The current generation of figure skaters is "probably trending more towards the tasteful rather than vulgar" in regards to their choice of costumes, but "fashion crimes continued apace" during the ice dancing competition at Sochi, according to Rosie DiManno of the TORONTO STAR. That is not to say that there were not "hysterical miscues in the earlier pairs event and no doubt the women’s singles next on tap will also provide some Hall of Shame ensembles." Figure skating is "as much about the presentation ... as the athleticism." That presentation "encompasses difficult to quantify factors such as musicality and expression" as well as costumes. Most skaters at the elite level "hire high-profile costume specialists," but the sport has gotten away from a "costly haute couture period in the ’90s and early 2000s" when famed designers Vera Wang, Christian Lacroix and Georgio Armani created costumes for competitors (TORONTO STAR, 2/18). USATODAY.com's Mike Foss and Rubie Edmondson reviewed the "horror show that is ice dancing fashion." Edmondson said of a German couple, "I just feel kind of bad he got stuck in a sweater vest and she gets to look like J-Lo circa 2000." Foss said one female Turkish skater in a bejeweled dress was "looking like an iPhone app." Edmondson added, "It reminded me of 'Project Runway' when they make them make an entire dress out of things you might find at a candy shop." Meanwhile, Edmondson said of an Italian pair's '50s themed outfits, "Maybe they're just servers at Johnny Rockets and they're on their way to work afterwards." Foss said there is a "lot of sparkly junk on the American shirts." Foss: "But let's be honest: We're going to see all that sparkly junk at the 'Antiques Roadshow' in like two years and it's going to be worth millions" (USATODAY.com, 2/17).
NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS: In Miami, Michelle Kaufman writes while figure skating "requires tremendous athleticism," it is, "at the end of the day, a show." A typical skating dress for an Olympian "can be covered in up to 40,000 beads and cost $1,000 to $5,000." The designers and seamstresses "who make these outfits watch competitions nervously, praying there won’t be any broken straps, broken zippers or loose beads." Atlanta-based designer Brad Griffies, who designed the costumes for U.S. skater Gracie Gold and a French pairs team, said that "most people probably don’t realize Gold had a costume glitch last week during the long program of the Olympic team competition." Griffies, who is a former skater, "anticipates costume problems that could arise and designs his costumes with those in mind." He said of the process of creating a costume, "It’s very tedious, but it’s really cool to turn on the Olympics and see your costumes out there" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/19).
YOU BETTER WORK IT: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Betsy McKay writes NBCSN figure skating analysts Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are "taking their Olympic commentating debut to a new level." Their outfits are "coordinated," with "pink jackets (hot pink for him, light pink for her), sequins, lace T-shirts, not to mention tiaras and chunky necklaces" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/19).
