skating outfit for long torsos?

[bollyskater]

Hi, I am an adult skater taking free-style group lessons and now I'm learning my first choreographed routine. I hope to perform it in my rink's summer ice show.

I'd like really to wear a long-sleeve unitard with a flounce at the hips to break things up. I find tights very uncomfortable and don't think my legs would look so great in them, anyway. Complicating matters is the fact that I have a long torso, so most off-the-rack skating dresses and unitards would not fit.

Style-wise, I'd love a simpler design with perhaps a few sparkles up near the top But at this point, having something that is cut to fit and flatter would be enough.

Are there ways to find long-torso skating outfits? Or, are there recommendations for sports tailors within an hour or two drive of central New Jersey?

[Skate@Delaware]

I also have a long torso. I have found Mondor to fit better if you size up. You could also have one made for you to ensure a great fit.  If you are under time/budget crunch, you could also go with a skating skirt and a nice top.  To get a unitard look you could wear leggings the same color as your shirt (the tissue-tees are popular and come in many colors, but legging colors are more limited unless you shop online-black or brown are always a safe bet).

[bollyskater]

Thanks! Do you have a place where you try on your Mondor outfits or do you take a leap of faith and order online?

I couldn't find my skating warmup jackets from when I used to skate a few years ago before I took a break for grad school, so I ordered a replacement online for $50. It fits in most spots, but the shoulders are crazy-wide and not even. Hopefully, I'm the only one who notices that.

[Skate@Delaware]

I usually go online and shop (usually eBay or some of the other suppliers)-there are no places in my area that carries them. If they don't fit they can be returned for an exchange. Once you know your size, you are good to go for that particular brand.  I'm 5'6" with a 65" girth and usually wear a Ladies XL from Mondor...no wedgie! It also gives me a smidge more room...what isn't used by the girth is used by the rest of the body.

If you get a basic dress, it will give you tons of wear-testing, competitions, etc.

Here are two places I've bought from (altho not in a while)...there is a Skate-buys in Claymont (near Newark De) somewhere. I haven't been there though.

http://www.tidewaterice.com/
http://www.skate-buys.com/

[bollyskater]

Both of these sites have very nice-looking things. This is exciting.

It turns out that we're going to pass by Claymont on vacation soon, so my plan is to try some things on at Skatebuys on our way home.

[Skate@Delaware]

Both of these sites have very nice-looking things. This is exciting.

It turns out that we're going to pass by Claymont on vacation soon, so my plan is to try some things on at Skatebuys on our way home.

Awesome! It's not far for me if I skate at The Pond or U of De, I just never made the side-trip (I hate driving in traffic-makes me crazy). 

[bollyskater]

I had my eye on this Jerry's Palladian Port dress but it was an Adult XL so I waited (almost) patiently until we could visit Skatebuys today:


I tried on about six other things, but in the end, I walked away with this one and am very excited about having my first skate dress for my first routine.

The alternative was a Mondor black velvet dress with purple glitter in adult large that was a little more figure-flattering. It had a peep-hole in the back that was so low that any bra strap would show. Besides, I've picked a very sweet and lilting Bollywood tune, so the all-purple dress is more appropriate, I think.

[Skate@Delaware]

Very pretty!

[pikachu314]

EDIT: bollyskater - I love that dress! It sounds like your music will suit it really well too!

I think I must have a long torso too - I was given my first ever skating dress for Christmas (so I could start to test). It was so pretty on the hanger - plain long sleeved with a slightly dipped back, in a lovely dark red/purple colour and some crystals around the front of the neck in a necklace type pattern. But then I tried it on and it was too wide around the waist, and too short in the body - the skirt was basically stretched onto about 1 inch below my waist.  I looked like a rectangle because the fabric was stretched straight down to my hips.

This convinced me to never buy a standard sized dress unless I'd tried it on first. Unfortunately this basically leaves me with getting a custom job. The potential cost makes me a bit .

