Seriously, who designs the figure skater's outfits?

[Corie]

The men's figure skaters wore some crazy outfits.

A sailor outfit, farmer overalls, etc.

I always loved the Vera Wang outfit that Nancy Kerrigan wore.
So classy.

I don't get the bird gloves that Evan Lysacek wore. I kept thinking
of the Raven.

[billysmommy]

DH and I were just talking about that!!! We saw the farmer one last night and then we just saw the commercial Evan's bird feather gloves.

[kozachka]

I loved Evan Evan Lysacek's outfit, it went really well with his music. I had lot of questions about Jonny Weir after seeing his performance and costume.

ETA: Evan's outfit was designed by Vera Wang in case you were wondering.

[DrSally]

I know! We were laughing the other night about it.

[ohiomom]

My piano teacher this morning was lamenting the missed opportunity of describing the music choices of the skaters to the TV audience. He was skating to Firebird by Igor Stravinski. The costume was all about the music.

[Corie]

My piano teacher this morning was lamenting the missed opportunity of describing the music choices of the skaters to the TV audience. He was skating to Firebird by Igor Stravinski. The costume was all about the music.


I agree with your piano teacher! This would be nice to know. In my mind,
he is skating around the ice to some weird song with bird gloves on.

[jenfromnj]

Vera Wang designed Evan Lysacek's outfits--there was a segment about it this morning on the Today Show. They showed one of their consultations, he freaked out at her suggestion to use silver feathers, LOL.

I agree though, the costumes are a bit, shall we say "out there".

[Corie]

Vera Wang designed Evan Lysacek's outfits--there was a segment about it this morning on the Today Show. I agree though, the costumes are a bit, shall we say "out there".


You are kidding me!! The outfit for me was so-so. I didn't like the gloves.

[BabyMine]

The men's figure skaters wore some crazy outfits.

A sailor outfit, farmer overalls, etc.

I always loved the Vera Wang outfit that Nancy Kerrigan wore.
So classy.

I don't get the bird gloves that Evan Lysacek wore. I kept thinking
of the Raven.

Vera Wang also did Evan's outfit. I didn't get it either. I didn't notice it until he had finished and they showed a close up. Man is he cute close up.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/wmaq/news/newsid=424695.html

Weir has been getting death threats about his use of fur used in his costumes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/johnny-weir-ditches-fox-f_n_441723.html

[SnuggleBuggles]

They cracked me up. Loved their sequins and bedazzles. :)

Beth

[DrSally]

My piano teacher this morning was lamenting the missed opportunity of describing the music choices of the skaters to the TV audience. He was skating to Firebird by Igor Stravinski. The costume was all about the music.

Ah! Good point.

[mom2binsd]

I totally agree with the OP!

As a former figure skater and huge fan I really wish the men would tone down the costumes. It gets hard to defend skating as the true athletic sport that it is when you've got guys skating in Party City skeleton getups and black and pink dominatrix unitards (Johnny Weir last night).

Back in 1984 Scott Hamilton refused to wear any type of sequins, and went with a simple color blocked almost ski suit looking outfit. I got to hang out with Scott at the 84 world's in Ottawa, I was assigned to be a runner for the men/had to make sure the dressing room had juice, tissues etc. and would "run" and get things the skaters needed-Scott was hilarious, and ended up giving me all his flowers after the long program-he's one cool guy!!!

The costume is part of the entire "package" and should compliment the music, ala red and black lace dresses when the ladies skate to Carmen. Hair, makeup, it's all part of the look. Evegeny Pleshenko's hair is another thing...I mean come on, get a hair cut!!! Sasha Cohen is one skater who always looks perfect, dress, hair, makeup, clean skates! Watch the skates of some European skaters, they are notorious for not cleaning their skates before competitions (my dad was so good at getting my skates so white, he's stay up polishing the night before competitions.)

The men, they've lost their minds lately...and the use of gloves in the past was a huge no no....I think it gives them security when skating but it looks silly. Evan's outfit was ok, the feathers could have been a little more understated. The Greek zorba outfit looked like the guy from the freecreditreport.com commercials who works in the seafood restaurant.

[Corie]

Evegeny Pleshenko's hair is another thing...I mean come on, get a hair cut!!!


Is he the guy with the mullet?

