2012 Classy Costume Awards
Welcome to day two of my sixth annual figure skating costume awards! Today I honor the best in figure skating costumes: the flattering, the original, the tasteful yet memorable. Check out the tl;dr in part one for more on my self-imposed rules.
This year marks a historic occasion: for the first time, Meryl Davis and Charlie White did not make my top ten best. I am still their fan, but I am withholding awards until Charlie finds a real costume to wear in the free dance.
With no further ado (or snark), the 2012 Classy Costume Awards.
Honorable Mentions
Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (Canada), pairs free skate, Rostelecom Cup
They're skating to music from War Horse, and in a season where so many men are underdressed, I'm just glad to Swiegers go with the obvious. Lawrence looks above-and-beyond beautiful with her crochet-patterned sleeves, beaded bodice, and layers of brown over pink. You can't see it in this picture, but she has the best hair of the season, braided around her head and knotted in the back.
Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani, free dance, Rostelecom Cup
Here's another example of a costume that represents the program music literally but doesn't look like Halloween. The proportions of Maia's dress are surprisingly similar to an actual kimono, and yet it moves freely when she twizzles and doesn't obscure her lines. I'd prefer a slightly bolder color, but the pink is flattering. Alex looks good, too: not particularly dramatic, but the pants fit correctly and he's wearing something other than head-to-toe black. Maia wins a special award for this year's best match between tights and skin tone.
Patrick Chan (Canada), men's free skate, Skate Canada
Chan is consistently one of the best-dressed men on the ice. I'm not in love with the red piping on the vest, but its length is perfect. It just overlaps the high waist of his pants, which have an extra button to extend his line. The white shirt also uses a few clever tricks to make Chan's posture and carriage look as good as possible: the lace-up collar lengthens him through the chest and neck, and the rolled sleeves make his arm movements seem more dramatic.
Valentina Marchei (Italy), ladies' short program, Skate America
Marchei's dress looks like a clever concept in still frame, but it's magical in motion. When she picks up speed, the sleeves and skirt flutter up to reveal the layers of red and polka-dot fabric under the black, and the effect is especially stunning when she spins. Marchei is tiny and has slightly odd proportions; the wide neckline, understated bodice, and elbow-length sleeves hide her flaws and accentuate her long, expressive limbs.
Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek (Italy), pairs short program, Skate Canada
You don't need to know that they're skating to "Paint It, Black" to see that these costumes tell a story. I could stand to see more creativity in Hotarek's costume, although that neckline is to die for. Berton's black tights make her dress more dramatic, and the stripes accentuate her body lines. My favorite things about Berton's dress are the beautiful sleeves, which have redeemed the entire concept of sheer fabric for me.
Christina Gao (USA), ladies' short program, Grand Prix Final
With two Grand Prix medals, this was a breakout year for Gao, and she picked a stunning dress to accomplish that in. There's a lot of detail here - appliqued flowers on one half of the bodice, ruching on the other - but the details complement each other. This action shot shows how well Gao's dress fits: most costumes bunch when skaters contort themselves in spins, but Gao's bodice stays put, and the skirt flutters out elegantly. Cool wrist details on the sleeves, too.
Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov, pairs short program, Rostelecom Cup
I have chosen this image specifically to avoid looking at Trankov's awful fake mustache, which is literally the only problem I have with these costumes. Trankov's vest/shirt/pants combo is pretty standard, but it's fitted well, making him look like a well-dressed dude instead of a hydraulic girl-lifting tank. Volosozhar simply looks exquisite, from the halter neck drowned in strands of necklaces to the contrast between her dark eye makeup and perfect blonde chignon.
Bronze Medal
Akiko Suzuki (Japan), ladies' free skate, NHK Trophy
It's an overly literal peacock dress, but if you can't bring out the bird themes in competitive figure skating, then where can you bring them out? The color is fantastic on her, and the skirt moves beautifully: the overlapping panels of fabric are the right length and weight so they fan out delicately when she jumps and spins. The illusion mesh at her neck is virtually invisible - squint and confirm that it's there. And her eye makeup matches the dress in the best possible way.
Silver Medal
Daisuke Takahashi (Japan), men's free skate, Grand Prix Final
Like every other man in figure skating, Takahashi is wearing black, but this is interesting and creative black. The illusion mesh on his chest blends with his skin, and because the black lace continues under his shirt, it looks like a neat costume effect and not a skin condition. Also, his pants fit (and how), and he has somehow gotten the fringe on his sleeves to match his hairstyle. This is the best men's costume by a mile, beating out Takahashi's own free skate costume from earlier this season, which is also gorgeous.
Gold Medal
Kiira Korpi (Finland), ladies' short program, Rostelecom Cup
Korpi would look beautiful in almost anything, but this dress accentuates her beauty in every way. The sleeves look like a shrug over a cocktail dress, and I like how their sparkly gold color comes back at the hem of the skirt. Green is an unusual color choice that stands out strikingly on the ice, and this shade also brings out Korpi's skin and hair. The bell shape that the skirt makes when she spins is so elegant that I wonder why every other woman in figure skating still insists on showing her underpants. It takes work to make a pretty girl even prettier, and Korpi has unquestionably accomplished that for herself this year.
