I absolutely love to watch figure skating. I am glued to the internet during the competitive season; getting the statistics on each event, analyzing the favorites and making predictions on who is going to win. It's a bit addicting and loads of fun. One of my favorite parts is (duh! ;) the costumes! There's certain skaters that you just know will always be impeccably dressed (Sasha Cohen was an expert - I always got excited whenever she debuted a new outfit); and then there are others that you can count on looking like a disaster.
I know that the subject of whether or not skating costumes are immodest can be highly debated, but I'm just going to share my love of the sport (and it's fashion) by showcasing some of the applause-worthy offerings at last weekend's U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Nothing like a bit of "icy" inspiration!
Alissa Czisny was crowned the new ladies champ and was truly a delight to behold. She is a beautiful, elegant skater with a lovely personality (hey! Her favorite celeb is Audrey Hepburn - I guess she got something right!). Her short program costume (left) fit her "Swan" program beautifully. I'm not a huge fan of the strapless skating dresses with "nude" fabric up top, but I think she pulls this off very nicely and I just love the ice-blue feathers creeping up the bodice.
Alissa's free skate gown (right) was a work of art on an evening where everyone else seemed to have left their fashion-sense at the hotel. I love the multiple layers (and colors) of the skirt and the rich detail and draping over the bodice. I'd give her a 6.0 if the old judging system was still around. :P
Although the free skate was lacking in "pretties", the short program had some delicious gowns. Caroline Zhang (left) was my pick for the best dress. I have a love affair with blue and the gold accents suit it so well and complement this graceful skater beautifully - she's one of my favorites.
Defending champion Mirai Nagasu (center) had a unique dress, which I also thought was very cute and age appropriate. Her performances were truly inspiring. After going through a growth spurt and injury this year, she managed to overcome tears at the beginning of her free skate and end a brilliant effort with a huge smile.
The pictures I saw of Ashley Wagner's (right) costumes failed to impress me, but they were quite a different thing "live". The fabrics and details were stunning. I think the only thing she should have changed was the proportion - especially in the free skate. Here, I think the skirt could have been dyed to match the dress better and the effect would have been nicer without the flowy-ness of the sleeves. I'm looking forward to seeing how she comes together over the next year - her skating has matured beautifully since last season.
I didn't watch the men's competition this year, so I hope you'll forgive the lack of their costumes and allow me to skip directly to pairs and ice dancing, which are favorites of mine. Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker became pairs champions for the second time in a row, skating a lovely program to excerpts from "West Side Story" (which is always fab, btw). Gentlemen's costumes can be hard, but I think that Rockne's coordinates well without matching too closely. Keauna's dress is just gorgeous (I love orange and peachy shades) with the gold rhinestones and unique sleeves. And she skated very well for someone who was sick with the flu!
Lastly, two of my favorites practically soared to ice dancing gold with an incredible "Samson and Delilah" free skate. Meryl Davis and Charlie White have great fashion taste, IMHO, and are just so cute. :) This ethereal gold creation that Meryl is wearing is one of my favorites - the embroidery is absolutely amazing and the skirt is masterfully draped. I can't make up my mind as to whether I like the costume Charlie wore earlier in the season best, or this new one...perhaps I'll never know. ;)
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I'll try and squeeze in a post later this week. There's a big weekend ahead of us (Bekah and Michael's mega shower) and lots to do...
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