0 Figure Skating Fashion Minute: 2012 US Figure Skating Championships--The Ladies

Figure Skating Fun:

Arrival Pose: Nick Verreos at the San Jose, CA International Airport

After blogging about the Figure Skating Fashion for the last 2 seasons here on my blog, I decided it was time to see some of these costumes "Up Close" and since the Nationals were almost in my backyard--well, almost--an hour away by plane in San Jose, CA...

I, along with my partner, David Paul (who LOVES himself some figure skating!) decided to make a weekend of it! Yes, we hopped on a Horizon/Alaska Airlines propeller plane at LAX and an hour later, we were in San Jose....to go to the 2012 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Prudential 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, HP Pavilion San Jose California

This years Nationals were being held at the HP Pavilion and yes, we bought tickets for all of the weekend high-profile events--including the Ladies Finals, Pairs, Ice Dance and Men's short and Long Programs. This is like the "Miss USA" of figure skating...and very very important!!!

Skating Goddess: 9-time US National Champion, 5-time World Champion, 2-time Olympic Medalist Michelle Kwan, 2012 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships "Hall of Fame" Induction Ceremony

I was so excited to attend the Ladies Final Competition--which was held this past Saturday--and as part of the afternoon's event at the HP Pavilion, there was a very special (and a big highlight for me) Induction Presentation of Michelle Kwan into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. She wore a bright silk satin mustard yellow top and black skirt during this ceremony and actually got teary as all the congratulatory video montages played on the HUGE overhead pavilion screens.

Now, let's get to the Ladies Final and The Costumes!!!

The Top Four: Left to Right--Alissa Czisny (Silver) Ashley Wagner (Gold), Agnes Zawadzki (Bronze), Caroline Zhang (Pewter), 2012 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships HP Pavilion

Gold Medalist Ashley Wagner: I LOVED Ashley's Free Skate costume. She skated to "Music from Black Swan" and yes, this is one of my favorite costumes of the entire season. The one-shoulder embroidered lace applique with beaded detail design is both elegant and directional.

Ashley Wagner--Short Program: For her Short Program, she skated to "Music from the Pollock Soundtrack" and wore a red halter neckline costume with rhinestones. It's pretty, it "pops" on the ice and appropriate for the music and theme.

Agnes Zawadzki--Long Program: Agnes was First Place after her Short Program but received the Bronze Medal after the Free Skate. For her Free Program, she skated to "Rhapsody In Blue" By George Gershwin and wouldn't you know it...she wore a royal/electric blue costume with a one-shoulder/band mock-neck silhouette design with yes, lots of crystals. On the ice, this costume really stood out and look fabulous!

Agnes Zawadzki--Short Program Costume: For her Short Program, Agnes skated to "Harlem Nocturne" and "Whatever Lola Wants" wearing a similar one-shoulder/band neckline costume--but in deep violet. I like that she knows how important these strong colors are, especially on "stage". Up close, these costumes do look about five minutes away from looking too "Figure Skating Betty" however, it somehow works on Agnes. The colors work really well against her skin tone and hair color. On that note, I love that she keeps her hairstyle in an elegant side-parted chignon each time.

Alissa Czisny--Long Program: OK, I will have to get this one off my chest right now: I wasn't a fan of this costume. There, I said it! Alissa--whom I love--and I was "pulling for her"--got the Silver Medal after her Free Skate to "La Valse Triste" by Jean Sibelius. The costume was a little too lingerie/corsetry-looking for my taste. It was "Trashy Lingerie"-ish. On a good note: it had "hints" of Rodarte--the much-praised High Fashion brand everyone and Anna Wintour just LUVS--however, it fell a bit short for me, in terms of impact. I am not a fan of the long skirts for Ladies Figure Skating and well, the entire look was not impacting enough.

Alissa Cizisny--Short Program: For her Short Program, she skated to "La Vie en Rose" from the Sabrina soundtrack and wore this elegant rose-pink boatneck sleeveless costume with all-over crystals. I liked this--it was classic and serene. And the thin belt at the waist is soooo "Red Carpet"-ready! The back is covered in Silver Crystals and is absolutely breathtaking. The photos do not do this costume justice.

Mirai Nagasu---Short Program: Mirai skated to "Danzarin" Tango Lorca to her Short Program. This costume looked like something one could buy off the rack--from one of the skating shops in the Arena. And kids, that's not a good thing--especially for the Nationals. She need to "Bring It On" and for me, she didn't. I can design--and sew this costume--in my sleep!

Caroline Zhang: Pewter Medalist Caroline Zhang wore on of my TOP costumes of the Ladies Final Championships. It was a black number featuring original beading detail under her bust and framing her torso. She skated her Free Skate to "Allegro Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104-1" in this and it worked seamlessly into the performance. Tres Chic Caroline!

Rachael Flatt: One of my favorite figure skaters, Rachael Flatt--skated to the "Firebird Suite" from The Firebird by Stravinsky for her Long Program/Free Skate. She changed her costume and showcase this new design at the US Nationals. Here is the one she wore before. I liked the multicolored beading that (I am assuming) was supposed to mimic feathers of a bird. The colors, design and crystals--they all looked well-made and expensive. But, the best part of her costume came at the end of her performance--during the "Kiss-And-Cry", when she put on a "Stanford University" (the college she attends) cap. Soooo CUTE! Go Miss Rachael!

Click Below for "Figure Skating Chat" with Jimmy Nguyen and Nick Verreos--Previewing the Ladies Final:

Click Below for "Figure Skating Chat" with Jimmy Nguyen and Nick Verreos--Recap'ing Ladies Final Competition:

0 Figure Skating Costume Question: White Skates vs. Beige Skates?

The Great (Figure Skating) Debate: White, Beige or Skin Tone Tights Over The Boots?

