Ice Dance Costumes 2013

[AgnesNitt]

More coverage this year of the women.
 For the last few years near nudity seemed to be the norm for women in ice dance, I'm relieved it's a little more decorous.

[Query]

Decorative is better than decorous.  Ask any guy.

A few years ago Meryl Davis wore a lot of bare skin instead of a leotard one year (the last Olympics?). She was stunningly gorgeous, and really stood out. Then she started wearing leotards too.

[davincisop]

At a local competition a few years ago I saw a girl wear a very revealing dance costume and was told that it was inappropriate and that she had to go change before they would let her compete. I'm not exactly sure of all the details, but that was the gist of it. I know there was a lot of drama and they told her that in her warmup or something.

It could have been though, that the girl at the time was I think 13 or so and there was a lot of bare skin showing, there was mesh, but it was still not a ton of fabric.

[4711]

Decorative is better than decorous.  Ask any guy.

A few years ago Meryl Davis wore a lot of bare skin instead of a leotard one year (the last Olympics?). She was stunningly gorgeous, and really stood out. Then she started wearing leotards too.

The Sari type thing?
I looked through a bunch of images....even with that thing on, she was very dressed.
Which is, I suppose one point: you can be stunningly gorgeous while being fully dressed.

Less is sometimes just that: less.

[Skittl1321]

I haven't really noticed any more bare skin than in years past. Ice dancers have always skirted the line.

Some thing interesting was a Russian pair- Tatiana Volshazar (so got that wrong...) wore a single elastic strap across her backless costume, much like ballroom dancers do.  It was one of the first times I've seen actual backless, rather than very well dyed illusion fabric in pairs skating.  (Dance uses a lot of illusion fabric too, but they often have actual cut-outs)

[Query]

I didn't mean Meryl was dressing for burlesque at the last Olympics!

She is always elegant and tasteful.

Where she differed from most is that you could see her back and arms and legs.

But perhaps to some, the skin-tone leotard most have always worn to cover those places seems "near-nude".

I wonder if she got cold. If I dress in the closest male equivalent, I do, unless I skate as fast as I can.

[amy1984]

I noticed the same thing.  I wonder if there was a change to the rules?  I know they all stopped 'dying' all over the ice because of a re-wording of the rules.  Now you can't have the majority of your body on the ice at one time or something like that.

[sarahspins]

But perhaps to some, the skin-tone leotard most have always worn to cover those places seems "near-nude".

I wonder if she got cold.

If you look at closeups of her dresses this year there is quite a bit of nude mesh on both of her dresses.  One thing I've always liked about her dresses is that they're tastefully designed and more modest than most, they've never seemed like "lets see how much we can get away with" the way that some of the others have.  Each one has been more beautiful than the last.

As far as being cold.. most skaters are cold in performance dresses... but they're only worn without a jacket or other warm up on for a few minutes, and anyone can stand to be cold for a few minutes

[Clarice]

I noticed the same thing.  I wonder if there was a change to the rules?  I know they all stopped 'dying' all over the ice because of a re-wording of the rules.  Now you can't have the majority of your body on the ice at one time or something like that.

Yes, the rules have always said that the costume should not have the appearance of excessive nudity, but now also say that the majority of the lady's upper body must be covered.  Ladies are also required to wear skirts, which must go around her entire waist (although it may have slits to the waist on one or both sides).

[amy1984]

Yes, the rules have always said that the costume should not have the appearance of excessive nudity, but now also say that the majority of the lady's upper body must be covered.  Ladies are also required to wear skirts, which must go around her entire waist (although it may have slits to the waist on one or both sides).

Ah, I see.  I find it kind of hilarious that these things even need to be spelled out... that we've gotten to that point in the sport, lol.  You must cover atleast X% of your body will probably be next  

[AgnesNitt]

Yes, the rules have always said that the costume should not have the appearance of excessive nudity, but now also say that the majority of the lady's upper body must be covered.  Ladies are also required to wear skirts, which must go around her entire waist (although it may have slits to the waist on one or both sides).

Kholkova and Novitsky's Firebird at the Olympics (great program by the way) may have had something to do with that.

[fsk8r]

Yes, the rules have always said that the costume should not have the appearance of excessive nudity, but now also say that the majority of the lady's upper body must be covered.  Ladies are also required to wear skirts, which must go around her entire waist (although it may have slits to the waist on one or both sides).

And the document from the NISA judges to the coaches and dancers as feedback from one competition stated that flesh colored power mesh doesn't count as coverage. Obviously there were some girls who showed up to that solo dance competition which were pushing those rules if the judges felt the need to spell out the costume rules. (They also had to explain about having a skirt as someone had a small tutu type thing around their waist - think puffy belt - that didn't fit with their interpretation of a skirt).

[Query]

anyone can stand to be cold for a few minutes

I guess I'm showing my age. I'm stiff, awkward and even less flexible when cold.

Have you guys watched "So You Think You Can Dance" on TV? The guys often wear nothing on top. Yet they often finish their several minute routines drenched in sweat. Imagine that in a cold ice rink.

Especially if someone took a forwards full-body sliding fall. So gentle in a sweat suit, but must be brutal in bare skin. Brrrr.

Are there rules on what figure skating guys must wear too?

[Skittl1321]

Have you guys watched "So You Think You Can Dance" on TV? The guys often wear nothing on top. Yet they often finish their several minute routines drenched in sweat. Imagine that in a cold ice rink.

Are there rules on what figure skating guys must wear too?

Most of the guys skating finish their routines drenched in sweat too, and many of the ladies. And in shows, they often wear very different outfits than in competition, exposing a lot more skin.  (For the record, as a skater, I'm rarely cold while doing a program in competition wearing a sleeveless dress and a single pair of tights.  Too much adreniline. The cold exists in warm up (jacket + gloves!) and kicks in afterwards.)  To some extent, I think they get used to it.  There is a video behind the scenes of the Skating Gymnastic spectacular, and all the skating ladies are in tank tops and yoga pants, all the gymnasts are in parkas with fur hoods.


There are rules on what guys must wear. They have to wear pants, not tights.  Since it is described as trousers, I would assume also no shorts.  John Kerr had to get special permission to do an ice dance in a kilt, as men can only wear pants.  I want to say they cannot be in sleeveless tops, but I couldn't find that in the USFS rulebook on a quick glance.  (ETA: Actually the no sleeveless rule appears in the Dance part of the rulebook. It isn't there for singles, but I can't think of any sleeveless costumes in men's singles.  And for dance it says 'full length trouser', where singles it just says trouser.)

I find it really outdated that dance ladies cannot wear pants (adult dancers can).  Professional ballroom competitions will occasionally have ladies show up in pants, and since free dance isn't really even ballroom, but just dance- there are MANY styles of dance where ladies wear pants.  I mean look at the silly skirt Natalie Penchalant (sorry about spelling) had to put on her Mummy costume just so she'd have a skirt.