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Figure Skating Fashion

Minnesota
is known for it’s love of walleye, the nice people that live there, and ice-friendly
sports. I fully represent all of these things (except for the nice part when I’m
sleepy) including learning to figure skate at an obscenely young age. My family
routinely tape recorded every televised skating competition so we could watch Tonya’s “Jurassic
Park” program go head-to-head with Nancy’s “Born on the Fourth of July” again and again. 
As
the Sochi Winter Olympics start tonight, I thought it would be fun to visit the
fashiony side of figure skating, be it classy or…not so much.
Here
are a few memorable icons and their outfits:

Peggy Fleming in a dress made by her mother. This is as modest at it gets.
Dorothy Hamill with her famous “wedge haircut” and Olympic Gold medal.
The tragic lovers Sergei Grinkov and Yekaterina Gordeeya – Skating to in more serious-looking costumes and won the gold in 1988 and 1994. Yekaterina’s story about Sergei is a sad but intimate read.
Oksana Baiul is known for her Olympic long program pink costume that got her the gold ahead of Nancy Kerrigan.

But my personal favorite has to be her Olympic short program where SHE WORE A SWAN ON HER HEAD.

German-born Katerina Witt (my mother’s favorite skater known for her artistry), chose to skate to music from Schindler’s Lists “The Girl in the Red Coat”. This whole look if FIERCE.
Surya Bonaly (my dad’s favorite skater), at the 1994 Olympics. This is more about her famous backflip than her dress, but still. She’s a European gem. Oh and yes, my dad has favorites and deep opinions on figure skating.
Michelle’s too! Vera even designed Michelle’s wedding dress.

Nancy’s dresses were designed by former figure skater Vera Wang.

The girl who gave Michelle Kwan a run for her money, Russian Irina Slutskaya, often ditched short skirts for pantsuits.

Sasha Cohen, my personal favorite, designed her own costumes and was even a guest judge on Project Runway.
Her Swan Lake program was…I can’t…

Gracie Gold, the 2014 U.S. National Champion, designs her own costumes with her mother, much like Peggy Fleming.


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