La Perfect Michelle: Michelle Kwan skating in...White Skates

Just in time for the final Grand Prix of Figure Skating Competition, which is occurring as I type in Beijing China, I began an email discussion with one of my Figure Skating "gals", the beautiful Courtney Prince, who skated professionally for a while but now owns the Jewelry Design company, Doloris Petunia. She emailed me asking "White Skates or Beige Skates?" She wanted my Fashion Designer (and Figure Skating fan) opinion. Her argument was that wearing beige skates made the skater look, well, a bit less professional.

So naturally, I said "I need to post a BLOG about this" and see what other people think. And I also decided to take it another step further and add: "Well, what about beige tights over the skating boots?". Why would Figure Skaters decide one versus the other.

Is wearing beige skates more of a statement of "I'm not traditional"? And finally, covering the entire leg--and boot--in skin-tone tights, would that be more to elongate the figure, especially for some skaters who well, might not be so height-inclined? White Skates seem to be the de-rigueur and more traditional choice for Ladies Figure Skaters throughout the years.
This changed in the late 80's when more and more professional figure skaters began to buck the "White Skate" rule and go for the beige ones. And then toward the late 90's, and early 2000's, we began to see the all-over skin-tone/beige tights over the skates look as well.

I went back in time and looked at iconic--and very fabulous Ladies Figure Skaters and what they wore:

White Skating Boot Queens:

In 1968 , Peggy Fleming won the Olympic Gold, wearing White Skates. She looked elegant and very "Mad Men" Figure Skater!!

Dorothy Hamill became the 1976 Olympic Champion...in White Skates. I see a pattern here: If you go to the Olympics, and want to win the Gold, ,maybe White Skates is your secret "boot" ticket. On Hamill, they were the perfect accessory since her costume had white-ish sequin trim on the neckline and sleeve of her red costume. Looking at these two icons of Figure Skating and thinking about costumes in 2010/2011, wearing White Boots might seem a bit "Retro", n'est pas?

In the 1992 Albertville Olympics, France's Surya Bonaly, caused a major ESCANDALO, when she refused to wear tights(!). My Figure Skating "Research Assistant" tells me that Danskin only makes tights in "never seen the sun" ballerina cream or "toast"(tan-a-rama!), so I can see why Bonaly just never wore tights when she competed (she just couldn't find a pair to match her skin tone). She still opted for the traditional White Skates--to go with her non-traditional glitzy over-the-top costumes.

Two years later, at the 1994 Winter Olympics, there was Miss Tonya Harding and her infamous broken boot lace incident. Yep, she wore White Skates and they coordinated well with her costume. They were the "Stars" of this Olympic boot lace incident, as well as the fact that her skates had GOLD blades. This was considered a bit on the tacky side and trust me kiddies, it was a topic of discussion amongst many a figure skating competition-watching party!

Beige Queens:

In the same year, Olympic Gold-medal Winner Oksana Baiul, who represented the Ukraine defeated USA's Nancy Kerrigan in (Oh No She Didn't!): Beige Skating Boots (I know, shut the front door!). I remember then thinking "Boy them beige skates are odd!". If I am not mistaken, I think she was the only figure skater to compete in the Olympics wearing BEIGE SKATES! (I'm sure I could be wrong and my dear readers will be sure to tell me so!)

In the early 2000's, we began to see the beige-tights-over-skates trend more. Exhibit A: Sarah Hughes, 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist. Hughes wore the beige tights over the skates look with her sequined lilac costume.

Exhibit B: In 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino (of which I actually went to!), Sasha Cohen skated in skin-tone tights over her boots, as well. Sasha, of course is known for her LONG lines and UNBELIEVABLE leg extensions. So in her case, it does make sense to cover the entire leg in skin-tone, in order to exaggerate even more the length of her lines. So what is the trend now, in 2010/2011?

What's The Trend Now: The 2010 Grand Prix Ladies

Italy's Carolina Kostner--and Roberto Cavalli-costumed muse--wore White Ice Skates in her winning Grand Prix performance. I loved the costume and had no problem with them. Kostner is a tall skater (compared to the others) and therefore doesn't need an elongation to her already lengthy legs. They also go just right with her asymmetrical costume. I just have a problem with her too-dark tights! (Are those "toast" by Danskin???)

Japan's Akiko Suzuki, on the other hand, wears the beige-tights-over-ice-skates, for her Grand Prix series look. Akiko is only 5 feet 2 inches and so it is understandable that she doesn't want to add anything to break the length of her leg-lines. For some reason, though, it looks very "bulky" down by the ankle. It would almost be better with just the white boots...

The stunning Barbie Doll-like Kiira Korpi from Finland, opts for the White Skates. Korpi looks like a figure skater from the 1960's, and from head to toe, she exudes a Retro vibe. So it makes perfect sense for her to go for the White Skates as opposed to the all-beige-leg look.

And finally, there's Rachael Flatt, from the USA, who chooses beige tights over the skates, as opposed to the White Skates. So, it seems that the great debate over "Which one is better?" or "Which is more Professional Looking?" will continue. I think, it all depends on the skater, the costume, and also the height of the skater. Shorter competitors should probably opt for the beige tight/skate look, while if you want to be more on the "Peggy Fleming/Dorothy Hamill" end--and be more "traditional"--then go for the White Skates.

Although for me there is one deal breaker and that is the Olympics. I am siding with a White Skate only policy. To me it is almost like not wearing a White Tennis Outfit to Wimbledon! For the Gran-daddy of all Sports and for photos that will appear for an eternity, classic white is always the answer!

What do you think?