Dresses for beginners

[laurakate]

Are these dresses appropriate for a 13 year old beginner skater?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ice-skating-dance-dress-girls-age-12-/150764872931?_trksid=p2992.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D20%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6654000289271680242#ht_500wt_1287

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pink-figure-skating-dress-size-8-10-/110830840879?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6653456462925395595#ht_500wt_1287

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adult-Figure-Skating-Dress-/280832139695?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6653456462925395596#ht_500wt_1287

Thanks xxx

[Skittl1321]

Yes.  I love the pink one.  Not a fan of the "strapless" though, but it is age appropriate.

[FigureSpins]

The pink one would be my first choice.  I don't like the "strapless" one.  The colors are wierd.  (Maybe it was bad photo lighting.)

[JHarer]

The pink one is lovely!

[hopskipjump]

Love the pink one! It is hard to tell with the blue - I have a feeling it looks very different worn on a person vs a hanger.

[Sk8tmum]

Is it just me or does the skirt on the pink one look a bit on the long side? Almost looks more like dance length - ?
The strapless one ... don't like strapless unless you're able to put it on before buying, as, depending on the cut of the dress, the "material" part may be too low or too high, and it may "gap" - all of which will look awkward or overly revealing on the ice.

Are you good at doing alterations?   That's a factor.

[FigureSpins]

Is it just me or does the skirt on the pink one look a bit on the long side? Almost looks more like dance length - ?

No, I don't think it's dance length, but I think the skirt is inset higher than a practice freestyle dress.  Typically, a freestyle skirt would be inset 2-3" below the navel, this one appears to be higher than that.  The bodysuit will stretch when tried on, but you can see the bunched-up outline of the crotch underneat the skirt in the photo.

I'd estimate that the shorter parts of the skirt will cover the bottom/crotch and the "points" would come down another 2-3" on the thigh.  If you think about a freestyle skirt, the short parts are the same modest length with the points being a little longer for a floating effect.

Dance length would have the shorter parts come down to mid-thigh or lower, imo.


I'm trying to figure out what they did with the sleeves of the dark blue dress.  Are those self-fabric buttons with rhinestones or did they gather the material and stuff it?

ETA: I think the dressmaker serged a cutwork pattern then gathered it into bows along the sleeve with rhinestones or sequins.  That must have been so time-consuming to make, but I'd really like to see the dress on a model.  Must look very different than a traditional sleeve or illusion sleeve.

[hopskipjump]

The pink was also taken at a weird angle making the bottom look long the the top small.

[VAsk8r]

They all look good, but I'd check with the coach too. If you're buying for a specific program, they might not fit. The faux-strapless one in particular looks like it'd fit well with kind of a funky program, but not so much something slow and graceful.

[laurakate]

I like this one too!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260912623547?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_1634wt_1038

Thanks guys xxx

[aussieskater]

I like this one too!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260912623547?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_1634wt_1038

Thanks guys xxx

Of the ones you've posted, this one would be my pick for a beginner 13yo.  Not too blingy, modest, and would suit most programs.  It also has the advantage of being able to be blinged up a bit more to your own design/budget as your skater progresses.  Pretty colour, too!

I agree with the seller - the measurements posted on the ebay page (73-60-66) indicate more a child size 10 at best, not an adult XS.  Full girth of 124-125?  That's a short-torso leo!

[Skittl1321]

How 'beginner' are we talking about?  Is she jumping? Or basic skills?

That last dress is very nice, but around here the teens wear a bit more ornate costumes than that.  For basic skills, that is appopriate.

[isakswings]

I like the pink dress and the aqua/blue dress you posted. Are you looking for a practice dress or a competition dress? If you are looking for a practice dress, the blue dress would be a great choice(IMO!). If you are looking for a practice dress that could turn into a competition dress, I think the pink dress is a great choice. I think all of the dresses you posted are age appropriate. My daughter is 13 and I would not have a problem with her wearing any of those dresses. Of coarse, the majority of her dresses have been sleeveless and many have had a "strapless" look to them, but I think her dresses have all been age appropriate. Have fun shopping!

[PrettySk8Dress]

Just my thoughts on the style and fashion of the three skating dresses----

The First one, the red and multi-colored, streaked strapless dress, is not age-appropriate for a 13 year old skater, a beginner skater, or some combination thereof. It's not good even for a competition dress on a girl that young. It is styled for a much older teen skater, or an adult skater of smaller stature, IMO. As a judge, if I saw that dress on a little girl, I would be embarrassed for both her and me. Maybe I'm just not up with the latest, hottest looking styles, but that's just me.

The Second one, the pink dress is the best choice !  It is pretty, with somewhat of a " Broadway " style, and that would add some spark to the skater's presence, even if she is a beginner skater. I think the pink dress would make a good competition dress, especially if stones or sequins were to be added.

The blue dress, the Third one, is nice, too. Blue has a bit more mature look to it, but would be fine for a 13 year old skater and/or a beginner skater. The blue would be a nice practice dress as is, or could be upgraded to a competition dress with some additional add-ons and reworking of the accessories.

The Fourth one, the one shown later in this thread, would be a very pretty and fashionable practice dress. The turq color is bold, but the dress is not overpowering. A beginner skater could be proud to wear that dress, even if she is learning and prone to mess up or fall quite a bit. The dress speaks confidence nevertheless.


Probably your best advice is to take a consensus of what everyone says, and decide from there what to do and what to have your young skater wear.

[Sk8tmum]

Actually, PrettySk8Dress brings out an issue that makes all of these "recommend a dress" or "is a dress suitable" threads challenging. Different regions/countries/areas have different norms; what would be inappropriate in my region would be fine in another, and so on.  So, it may look "okay" to me, here, but, on the ice where the OP is, it might look very out of place.

So, perhaps, the OP should visit her local rink and/or a local competition, and check out what the skaters are wearing, and go from there.