Spring competition season is practically here, and with that comes the perfect opportunity to show off that program you’ve been working so hard on! You’ve got the jumps, you nail the spins, and your footwork is sublime. All you need to polish off the performance and wow the judges is the perfect outfit… and that’s where we come in! At The Skater’s Edge we not only take care of your skates and edges, but we also want to help make your skating come to life with a stunning dress. Here’s our 5 top tips to selecting the perfect skating dress or skating outfit for your competition or event!
What kind of event are you skating in?
The first thing to consider is you need a dress or costume for what kind of event? You want your outfit to reflect the event you are skating in. For skating a figure skating test, your dress should be basic. A solid color or minimally embellished dress will allow the judges to focus on your skating skills instead of your costume. It’s a good idea to base your dress selection on the rink where you will take your test. If it’s a cold rink or a large rink, choose a long sleeve and dark color so you will stay warm and the judges will see your form across the ice. For competition you can have more choice in what you want to wear to perform. You want an outfit that will reflect your performance and will make you feel confident about your skating. Plenty of color, sleeve, skirt, and embellishment options are out there! Visit our shop to see a select variety.
How do you need the skating dress to fit?
Next you want to think about the fit of your figure skating dress and choose the best size for you. The best way to do that is try a bunch of dresses on! At The Skater’s Edge, we carry Mondor dresses, Jerry’s Skating World dresses, ChloeNoel dresses, as well as DelArbour dresses and FreidaB dresses. Each of these designers have a slightly different way of sizing and fit that make them look, feel, and fit differently on every skater. Regardless of the designer, your dress should be snug, like a bathing suit or leotard, but not overly tight. Figure skating is still an athletic event, after all! Your dress or costume should not restrict your movement. We have a few movement tests that we suggest doing as you try dresses on to be sure you won’t be uncomfortable or have any wardrobe malfunctions on the ice.
Do you have any favorite colors?
If you aren’t skating to a particular piece of music - like for a Basic Skills event - or your music is instrumental, perhaps a dress in your favorite color would work! Remember, what you wear is supposed to enhance your skating and your confidence. If you wear a color you like it will be a great emotional booster the day of the event!
What is your program music?
For competitions or ice shows a lot of the time your outfit will be based on the music you will be using for your performance. This video shows that over the history of figure skating, some song and dress design combinations are classic choices. The U.S. Figure Skating Association’s rulebook says that the outfit for competition may reflect the music choice. This is a great way to personalize your program! When you hear your skating music, what kind of colors do you think of? If your music is from a movie or a music video, what colors or patterns are in the outfit of the movie character or singer? A good example is music from The Wizard of Oz. If you were to skate to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” you could pick a blue gingham dress, like Dorothy’s. Or you could look for a colorful dress symbolizing the rainbow way up high. Be creative!
Does your coach have suggestions for your outfit?
As always, your coach is a great resource for opinions and suggestions! With their past experiences and eye for details, coaches sometimes have guidelines for dress style, color, or decoration. Other coaches will give their skater free choice in dress decision and simply want them to be comfortable and confident on the ice. Ask if they have any recommendations before you go shopping, and open communication will help be sure you get a dress everybody will be happy with!
We hope these tips will help first time dress shoppers and seasoned veterans alike! We’re looking forward to the spring skating season and helping skaters find just what they’re looking for to make their competition, test session, exhibition, or ice show an event to remember.
The Skater’s Edge is Buffalo and Western New York’s one-stop figure skating store for new and used ice skates, competitive figure skates, and skate sharpening. The skate shop carries Riedell, Jackson, and Edea skates, as well as skating apparel and accessories. With technicians trained by a master sharpener of over 30 years, trust The Skater’s Edge with your next figure skate fitting, figure skate sharpening, hockey skate sharpening or hockey skate repair, as well as shaping your hockey blade radius or profiling.