[Sheila]

I get that the costumes are supposed to go with the music but OMG the farmer?! I could not take him seriously when I saw that outfit! I thought it was very distracting. I actually felt bad for him having to wear it!
________
Lynx (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Mercury_Lynx)

[Corie]

I get that the costumes are supposed to go with the music but OMG the farmer?! I could not take him seriously when I saw that outfit! I thought it was very distracting. I actually felt bad for him having to wear it!


The kids and I were watching the men's figure skating today. I had tivoed
it. When the farmer came out and the music started, my DD said, Fast
forward.

[lchang25000]

They cracked me up. Loved their sequins and bedazzles. :)

Beth

:yeahthat:Looking forward to it again tom. night!

[mom2binsd]

Is he the guy with the mullet?

YUP...and NBC did that whole Russia vs USA behind the scenes story making him out to be some Russian mobster...

[mom2binsd]

I get that the costumes are supposed to go with the music but OMG the farmer?! I could not take him seriously when I saw that outfit! I thought it was very distracting. I actually felt bad for him having to wear it!

That looked like something from the old Ice Capades show days....totally inappropriate for a competition.

[jenfromnj]

I totally agree with the OP!

As a former figure skater and huge fan I really wish the men would tone down the costumes. It gets hard to defend skating as the true athletic sport that it is when you've got guys skating in Party City skeleton getups and black and pink dominatrix unitards (Johnny Weir last night).




Elvis Stojko gave an interview recently with salon.com where he criticized the current crop of male skaters for looking too "feminine", it seemed to in part hit on the same point you were making, mom2binsd:

http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2010/02/15/elvis_stojko_interview/index.html

[Laurel]

It gets hard to defend skating as the true athletic sport that it is when you've got guys skating in Party City skeleton getups and black and pink dominatrix unitards (Johnny Weir last night).


Why can't they be both athletic and in flamboyant costumes? Who says the two are mutually exclusive? Can't flamboyantly gay men like Johnny Weir also be athletes?

[kijip]

Why can't they be both athletic and in flamboyant costumes? Who says the two are mutually exclusive? Can't flamboyantly gay men like Johnny Weir also be athletes?

Word. Seriously, not all people fit the stereotypes our culture holds about gender and gender attributes. Being a gay man does not make anyone less of a man. Elvis's interview was pretty overtly homophobic. Gay is not a synonym for weak, stupid or bad.

Doesn't mean I like the costumes, I am not a fan of any kind of figure skating and have not seen any of the Olympics so far.

[blisstwins]

Why can't they be both athletic and in flamboyant costumes? Who says the two are mutually exclusive? Can't flamboyantly gay men like Johnny Weir also be athletes?

Exactly. I am also disgusted by the homophobia in this sport and am saddened by the grief given to Johnny Weir especially. Evan Lysachek is also a gay man (friends in the skating world have said this is common knowledge) yet they have portrayed him as the quarterback and pretty much manufactured a relationship between him and Tanith Belbin. Elvis and the Canadian Federation have also been guilty of bashing those who do not conform to conventional ideals of masculinity in sport. Johnny Weir wore that pink tassle as a statement. He has had a rough relationship with US Skating forever and you can hear it in the voice-overs. Makes me crazy.

[pastrygirl]

The kids and I were watching the men's figure skating today. I had tivoed it. When the farmer came out and the music started, my DD said, Fast forward.I had to fast forward through the sailer outfit. I couldn't stand to watch it!

[mom2binsd]

There are many openly gay men who are fantastic skaters, but once they are on the ice I think the skating should speak for itself, I don't think a Olympic or World Figure Skating Championship is the place for "statements". The costume should go with the music and whether it's an over-the-top flamboyant costume or just really ugly/inappropriate then it detracts from the skating. I don't know or care about the orientation of the skater wearing the farmer costume, but honestly it was just awful.

There have been times in the past that the skating federations have provided some guidelines as to what is appropriate for competition attire. Most other sports have strict guidelines as to exactly what the competitors can wear (skiing, speed skating, swimming), maybe all the figure skaters should wear a simple black dress or pants and shirt.

Both Brian Orser and Brian Boitano are just examples of gay men who displayed athleticism and grace without over the top costumes (for the most part, they both had a few that were a little much but related to the music, whereas Johnny's tassel was like someone said a "statement").