I think I'll go to the Sunday morning ice dance club and see if I can find the person that makes dresses at my rink. Hopefully she'll be able to accommodate my weird measurements and in a style I like. Otherwise there's always eBay, although the sellers often seem to be suppliers in China (I dislike the idea of getting a dress from halfway across the world). The item description often says that if one standard size doesn't fit, then they could work directly from your measurements, which could be a good option.  

[bollyskater]

Thanks, pikachu314.

If you have someone at your club who makes dresses, that's a great situation, I think.

I was looking at custom dresses, too, but I had so many must-haves that I essentially would need a unique dress if I didn't find the purple one above. My must-haves included:

• Has a sleeve (not bare shoulders)
• Fits my long torso
• A slightly longer freestyle skirt
• Works with a bra (open back + bra clasp = yech)

One thing I considered was this site because they offered adult-length freestyle skirts as an option:
http://www.carriejonesdesigns.com/default.asp
But with a longer skirt and a few sparkles, it probably would cost me about $350-400 for dress on that site.

[pikachu314]

Tell me about it!    It's so hard finding a dress once you've set out all these expectations, and are under a time/money squeeze! I think if you can find someone at the rink who can sew a dress for you its good because you can talk face to face with them , which makes everything so much easier.

[PinkLaces]

My must-haves included:

• Has a sleeve (not bare shoulders)
• Fits my long torso
• A slightly longer freestyle skirt
• Works with a bra (open back + bra clasp = yech)

I have many of the same concerns and I am tall so can't get anything stock.  I have 3 dresses all had to be custom made.  I had one made by Sharene that was a stock dress I had adjusted to my measurements.  The other 2 I got from Chinese sellers on ebay.  One is great.  The other one the skirt does not take into account my booty.  It looks a bit short in the back.

I love that purple dress!

[bollyskater]

I have many of the same concerns and I am tall so can't get anything stock.  I have 3 dresses all had to be custom made.  I had one made by Sharene that was a stock dress I had adjusted to my measurements.  The other 2 I got from Chinese sellers on ebay.  One is great.  The other one the skirt does not take into account my booty.  It looks a bit short in the back.

I love that purple dress!

Thanks. I almost want to wear it to group lessons but I know that would be hokey.

I looked at Sharene and most of their designs have very low backs. I don't think I could get away with a stick-on bra. Someday, when they have the perfect design for me, perhaps I'll get one of their dresses customized for me.

[Sierra]

Otherwise there's always eBay, although the sellers often seem to be suppliers in China (I dislike the idea of getting a dress from halfway across the world). The item description often says that if one standard size doesn't fit, then they could work directly from your measurements, which could be a good option.  

I've gotten a dress from them before. I got it for $7.52 plus $25 shipping. It was here in under two weeks and it's true to size chart. They're a very professional company that aim to please. I live in the US, the dress came in with about seven pages of documents taped to the front but it did come through with no problem. Hasn't torn or anything (even with many falls in an awful practice runthrough of my program in an exhibition I did), and it came with a whole baggy of replacement crystals.

[pikachu314]

Oooh, Sierra, do you think you could post (or PM me if you don't want to put it out here) the name of the ebay seller that you were most happy with? The prices are good, and the dresses are gorgeous but I don't want to risk it on a frustrating experience with the fit like my last dress. I'd be so much happier if I could have a reccomendation 

[icefrog]

One thing I noticed from those companies is that they all sell similar designs. I have a neighbor that does pageants and I have made dresses (Like Toddler and Tiara style and yes I'm just the dress maker I think they're weird too I don't participate and my future children never will. The beading and design is similar to beading skating dresses and I'm pretty good and doing both.)

I ordered them from Chinese ebay sellers. All the shells are the same and they all come from the same place. I think I have ordered 3 and whenever I would ask a question they would be answered by the same person. I even asked the woman if she was **** from ****** and she said yes.

I'm wondering if the skating dresses are the same. There are a few styles that they all seem to carry and their listings are very similar. I've also seen Imperial Skatewear dresses being sold and I wonder if the factory makes dresses for big name skatewear companies. Just a thought.

