Best costumes-Ladies edition

Listen, if you're coming to this post looking for anything from the 90's era or earlier you will be sadly disappointed. That being said, here are some of my favorite skating costumes (ladies edition). Let me know if you have some faves of your own!


Ashley Wagner-bit of a controversial figure (get it-because she's a figure skater) but LORD she was the best dressed of them. The outfit on the right is from her "Sweet Dreams" program during the 2016-2017 season and it is EXQUISITO-the colors, the beading, the geometric shapes, the neckline, the fit with the music UGH. 
 I really tried not to pick the same skater more than once, but she had fire costumes ok! This outfit from Ashley was one she wore for her "Hip Hip Chin Chin" at Skate America in 2017. If I had this I would wear it every day-the color gradient, the cheetah pattern (but thankfully not a cheetah print), the cut-sensational.






The next 2 ladies are wearing (somewhat controversially) unitards. Or catsuits I guess. I honestly love a good figure skating catsuit. It can be really cool and sassy. Satoko Miyahara here is wearing this one for her 2019-2020 SP to "Egyptian disco" and...yea! I can kinda see it! The neckline is obviously the best part of this particular unitard but the black and the beading is well done.
 
Carolina Kostner has had quite the career, and you'd think in that time-as one of the tallest and longest lined person in figure skating she would've worn more catsuits. Why not! Look at this picture, she makes it look so good! Not to mention, this was the 1 and only time she won a world title-I'm just saying maybe the pants had some kind of magical powers or something. This is from her 2011-2012 Free skate to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23. Is this outfit saying classical music to me? Not particularly-but sometimes a good outfit is just good and doesn't need to be an expression of the music. 

Sigh. You may know by now I'm a Michelle, not a Tara. Particularly true now that Tara Lipinski is a commentator...a commentator whose words are less preferable to silence but ANYWHO. This outfit, many will recall from her 1998 Free skate to The Rainbow. And even I have to admit, for a 15 year old, this outfit was impeccable. For a 90's outfit it's remarkably elegant and timeless. The color is great on her and the beading is amazing. I almost chose her SP to "Anastasia" because what young girl in 1998 wasn't a huge fan of that movie (I'm still a big fan at 32), but you can't deny this one had staying power-I wouldn't be surprised to hear Yu Na Kim's designer for her 2010 Free Skate based the outfit on this one.

This is Maria Sotskova in her 2018 FS to Swan Lake. Honestly, kudos to her for not going full bird as so many others have done. I get it, it's a ballet about a swan, but you don't have to BE a swan every time. Re-interpret the music! Make it yours! Allow me to step down off my soap box and say what a great color this is, apparently I'm a big fan of the neckline that looks like an insane necklace but she looks great, no ragrets. 


You may be noticing a pattern in my choices-lots of blue, lots of nicely done color gradients. I can't help it! This one from Miki Ando is SO good I even let the blue illusion netting of the bodice/arms slide! The gradient and beading is so great. Miki had some real bad outfits in her competitive career (seriously, Google "Miki Ando Cleopatra" and tell me your eyes don't burn after). I actually can't figure out what competition or season this is from-so I can't comment on how well it matches the music. Nevertheless she looks stunning and it's a win. 

Sasha Cohen was another iconicly costumed skater. So much so that I had to include both of her 2006 Olympics programs. The SP is to "Dark Eyes" and the FS is to "Romeo and Juliet." Both are *chef's kiss. The short program one is perfect for Dark Eyes which is actually a Russian folk song-the colors are great, the skirt and the gold coins on the bodice incapsulate the folk aspect perfectly. The Romeo and Juliet music is much more classical ballet and I'm not mad at it! I think it was an interesting choice to go for a bold crimson, rather than white or pale pink or something like a lot of skaters would do. It says Romeo and Juliet without being too eye roll-y about it. 


Mao Asada is skating to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and like Kostner's unitard above, it doesn't necessarily embody the music to me. Then again, interpreting any of the music from the Romantic era is tricky-while it's beautiful it doesn't in itself express any story or particular emotion. It is then for the skater to find their own meaning and expression. What I love most about this outfit is the movement-which you can see really clearly in this still. Choosing a costume that compliments the skater's movements is another trick to really elevate the performance.

We conclude with Yu Na Kim. She embodies in this outfit (and in this pose) the consummate Bond girl and the color, beading-even the neckline and the side slit all adds to the mood she's creating and the performance. 

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