If you want to be flamboyant in your off ice personal life, no problem, but when you're in the public eye you've got to expect criticism, I mean look at Lady Gaga....she is waaaay over the top but obviously does that for attention. I know many gay men, skaters and otherwise who hate the "stereotype" that is often played on tv by actors and those that go out of their way to say look at me I'm gay). Figure skating is a sport that requires skill, dedication and lots of pure talent, and just like other sports which I'm sure have gay athletes, the athlete's sexual orientation should not be an issue.

Ya, Elvis has been homophobic in past statements which I don't agree with, I think he was trying to differentiate himself from the gay male skater mold. He didn't handle it with much grace, but Elvis was never about grace, and I guess that's his choice to speak his opinion.

[jse107]

I agree with your piano teacher! This would be nice to know. In my mind,
he is skating around the ice to some weird song with bird gloves on.

Yes. However, even if DH knew this, he would still ridicule the costume....he hates figure skating!

[mom2binsd]

I wish I could get the Canadian coverage, they are often a little more honest in their commentary, Debbie Wilkes in particular.

I also wish they'd go into more detail about the music. At one time they used to always say what the name of the music piece was, the coach and choreographer. I also hate how they don't often put the skaters name at the end of the performance, and then the text with the marks is so tiny it's hard to see.

[LarsMal]

. Evan Lysachek is also a gay man (friends in the skating world have said this is common knowledge)

NOOOOOOO!!!!! First Anderson Cooper, now this!!! I think Evan is such a cutie...there goes my fantasy! ;)

I love love love all figure skating. I don't care if they are gay,straight, or asexual. Just show me a great performance and I'm happy. The costumes for the short programs were a bit much. If Johnny wants to make a statement in pink, go for it. The farmer costume and the Skeletor costume...those designers should be fired!

Now...Johnny Weir's suggestive Lady Gaga routine- that one is a bit much for me! I was uncomfortable watching that performance when he did it at Nationals.

[AnnieW625]

I totally agree with the OP!

As a former figure skater and huge fan I really wish the men would tone down the costumes. It gets hard to defend skating as the true athletic sport that it is when you've got guys skating in Party City skeleton getups and black and pink dominatrix unitards (Johnny Weir last night).

Back in 1984 Scott Hamilton refused to wear any type of sequins, and went with a simple color blocked almost ski suit looking outfit. I got to hang out with Scott at the 84 world's in Ottawa, I was assigned to be a runner for the men/had to make sure the dressing room had juice, tissues etc. and would "run" and get things the skaters needed-Scott was hilarious, and ended up giving me all his flowers after the long program-he's one cool guy!!!

The costume is part of the entire "package" and should compliment the music, ala red and black lace dresses when the ladies skate to Carmen. Hair, makeup, it's all part of the look. Evegeny Pleshenko's hair is another thing...I mean come on, get a hair cut!!! Sasha Cohen is one skater who always looks perfect, dress, hair, makeup, clean skates! Watch the skates of some European skaters, they are notorious for not cleaning their skates before competitions (my dad was so good at getting my skates so white, he's stay up polishing the night before competitions.)

The men, they've lost their minds lately...and the use of gloves in the past was a huge no no....I think it gives them security when skating but it looks silly. Evan's outfit was ok, the feathers could have been a little more understated. The Greek zorba outfit looked like the guy from the freecreditreport.com commercials who works in the seafood restaurant.

You summed up my thoughts perfectly in regards to the costumes. No wonder Dick Button has sat out commentating on this Olympics, he'd be in the emergency room for the entire show if he was commentating. I have nothing against gay men (and women on the flip side who want to be seen as men; I have a childhood female friend who dresses like a man) and how they portray themselves as flamboyant if that's how they chose to live their lives, but if being a figure skater is going to be your career and you are competing with the best athletes world wide you really need to save the flamboyant outfits for the free dance on the final night of competition.

[Corie]

Yes. However, even if DH knew this, he would still ridicule the costume....he hates figure skating!


My DH has no interest in figure skating either. He reads his Sports Illustrated
while I watch.

[elektra]

My DH has no interest in figure skating either. He reads his Sports Illustrated
while I watch.

My own DH was lamenting about figure skating too. He was disappointed that figure skating had gone so far down hill- e.g. no more knee whacking, broken laces, or sex tapes. He said he misses the 90's. :hysterical:

[AnnieW625]

My own DH was lamenting about figure skating too. He was disappointed that figure skating had gone so far down hill- e.g. no more knee whacking, broken laces, or sex tapes. He said he misses the 90's. :hysterical:

He he. Nancy Kerrigan's Vera Wang outfit was litterally the most boring part of the 92 Olympics. I seriously thought I was the only teenage girl in America who just didn't like it.