[aussieskater]

One thing I noticed from those companies is that they all sell similar designs.I ordered them from Chinese ebay sellers. All the shells are the same and they all come from the same place.

Over the last few years, I have bought several basic dresses for me and my DDs, from a number of Ebay sellers.  All cost $30 in my mailbox ($5 bidding war plus $25 postage) - I can't even buy the fabric for that!  They all had a swing tag marked Ice Fairy, no matter who was the listed Ebay seller.

First the good:

They were made to measurements, and the bodices were fully lined.  Also, I was able to order them without crystals, which was good as their crystals are not high quality.

I discovered you could ask to change the colour to another colour in the seller's range (look at the seller's Ebay shop to see their colours).  I'm not sure if they still do this, so if you want a different colour, you should check with them first before committing to buy.

Now the less good:

The briefs of the dresses were an odd shape - it was almost impossible to tell which was the front and which was the back.  I ended up recutting and re-elasticating the briefs of the adult size dress I bought.  They may have changed their shape in the couple of years since I bought one.

In relation to fabric & colour choices, they weren't very good at matching chiffon to lycra or velvet, particularly to velvet.  Black was OK, but red, blue and purple velvet leotards had oddly matched chiffon skirts attached.  I learned to ask them to make the skirt out of the same fabric as the leotard, and this eliminated the problem.

[Sierra]

The username I specifically bought from was bjchengjie.
There's a bunch from the same company, so I'd imagine they're all pretty much the same. You can identify the ones that are at the same company as bjchengjie because the presentation page is the same. I have my eye on another dress from them that I absolutely love and will definitely buy it as soon as it's listed for cheap.

[Sk8tmum]

There is a Canadian Company - Sixo Skatewear - that I've seen available thru US retail and online outlets. They make "tall" sizes in dresses, which are longer in the torso and longer in the skirt, but, otherwise normally sized. Their tall pants, BTW, are also great for long-legged skaters who don't want to have to wear too-big pants to get long enough legs.

Their dresses are very well made, very well designed, and are reasonably priced.  The cut is good, and we're never had any complaints about the quality; the finishing and detailing are more than acceptable. They are generally "unstoned" too, which we like as we prefer to stone our own.

Oh yes - the panties are properly cut for a skater.

[pikachu314]

Thanks, Sierra, Ice frog, aussieskater!

That explains quite a lot about how they all have the same photos  I think I've come round to liking the idea of buying from ebay! Its amazing you can get them for so cheap!

I'm looking out for the perfect dress still - but thank you for the idea of asking them to make the skirt in the same material; that is a really good idea. You say the stones are not high quality - are they noticeably bad, or just not dazzlingly good? It's hard to tell from the photos sometimes.

Thanks everyone!

[skatersmom29]

That purple dress is beautiful!  Glad you found something!

My daughter has a long torso, too, so that's good to know for the future.  Thanks!

[bollyskater]

That purple dress is beautiful!  Glad you found something!

My daughter has a long torso, too, so that's good to know for the future.  Thanks!

Thanks! I'm very excited about it.

Although ... this thread is keeping my attention on the idea of the perfect dress for a long torso. Thanks to comments above, I found this customizing tool from Sixo, and have made about 35 variations of things I could like.
http://www.sixoactivewear.com/designer/

For example:

,



and

.

[pikachu314]

Yeah, I love this thread! It's good to know I'm not the only one. . .

[PinkLaces]

I have ordered from bjchengjie too.  In fact, I ordered a number of dresses for an ice show 2 years ago.  Be careful with anything that looks navy or red.  I'd verify the color with them.  The navy turned out to be black and the red was more of an orange.  Not that it really mattered that much. 

I have this dress in turquoise by Sharene http://www.shareneskatewear.com/shoppe/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=55 I wear a beige bra underneath and it can't be seen.  I skated in a competition with another skater last year.  One the medal stand we laughed, because she had the same dress in black with one long sleeve.

[pikachu314]

I have this dress in turquoise by Sharene http://www.shareneskatewear.com/shoppe/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=55

That dress is gorgeous!  *jealous face*

Thanks for the info about the colours as well!