This year marks a historic occasion: for the first time, Meryl Davis and Charlie White did not make my top ten best. I am still their fan, but I am withholding awards until Charlie finds a real costume to wear in the free dance.
With no further ado (or snark), the 2012 Classy Costume Awards.
Honorable Mentions
Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (Canada), pairs free skate, Rostelecom Cup
They're skating to music from War Horse, and in a season where so many men are underdressed, I'm just glad to Swiegers go with the obvious. Lawrence looks above-and-beyond beautiful with her crochet-patterned sleeves, beaded bodice, and layers of brown over pink. You can't see it in this picture, but she has the best hair of the season, braided around her head and knotted in the back.
Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani, free dance, Rostelecom Cup
Here's another example of a costume that represents the program music literally but doesn't look like Halloween. The proportions of Maia's dress are surprisingly similar to an actual kimono, and yet it moves freely when she twizzles and doesn't obscure her lines. I'd prefer a slightly bolder color, but the pink is flattering. Alex looks good, too: not particularly dramatic, but the pants fit correctly and he's wearing something other than head-to-toe black. Maia wins a special award for this year's best match between tights and skin tone.
Patrick Chan (Canada), men's free skate, Skate Canada
Chan is consistently one of the best-dressed men on the ice. I'm not in love with the red piping on the vest, but its length is perfect. It just overlaps the high waist of his pants, which have an extra button to extend his line. The white shirt also uses a few clever tricks to make Chan's posture and carriage look as good as possible: the lace-up collar lengthens him through the chest and neck, and the rolled sleeves make his arm movements seem more dramatic.
Valentina Marchei (Italy), ladies' short program, Skate America
Marchei's dress looks like a clever concept in still frame, but it's magical in motion. When she picks up speed, the sleeves and skirt flutter up to reveal the layers of red and polka-dot fabric under the black, and the effect is especially stunning when she spins. Marchei is tiny and has slightly odd proportions; the wide neckline, understated bodice, and elbow-length sleeves hide her flaws and accentuate her long, expressive limbs.
Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek (Italy), pairs short program, Skate Canada
You don't need to know that they're skating to "Paint It, Black" to see that these costumes tell a story. I could stand to see more creativity in Hotarek's costume, although that neckline is to die for. Berton's black tights make her dress more dramatic, and the stripes accentuate her body lines. My favorite things about Berton's dress are the beautiful sleeves, which have redeemed the entire concept of sheer fabric for me.
Christina Gao (USA), ladies' short program, Grand Prix Final
With two Grand Prix medals, this was a breakout year for Gao, and she picked a stunning dress to accomplish that in. There's a lot of detail here - appliqued flowers on one half of the bodice, ruching on the other - but the details complement each other. This action shot shows how well Gao's dress fits: most costumes bunch when skaters contort themselves in spins, but Gao's bodice stays put, and the skirt flutters out elegantly. Cool wrist details on the sleeves, too.
Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov, pairs short program, Rostelecom Cup
I have chosen this image specifically to avoid looking at Trankov's awful fake mustache, which is literally the only problem I have with these costumes. Trankov's vest/shirt/pants combo is pretty standard, but it's fitted well, making him look like a well-dressed dude instead of a hydraulic girl-lifting tank. Volosozhar simply looks exquisite, from the halter neck drowned in strands of necklaces to the contrast between her dark eye makeup and perfect blonde chignon.
Bronze Medal
Akiko Suzuki (Japan), ladies' free skate, NHK Trophy
It's an overly literal peacock dress, but if you can't bring out the bird themes in competitive figure skating, then where can you bring them out? The color is fantastic on her, and the skirt moves beautifully: the overlapping panels of fabric are the right length and weight so they fan out delicately when she jumps and spins. The illusion mesh at her neck is virtually invisible - squint and confirm that it's there. And her eye makeup matches the dress in the best possible way.
Silver Medal
Daisuke Takahashi (Japan), men's free skate, Grand Prix Final
Like every other man in figure skating, Takahashi is wearing black, but this is interesting and creative black. The illusion mesh on his chest blends with his skin, and because the black lace continues under his shirt, it looks like a neat costume effect and not a skin condition. Also, his pants fit (and how), and he has somehow gotten the fringe on his sleeves to match his hairstyle. This is the best men's costume by a mile, beating out Takahashi's own free skate costume from earlier this season, which is also gorgeous.
Gold Medal
Kiira Korpi (Finland), ladies' short program, Rostelecom Cup
Korpi would look beautiful in almost anything, but this dress accentuates her beauty in every way. The sleeves look like a shrug over a cocktail dress, and I like how their sparkly gold color comes back at the hem of the skirt. Green is an unusual color choice that stands out strikingly on the ice, and this shade also brings out Korpi's skin and hair. The bell shape that the skirt makes when she spins is so elegant that I wonder why every other woman in figure skating still insists on showing her underpants. It takes work to make a pretty girl even prettier, and Korpi has unquestionably accomplished that for herself this year.