[BabyMine]

[QUOTE=LarsMal;2632371]NOOOOOOO!!!!! First Anderson Cooper, now this!!! I think Evan is such a cutie...there goes my fantasy! ;)

[QUOTE]

:yeahthat: My thoughts exactly.

[elektra]

And in regards to the costumes- I am not a big fan of them either. And I don't think it has anything to do with being gay or straight. How "flamboyant" or "butch" you are isn't always an accurate indicator of who you sleep with, and it doesn't matter anyway. I have experienced this kind of categorization playing women's competitive sports and without getting into a whole analysis of that topic, I'll just sum it up as a non-issue in my book.
For me, I think it has to do with some of my bitterness on what constitutes a serious Olympic athletic competition. I personally think the fact that curling is an Olympic sport and softball isn't is a freaking joke. And I don't think farmer overalls or tassels belong in the Olympics. I get that the costumes are part of the artistry, and for whatever reason the women's costumes don't bother me at all (for the most part). The athletes are there to compete, not make personal statements. Just my take.
(And that moguls girl's pig tails just drove me nuts too, BTW.)

[arivecchi]

I don't mind flamboyant outfits or skaters. I do mind crappy flamboyant outfits. The JW one was just a fashion disaster any way you look at it.

[Corie]

He he. Nancy Kerrigan's Vera Wang outfit was litterally the most boring part of the 92 Olympics. I seriously thought I was the only teenage girl in America who just didn't like it.

So funny! That's one of my favorites of all time.

[codex57]

Errr, I thought it was common knowledge that there are tons of gay men in figure skating. Many openly. Shoot, when I was paying close attention, the game was to try and find the sneaky one who wasn't gay. My first inclination is to still assume they're gay until proven otherwise.

[Laurel]

I think the issue is that this is a sport that has always allowed for a certain degree of artistic expression. Either they go to national team uniforms like practically every other sport, or they have to allow choice in costumes. The fact that they even wear "costumes" says to me that this is a sport that is as much about artistry as athletics.

I also agree that this isn't so much about sexual orientation as it is about our discomfort when people step out of traditional gender constructs. Doesn't bother me a bit, but I know I am probably in the minority.

[catpagmo]

NOOOOOOO!!!!! First Anderson Cooper, now this!!! I think Evan is such a cutie...there goes my fantasy! ;)



What? Anderson Cooper is gay? Really? I had no idea. Oh man, I totally fell for him during the coverage of the Haiti earthquake. Love him!

[Laurel]

I don't mind flamboyant outfits or skaters. I do mind crappy flamboyant outfits. The JW one was just a fashion disaster any way you look at it.

I do agree with this :)

[Roni]

I totally agree with the OP!

As a former figure skater and huge fan I really wish the men would tone down the costumes. It gets hard to defend skating as the true athletic sport that it is when you've got guys skating in Party City skeleton getups and black and pink dominatrix unitards (Johnny Weir last night).

Back in 1984 Scott Hamilton refused to wear any type of sequins, and went with a simple color blocked almost ski suit looking outfit. I got to hang out with Scott at the 84 world's in Ottawa, I was assigned to be a runner for the men/had to make sure the dressing room had juice, tissues etc. and would "run" and get things the skaters needed-Scott was hilarious, and ended up giving me all his flowers after the long program-he's one cool guy!!!

The costume is part of the entire "package" and should compliment the music, ala red and black lace dresses when the ladies skate to Carmen. Hair, makeup, it's all part of the look. Evegeny Pleshenko's hair is another thing...I mean come on, get a hair cut!!! Sasha Cohen is one skater who always looks perfect, dress, hair, makeup, clean skates! Watch the skates of some European skaters, they are notorious for not cleaning their skates before competitions (my dad was so good at getting my skates so white, he's stay up polishing the night before competitions.)

The men, they've lost their minds lately...and the use of gloves in the past was a huge no no....I think it gives them security when skating but it looks silly. Evan's outfit was ok, the feathers could have been a little more understated. The Greek zorba outfit looked like the guy from the freecreditreport.com commercials who works in the seafood restaurant.

