.

IIRC, Linda's stuff was designed by Bob Mackie, which kinda started the whole glamour thang. I loved her simple red chiffon costume with rhinestones from Lake Placid. Ialso liked the "rags, hand-me-down" costume, but think Linda had more of a figure to fill it to advantage.

I thought that Lauren Sheean's costumes for Elaine Zayak in 84 were wonderful. She seemed to reach a peak in the 90s with many eye catching designs for Jill, Debi and Kristi, but by 98 the stuff she was doing for Tara and Surya was passe and overdone. Not bad, just out of style.

The next revolution came from Vera Wang for Nancy in 92 thru 94. Just lovely, and so simple compared to the kinda "heavy" stuff Lauren was doing. Her costumes for MK are nice, but not the breath of fresh air that the Nancy ones were.

Jef Billings is very hit or miss with me. I loved Lulu's costumes from 96 to 98, and Angela's 01 LP costume was stunning. Very simple and elegant. He can be kinda caught up on lavender though, and I didn't really care for either MK's Arianne costume or Sarah's Oly LP one. Emmy or no Emmy, I think some of the group costumes he's done for SOI are just hideous.

Although I loved many of Maria's costumes, especially the more odd ones (96 malequena and 00 SL) Sasha's attempts at self design give me the shivers.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
Fairy said:
IMO,the dress she uses at Grand Prix is better.
The black/white one is beautiful. I don't think it showed but there was beading all over the bodice and it was lovely.

Dee
 

dr.frog

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
berthes ghost said:
With the possible exception of Peggy's chatruese costume (very savy of Doris to choose a punchy, trendy color for the first Olys to be broadcast "in living color") I don't think that any skater should ever wear anything sewn by their mother.

I guess you haven't seen Yebin Mok's outfits.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
The progression of skating costumes is also interesting in a skaters life. Often, skaters who are not as well off as some have to skate in more modest attire and their outfits are often homemade. Skaters wearing designer outfits - Vera Wang - for example, was unheard of in Barbra Ann Scott's day. Their outfits, especially for competitions were very plain.
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Ladskater said:
Skaters wearing designer outfits - Vera Wang - for example, was unheard of in Barbra Ann Scott's day. Their outfits, especially for competitions were very plain.
I don't know if I would call Barbara-Ann's costumes plain, she was always well dressed and stylish, much more so than many of her competitors. Probably one of the first skaters to go the designer route was Jacqueline du Bief who came right after Scott and wore Dior designed costumes.
Top skaters from Madge Syers to Carol Heiss all seemed to wear very chic costumes. It wasn't until the 60s-70s and Janet Lynn's almost puritan simplicity that Oly costumes really started looking they they were sewn-up in Home-Ech class.
 

Kara Bear

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I'd like to add Jenny Kirk's Chicago costume to the list. It was just lovely and suited her program to a tee
 

sk8tngcanuck

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Kara, you beat me to it! I was just going to post that one. I also loved Jennifer Robinsons LP dress from this year. TV didn't do it justice but that lavendar color was absolutely stunning live! I normally prefer sharp colors as I think they look better on ice, but I thought this one was exceptional.

Canuck
 

tdnuva

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Have to include my favorites of course.... Torvill & Dean - classy costumes always imho. Effective but not disturbing, and always suiting the music or the topic of the routine.
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
sk8tngcanuck said:
Kara, you beat me to it! I was just going to post that one. I also loved Jennifer Robinsons LP dress from this year. TV didn't do it justice but that lavendar color was absolutely stunning live! I normally prefer sharp colors as I think they look better on ice, but I thought this one was exceptional.

JRo wore some really nice costumes over the years. Do you know who designed them?

Jenny's Chicago was one of Jef's thumb's-up.
 

Eeyora

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
As a fashion merchandising major this is my favorite off season topic. I have so many favorites.

Michelle Kwan: Her long career has contributed to many of my favorites.
Romanza- probably one of my all time favorites
Salome- This was when I was going through my purple stage.
Both her Costumes for DOD 96 - 97 short program.
Ariane
Rush
Her Fuschia dress for Song of the Black Swan.
Scheherzade- Each costume she wore for this program was gorgeous.
The Feeling Begins- I loved the detail and uniqueness of her 2003 costume. I also thought the costume from worlds this year looked gorgeous.
Tosca: The lavender dress was beautiful.
Another favorite of mine was the light pink dress she wore for FOG one and East of Eden at Skate Canada.
I love many of the Vera Wang costumes. However as with most designers they are all the same style. I would love to see something a little different. It has been awhile since we have seen something with sleeves.

Sasha Cohen's costumes are either hit or miss I loved all the costumes she wore in 2000 when she first arrived on the scene. I also loved all her costumes for My Sweet and Tender Beast. I loved Carmen from Lalique. I love the first Maleguenua costume. Her more purple Rachmaninoff. My Fair Lady was pleasant. Her Badgeley Mishcka Swan Lake was beautiful.

Kristi Yamaguchi's Blue Danube is one of my favorites as well as her red Maleguena and her pink Swan Lake.

Nicole Bobek who used the same designer as Kristi Yamaguchi had some of the most beautiful costumes. I loved her Doctor Zhivago costume as well as both her costumes for Invitation to Dance. I aso loved the her costume for Sacrifice.

I loved Fumie's aqua long program dress this year. I alsdo loved her white Swan Lake Costume.

