There’s been a lot of talk in the media lately about men’s figure skating costumes becoming too flamboyant.  As costume designers we deal with many male figure skaters and yes some do like a ‘louder’ costume than some others, but mostly they order costumes that are theme based, so it appears that their costumes maybe becoming more flamboyant because their themes and music is becoming more lively and aggressive, after all a great costume is designed to match a skaters program and music. 

Figure skating is a sport that has drawn criticism over the last few years from its subjective scoring, biased judging and the fact that it has its limits as to what a skater can actually do on the ice, and now it seems costumes are the latest focus of criticism, But why?  Costumes like any style of clothing may not be to everyone’s liking, but perhaps the costume is appropriate for the routine and the message the skater is looking to convey.  In the real world there are well dressed people and well some who may not be quite as stylish and as fashionably coordinated shall we say as others and the same maybe said for some of the choices of certain skaters, but a costume is meant to be fun and until the day skaters are judged on their attire, we may see some costumes that well maybe a bit flamboyant and even a little odd, but the presumption is that the person wearing it really loves it, and if it makes them feel good to wear it and adds to their confidence and performance, then perhaps flamboyant for them is the right way to go.