Oh, my head, I'm so jealous. I love Scott Hamilton. I got to meet him once (in 7th grade), and I was flying high for about a week. His show programs were always so hilarious, so I'm not surprised that he was funny. I was definitely thinking about his 1984 costume, as I saw all the over-the top outfits during the short program. I also thought the 2 Brians and Paul Wylie (another huge favorite of mine, and a class act), Todd Elderidge and Kurt Browning all used to have "normal" costumes in their performances. I agree about Sasha Cohen--she always looks polished. I skated when I was younger and do synchronized swimming now, and both sports kind of set themselves up to be made fun of when people go overboard with the costumes. I agree, the costumes should compliment the music but shouldn't be a distraction.

I know, what's up with the gloves? I wasn't a fan of Evan's feathers, but I'll give him a pass, since his skating was awesome. I also am not a fan of Johnny Weir's costume, but he did "rock the tassel". I might have missed some mistakes, but I thought he was underscored. And yes, Pleshenko totally needs a hair cut. I didn't mind the Greek Zorba outfit too much, since it did fit the music.

BTW, Nancy's Vera Wang outfit bothered me because I didn't think her mother would be able to see her with it on. I always thought she was supposed to wear dark colors so her mother could see her on the monitor. Other than that, it was pretty.

[pastrygirl]

Oh, my head, I'm so jealous. I love Scott Hamilton.:yeahthat: x 1,000! WOW! I love Kurt Browning, too. I used to call Paul Wylie "the showtunes guy." He seemed to always pick show tunes to skate to!

[Roni]

Yes, Paul was known for skating to show tunes. I like that better than some of the opera stuff that people do (except Carmen, that's classic, although overdone). I especially loved his "This is the Moment" exhibition routine. And the "Miss Saigon" routine he did with Nancy. There was a fan site dedicated to him that had the top ten reasons why he shouldn't quit skating and go to law school. One of the reasons had to do with the fact that no one interpreted show tunes as well as him. They also said that when he walked into court, they wouldn't announce "Olympic Silver Medalist Paul Wylie." Pretty funny! I was less surprised at his silver medal than a lot of people because I had seen him skate really well at Evening of Champions at Harvard, & I knew that if he didn't let his nerves get to him, he could compete with the best. I was so psyched when he came through at the Olympics.

Kurt Browning is my favorite non-American skater. He's so creative--like Scott.

[mom2binsd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXhe8DLDU58

Kurt's Brick House performance wearing the famous vinyl pants....one of my fav's!!!

[kijip]

Food for thought- in an artistic discipline (and figure skating certainly is a mix of athletics and art) any costume is a statement. A tuxedo. A brown shirt with brown pants. A replica of Scott Hamiliton's 1984 costume. Dressing like Charlie Chaplin. Dressing like GI Joe. Jeans and a t-shirt. A swam suit. Leather gear. Fur hats. Gloves. Corsets. Tassels. It's all a statement. You don't have to like it, it may be in poor taste, it may be ugly (in the eye of the beholder) but it's all a statement.

I think the only alternative is a standard uniform, like gymnastics or hockey. Which, would perhaps do a lot to increase the recognition of it as a sport. Still, crazy costumes and all, isn't figure skating one of the most popular spectator sports in the Olympics? I think the different costumes might be a part of it's popularity with non-athletes.

[mom2binsd]

This quote is taken from the International Skating Unions FAQ...regarding costumes. I remember Katarina's dress at the 84 World's, the black lace barely covered her nipples at times, my teenaged brother was working the sound booth and was thrilled!!!

8] What is the "Katarina Rule"?

This refers to the guidelines for skaters' costumes that were adopted after Katarina Witt showed up at the 1988 European championships wearing a skimpy showgirl costume trimmed with feathers, and no skirt. (Many people were dismayed by the increasing emphasis on theatrical costuming and displays of pulchritude, rather than athleticism.) As a result, ladies were required to wear skirts and pants "covering the hips and posterior" until this rule was repealed in 2004, allowing women to wear tights, trousers, or unitards in addition to skirts. Men are required to wear trousers and not tights. Clothing is also supposed to be free from "excessive decoration", such as feathers that can come loose and create a safety hazard on the ice.

[pastrygirl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXhe8DLDU58

Kurt's Brick House performance wearing the famous vinyl pants....one of my fav's!!!I think of him (and those pants) every time I hear that song! :ROTFLMAO: ETA: eeeeeek!!! That was FIFTEEN years ago!!! (This belongs in the "feeling old" thread...!)

[egoldber]

OK no opinion on this topic, but I love this phrase:


displays of pulchritude

:ROTFLMAO: