<p>Is the sport of figure skating due for a makeover? Gotta love (loathe? laugh at?) the costumes in this article:
<a href=“The Case Against Fancy Figure-Skating Outfits - The Atlantic”>The Case Against Fancy Figure-Skating Outfits - The Atlantic;
<p>What do you suggest to improve the credibility of figure skating as a sport? Standard uniform? Mens pairs event?</p>
<p>I agree that some outfits are totally over the top. My bias is anything that needs an explanation by the commentators is too much. (I espcially hate most men’s costumes.) BTW, I was just talking about this last weekend with dh. He said this is part of the “art” of figure skating.</p>
<p>I don’t really think figure skating needs to do anything to “improve the credibility of the sport.” Who thinks figure skating isn’t a credible sport? </p>
<p>On a related note, I love Tara Lypinski and Johnny Weir’s coverage of all things figure skating. I think they’re doing an incredible job.</p>
<p>I thought it would be about safety issues - like the “malfunction” during this performance:</p>
<p><a href=“Maia and Alex Shibutani overcome wardrobe malfunction in Olympic free dance”>Maia and Alex Shibutani overcome wardrobe malfunction in Olympic free dance;
<p>Most of ice skating, in my opinion, is not a “sport” it is a competition and an athletic endeavor because there is too much subjective judging going on. Same with the aerials and pipe sports and any other athletic event that has an subjective element bordering on interpretation. If they just counted 180 degree spins throughout the duration or how high one gets tossed in the air (and this applies equally to ice skating and aerial and pipe sports)it all might make sense. Don’t get me wrong they are great entertainment, but not sure they line of with my idea of what constitutes a sport. Simply making them dress the same doesn’t make any difference in the scoring. Which begs the question I asked my husband the other night and that was “why don’t they have an Olympic uniform”. Neither of us could think of any other sport where the athletes didn’t have an Olympic uniform that helps identify them from the Germans or Norwegians or the Russians, etc. </p>
<p>Re: uniforms in other sports. The Swedish slope style skier did not have much identifying him as a member of the Swedish team until his pants fell off during one of his runs to reveal his blue and yellow colored undies. :D</p>
<p><a href=“http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/sweden-s-henrik-harlaut-loses-pants-during-men-s-ski-slopestyle-1392282924-slideshow/;_ylt=A0SO8zloBAVTWAIAGN1XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzc2EyMjZiBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDM3OV8x”>http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/sweden-s-henrik-harlaut-loses-pants-during-men-s-ski-slopestyle-1392282924-slideshow/;_ylt=A0SO8zloBAVTWAIAGN1XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzc2EyMjZiBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDM3OV8x</a></p>
<p>LOL! What a riot.</p>
<p>Let’s all be thankful that the snowboarders have uniforms and can’t get all too creative with their outfits!</p>
<p>I’m for figure skating being simplified and having the athletes perform in a standard country uniform, like gymnasts do. People will cry about it, but it will give some validity to the sport. And then no one has to worry about tripping over a sequin!</p>
<p>Lots of women skaters look fabulous when practicing in leggings and a t shirt or tank top.</p>
<p>The chartreuse dress Yu Na Kim wore for the short program today was pretty awful as colors go.</p>
<p>Why are they just so god-awfully tacky, though? I recognize the need for stage makeup that projects, but it’s SO overdone, especially the bright red clown lipstick they all seem to be wearing. There’s a lot to be said for the Nancy Kerrigan type of look in that article - a clean, elegant looking simple costume instead of something ticky-tacky that looks like bad pageant wear. Why does the aesthetic have to be so cheap? There’s nothing elegant, ever, about gobs of sequins. </p>
<p>^^^^^Those jungle costumes in the article are the best illustration of theatrics gone mad. Yikes.</p>
<p>Too many terrible shades of pink in the ice dancing this year. Too pale and the color blends in with skin tones (no skaters were dark enough to provide contrast)- need vibrancy, not washed out/pastels. As for hair and makeup- overdone for summer gymnastics as well.</p>
<p>I liked Kim’s dress today. I’m not a fan of asymmetrical flames of color and bling, or of plunging necklines. I didn’t like Meryl Davis’s costume in the dance final, too much bejeweling. I’d prefer men to wear athletic pants and workout tees but that’s never going to happen lol. </p>
<p>Well, it does provide an entertainment break from the knuckle biting of the sporting events although it never holds my attention very long. Maybe they will add dance squads or competitive cheerleading to the summer sports to add some entertainment to the summer games to balance out the track and field. But yes, why don’t they have a uniform for the Olympics?</p>
<p>“I’d prefer men to wear athletic pants and workout tees but that’s never going to happen lol.”</p>
<p>In the past, some male skaters used to perform in simple pants/tee costumes. Clean lines and classy! Sequins… you need to have a special charm to be a l to pull off that look. No one can do sequins and glitter like Johnny! 
Love that kid! :)</p>
<p>People seem to enjoy focusing on the tacky or over-the-top costumes in figure skating, but many of them are quite beautiful and have a couture quality. The pairs skater Tatiana Volsozhar had a delicious period influenced dress for the short program, though some might have found it too pale. The ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White are alwa</p>
<p>Having a little trouble posting a reply. Sorry. Here’s the full text of what I meant to say:</p>
<p>People seem to like commenting on the tacky or over- the-top costumes in figure skating, but many of them are quite beautiful and have couture quality. The pair skater Tatiana Volosozhar has a delicious period style dress for the short program this year, though some might find it too pale. The ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White are always tastefully and appropriately costumed for their programs, likewise the ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. My absolute favorites though are ice dancers Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte. They use beautiful fabrics and their costumes look like real clothes.</p>
<p>As for the make up, I think there’s a disconnect between how much is needed for the arena and how much is needed for television. Substantial make up is needed for the arena, or the skaters just fade into the ice–but a television close up of the same skater with the same make up can make her look like Norma Desmond. Ballerina’s wear similar amounts of make up when they perform, but we don’t generally get to count their individual false eyelashes on a television screen.</p>
<p>They should ban that horrible acid yellow-green! Maybe it does show up better in a large rink? Because it looks radioactive?</p>
<p>I think the sport would be a lot more exciting if they sent the dancing pairs down the bobsled chute while they did their routines. I’d pay to watch that.</p>
<p>^Lol, then they could put the hockey players in dance pair outfits. And why not Michael Phelps doing a Polar Bear swim? </p>