I love every costume Jeff Billings has designed for Angela Nikodinov. My favorite is the Aqua dress for Serenity. I loved Sleeping Beauty. Just when you thought the dress was white you realized it had a pink undertone. I love her costumes for Giselle.
I also love the costumes Jeff Billings has designed for Jenny Kirk. Chicago was excellent.However as with Vera Wang and most other designer his costumes start to look very similar to one another.

Guilty Pleasures
These are the costumes I love and am embarassed to admit because they are often hated by others.
I loved Oksana's Swan Lake Costumes from the 94 Olympics. I thought they went with the music better than any Swan Lake costume. I even will admit at the time I liked her long program costume as well. I think the beading is beautiful. I just think the feathers around the arms is too much.

Over the years I have loved some not all of Irina's costumes. These include Her 2000 short program costume, Her light blue costume for Serenade as well as Samson and Delilah. Yes I also liked her black costume for Tosca. I found it dark and dramatic.
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Berthes Ghost, I read once that Jennifer had all of her costumes made by the same people who do costumes for the National Ballet of Canada. They were very expensive dresses. I'd agree that almost eveything she wore was quite lovely.

I'll agree with Jenny Kirk's outfit for Chicago. It is stunning. I always loved the dress Marina Anissina wore for their Romeo&Juliet free dance. I also really liked her dress for their 2002 Spanish medly OD, although the length was a bit scary.

I liked the Blue dress Michelle Kwan wore at US Nats this year for the SP, though after seeing her photo in Blades on Ice, I understand why she got rid of it. I also really liked her original dress for The Feeling begins

I loved Katarina Witt's LP dress in 1994, the red number. Nancy Kerrigan and Kristi Yamaguchi had some really lovely dresses, too.

Jef Billings does really amazing stuff as well. Stars is lucky to have him.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
berthes ghost said:
All of the following is of course Just my Personal Opinion

With the possible exception of Peggy's chatruese costume (very savy of Doris to choose a punchy, trendy color for the first Olys to be broadcast "in living color") I don't think that any skater should ever wear anything sewn by their mother.

IIRC, Linda's stuff was designed by Bob Mackie, which kinda started the whole glamour thang. I loved her simple red chiffon costume with rhinestones from Lake Placid. Ialso liked the "rags, hand-me-down" costume, but think Linda had more of a figure to fill it to advantage.
Doris Fleming sewed many of Peggy's dresses during her amateur days. I think she was quite a good seamstress, as Peggy always looked lovely. Granted, the dresses were devoid of spangles, bangles, etc, but they were classically beautiful, as her daughter certainly was (and still is).

I read somewhere that Dorothy Hamill's mother sewed her 1976 Olympic gold medal dress and that the materials cost a grant total of $75.00.

As you wrote, Linda Fratianne was one of the first skaters to wear lots of beads and rhinestones in her dresses, and she was one of the first to wear "petal skirt" dresses. Personally, I think Fratianne's dresses were overdone at times, but I did like her 1980 Olympic long program dress - the red outfit with rhinestones. It was a great costume for her "Carmen" program - too bad it did not carry her to the gold medal.

IMHO, it's perfectly OK for mothers to sew skating costumes for their daughters,
provided that they have the time and the ability to sew attractive costumes. I certainly would never attempt to sew a skating costume, but I'm not into sewing.
Never have been, never will be. Frankly, many families may not be able to afford to spend several thousand dollars a year for skating costumes - at least for up and coming skaters who are not yet making money with the sport.

I remember Janet Lynn's shocking pink dress from her 1972 Olympic long program. It was absolutely plain - just a high-necked, long sleeved, full skirted costume, and it suited Janet beautifully. She looked strong, athletic, and joyful as she skated.

Personally, I was a bit dismayed when I read that Nancy Kerrigan's 1994 Olympic long program dress cost $13,000. :eek: Sorry, but I just can't imagine spending that kind of money for a skating costume. Yes, it was a gorgeous dress, but, well, it seemed a bit over the top. Just my opinion, of course.
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Of course my "remember" doesn't work well any more but something sure is in my mind thinking it had been said N K's costume had been given to her.
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Grgranny said:
Of course my "remember" doesn't work well any more but something sure is in my mind thinking it had been said N K's costume had been given to her.
Cancell the Doctor's visit, there is nothing wrong with your "remember".
:laugh: Wang did all of the Kerrigan stuff as free publicity. :laugh: at the idea of a welder with 3 kids and a handicapped wife spending $13,000 on a dress.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
berthes ghost said:
Cancell the Doctor's visit, there is nothing wrong with your "remember". :laugh: Wang did all of the Kerrigan stuff as free publicity. :laugh: at the idea of a welder with 3 kids and a handicapped wife spending $13,000 on a dress.

Yes, I know Vera Wang produced Kerrigan's skating costumes at no expense to Nancy's family. However, I still contend that $13,000 is a pretty outrageous amount for a skating costume. Just call it my frugal upbringing. :laugh:
 

KMK0902

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
One of my favorite costumes is Alexei's Winter costume. It was perfect - fit the program as well as the skater!!
I also liked S/P "Love Story" costumes. The costumes themselves did nothing, but with the story/music they were perfect!!

K
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
IIRC Wang stated it as an opportunity to participate in some way in a sport she loved. I'm sure the free publicity angle never crossed her mind :p :p :p .
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
KMK0902 said:
One of my favorite costumes is Alexei's Winter costume. It was perfect - fit the program as well as the skater!!
K
I liked that costume very much too and how it fit. :laugh: :laugh:

Dee
 
Top