tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37916943793986160242024-03-12T16:20:37.862-07:00Best Skate ForwardYou've seen TV shows where people talk about the outfits celebrities wear on the red carpet, this blog offers fun opinions about the costumes figure skating celebrities wear on the ice and who is putting their best foot forward or should I say "best skate forward".Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-13753774141134150522010-02-24T17:12:00.000-08:002010-02-24T17:12:24.221-08:00Random Thoughts about the Ladies Olympic Short Program<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The Turkey skater, Tugba wore a stunning red and gold dress, very different from what we usually see. Very beautiful. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Miki Ando's dress also had a unique look about it. I like the longer hemline, very flattering on her. The colors were great and while I usually don't care for uneven hems this I liked. It was tailored nicely to her. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Kim Yu Na by far had the best outfit. It was stunning-a work of art in itself, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. She gave an equally stunning performance as well. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I'm looking forward to the long program.</span></span></div>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-61371579680126457432010-02-17T17:56:00.000-08:002010-02-18T17:46:56.333-08:00Random thoughts about Olympic men's short program<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plushenko needs an updated hairdo. He has needed on for years. The "pageboy" look is pretty passe. I used to think that Johnny Weir had the worst haircut ever but Plusenko holds that title. Actually, Weir really improved his looks and finally found a haircut that frames his face. No more stringly looking hair. Nice.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Patrick Chan's outfit was nice. I love the texture. Johnny Weir's outfit, well, I'm not sure what to think of it. It reminds me of a bad antique corset. I like the tassel and the shiny stretch patent leather look though. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I see Kevin Van Der Perrin came to the Olympics dressed for Halloween. What's with the bones outfit? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I really like the boards, it's so colorful and I love the blue-green retro design. Best of all, it's so refreshing to see boards without advertising. I don't think I've seen boards in a rink that nice looking before, it's like a work of art in itself. Way to go Canada!</span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-71038509118742830342010-02-15T17:50:00.000-08:002010-02-15T17:50:28.975-08:00Random Thoughts about the Olympic pairs short program<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shen and Zhao's outfits were so stunning. They have really improved their style through the years. The black, white, grey and pink color scheme looks fresh and contemporary. Good choice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caydee Denney' s hair reflects her youth. The red streaks are totally different. I wonder what does that say about her personality...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of good color choices, love the turquoise color on the outfits of Langlois & Hay. I also like the electric blue outfits of Volosozhar & Morozov. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sparkly headband on Yuko Kavaguti was very cute. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite outfits of the night was worn by the team that really put their best skate forward, Pang and Tong What a beautiful shade of blue and the jewels on Pang's forehead was a nice touch. Very stunning. </span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-64195952773243792582010-01-24T18:25:00.000-08:002010-01-24T18:25:27.670-08:00US Nationals: Ladies Looking Good<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ladies competition at US Nationals featured a dazzling array of fabulous dresses. <strong>Emily Hughes</strong> looked stunning in a black dress dripping with multicolored jewels. The long sheer sleeves on the dress were an elegant touch. I tend to favor long sleeve skating dresses over the sleeveless ones which can sometimes look like bedazzled one piece swimsuits. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mirai Na</strong>gasu's red and black long program dress was cute but I liked her black and gold short program dress a little better. <strong>Alyssa Cisney</strong> has always had excellent taste in skating costumes. Her short program sleeveless blue dress was beautiful and proved that you don't have to wear red to skate to Spanish music. She wore a matching blue flower tucked in her bun. <strong>Cisney</strong> wasn't the only one to adorn her hair with a flowers, <strong>Sasha Cohen, Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu</strong> also sported flowers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Rachel Flatt</strong> chose a different way to embellish her hair. Her long program outfit featured gold hair jewelry that matched the gold beading on her red dress. The "strapless looking" dress was a gorgeous shade of red but looked unfinished. Maybe the skirt needed to be longer. I think it's time for a makeover too. The hairdo wasn't working for me. I hope she will consider bangs instead poofing the hair up in the front. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wasn't it great to see <strong>Sasha Cohen</strong> back at nationals? I have always loved her style on the ice. Her dresses always look polished and sophisticated. This nationals was no exception. She may not of skated away with the gold but she definitely gets my highest points for fashion. Her short program dress was "totally Sasha". Red is her signature color, she wears it better than anyone else on the ice. The sleeveless dress with a lacy design on the bodice showed off her perfect figure without looking too suggestive. The double skirt floated softly with each jump. The long fingerless gloves added a different touch and was a good balance to the sleeveless dress. Cohen's long program dress was also beautiful. I don't recall her wearing that color of blue before but it was a perfect choice to skate to the "Moonlight Sonata". It was also a refreshing change to see a turtleneck, a rare item in skating dresses these days. The high neck gave the whole outfit a more elegant look. In a competition where so many ladies came to Spokane, Washington dressed to win, <strong>Sasha Cohen</strong> rose to the top and put her best skate forward. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-76266893372562717232009-12-24T17:03:00.000-08:002009-12-24T17:03:23.217-08:00Season's Greetings!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy Holidays!!</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I'll be back to blog again in 2010. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I'm looking forward to seeing what the skaters will be wearing at </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Nationals and the Winter Olympics.</span><br />
</div>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-44700119242002247862009-11-28T17:39:00.000-08:002009-11-28T17:39:53.288-08:00Skate Canada: What the Pairs Wore<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skate Canada had great skating and not so great costumes in the pairs competition. None of the outfits really stood out to me. Most of them were predictable and mediocre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The goal of pairs costuming is for both skaters dress as one complete look. They don't have to wear the exact same color and have the same exact embellishments to achieve this but the colors should compliment each other and they should look great together. The problem with many of the looks for this competition was a lack of creativity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many of the outfits looked basic with nothing special about them and there were way too many black costumes and white costumes . German competitors <strong>Allona Savchenko</strong> and <strong>Robin Szolkowy</strong> wore black and white in their short program and long program. I think they could of experimented with more color. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was one bright spot though. The beige/pink outfits of Russian skaters <strong>Maria Mukhortova</strong> and Maxim Trankov was a welcomed changed from a sea of black and white fabric. <strong>Mukhortova</strong>'s dress draped beautifully and floated with her movements. The layered skirt with sheer fabric over heavier fabric was the perfect combination and the jewels added the right amount of sparkle. I also loved her pink lipstick and choice of eyeshadow, it truly complimented the dress. <strong>Trankov</strong>'s outfit was nice but not quite as nice as his partner's dress. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They scored a winner with their short program look but weren't as successful with their long program outfit. Skating to "Love Story" <strong>Mukhortova</strong> wore a pink sleeveless dress with white tights (that's a look you don't see very often. I can't remember the last time I saw a skater compete in white tights) and <strong>Trankov</strong> sported a grey vest and pants with a matching pink shirt. I give him extra points for the shirt. I think men look great in pink and shouldn't be afraid of looking less manly. As far as I'm concerned real men do wear pink. </span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-40016378524660179112009-11-16T18:12:00.000-08:002009-11-16T18:12:13.245-08:00"Men in Black" at Skate America<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black is the new black when it comes to the Skate America men's competition. Many of the outfits wore by the competitors featured black pants, black shirts, black one piece outfits and black pants with black shirts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know it's a strong masculine color but lighten up guys, there's a whole spectrum of colors out there to choose from. US skater <strong>Evan Lysacek</strong> could be called the man in black. His outfits were designed by Vera Wang, a woman who is known for designing white wedding dresses. For some reason, Wang decided to dress Lysacek completely in black for his long and short program.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem with dressing black from head to toe is you tend to look flat and one dimensional on the ice, like a black shadow gliding across the bright, white ice. It's hard to stand out wearing black and when you are competing you want all eyes on you. If you must go to the dark side be more creative about it by wearing black with a lighter or brighter color. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">French skater <strong>Florent Amodio's</strong> short program outfit of black pants paired with a white shirt was a nice balance. The white shirt was embellished with black and silver beading and the same design continued on his black pants tying the whole look together. Canadian <strong>Shawn Sayer's</strong> outfit to Latin music was basically black with a white shirt but it was the stunning turquoise and white paisley design over the black fabric that made it so eye catching. <strong>Brandon Mroz's</strong> red-black outfit was a great use of black without dressing monochromatic. The US skater wore deep red shirt with a black collar and cuffs. It was completely studded with black sparkly beads that would catch the light. The shirt complemented the plain black pants nicely. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another way to avoid the black costume rut is to wear navy instead. Navy is a dark, masculine color that currently isn't overused on the ice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's go back to Lysacek's black ensembles for a moment. Aside from being all black there is something else both of his outfits had in common. Feathers. I'm not a big fan of feathers on figure skating costumes for men or women (I still think <strong>Oksana Baiul's</strong> pink feather dress is one of the worst outfits ever) but there are exceptions. Every now and then feathers can be appropriate for interpreting the music or character being portrayed on ice. His short program music was "Firebird" so I understand the use of black feathers on the cuffs and shoulders of his top. However, I'm still trying to figure out the curly pipe cleaner like detail to his shoulders though. Once was not enough for Lysacek, his long program outfit also sported a few thin black feathers on the heavily beaded silver and black shoulder pads. Skating to the music "Scheherazade" I'm puzzled as to why he skated in feathers again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The skater who put his best skate forward this week was picked for his creative use of black in the short and long program. <strong>Florent Amodio's</strong> long program outfit sparkled like glitter on ice. The burgundy long sleeve top had neon yellow and orange triangles appliques on the sleeves. It was accented with beaded suspenders attached to his black pants. He ended his program drawing attention to the suspenders. It was a very youthful and fun look for this talented teenager. What an unique combination of colors and yet it worked well together--- proving you can look masculine without dressing like Johnny Cash.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791694379398616024.post-20570883502115032812009-11-08T17:42:00.001-08:002009-11-08T17:47:24.201-08:00NHK Trophy--What the Ladies Wore<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to my first blog. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love to talk about skating and fashion here I can blend together the best of both worlds. I watch skating on TV and on the Internet so I hope the colors are true to what I see on the screen. I look forward to sharing my opinions and connecting others who get excited when they see a skater putting their "best skate forward". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I prefer watching skating competitions instead of ice shows because I love the suspense, drama and excitement of the top skaters in the world all competing for a chance to be the best. A skater has to have to right skills, artistic talent, the perfect music and what he or she wears ties the whole look together. Watching the NHK Trophy, part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, several competitors achieved that goal but a few fell short. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ladies competition was a total "bling fest". Most of the outfits were adorned with beads, crystals and anything that sparks fire on ice. I'm a total "blinger", things that sparkle and catch the light attracts me like a moth to a colorful neon sign.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The heavily beaded neckline on Japanese skater <strong>Shoko Ishikawa's</strong> black long program dress was stunning. What a wise move to confine the sparkle to the neckline only. It made for a very sophisticated look. Canadian <strong>Cynthia Phaneuf's</strong> short program outfit was refreshingly different. You don't see very many paisley patterns on skaters and paisley is a popular look in the non-skating fashion world. I applaud skaters willing to try something a little different. The green color was very flattering to her skin. However, I wish she smoothed her hair down so it wouldn't look out of control and messy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was also great that not all of the sparkle was confined just to the outfits. Several skaters coordinated their hairstyles too. American <strong>Ashley Wagner's</strong> purple long program dress had matching jewels wrapped around her head like a bejeweled halo. <strong>Miki Ando's</strong> gold "hair bling" encircling her bun helped to create the "Cleopatra" image of the Japanese skater's winning long program. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I mentioned before, I like seeing skaters break out of the routine and take some fashion risks. Kudos to Japanese skater <strong>Yukari Nakano</strong> who created added drama by having scarves attached to the cuffs of her <em>Phantom of the Opera</em> dress. That look was not quite as effective on Russian <strong>Alena Leonova's</strong> blue, white and red short program dress. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of Russian skaters, at one time they were the only ones sporting gloves in competition, now we're seeing skaters from other countries covering their hands. I'm not sure what that means, dramatic emphasis/drawing more attention to hand movements, cold hands or no time for a manicure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trends I feel that have run it's course are the backless dresses, it was amusing at first but now, many of the dresses just look unfinished, as if the costume designer suddenly ran out of material. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also think "illusion fabric", the skin colored fabric that makes a skater look like she's wearing less clothes than she really is, is way overused. First of all, skaters aren't fooling anyone into thinking they are dressed that skimpy (there are rules about that you know) and second, are they trying to be a "sex symbol" or a winning figure skater? People who dress too sexy aren't always taken seriously. While I love the asymmetrical draping of the skirt on <strong>Miki Ando's</strong> Cleopatra dress, the bodice has way too much illusion fabric, making her look practically topless. Cleopatra herself would of blushed dressed like this. <strong>Ashley Wagner's</strong> purple dress has an exotic look to go with the <em>Stranger in Paradise</em> music but the cutout in the front with illusion fabric is totally necessary and distracting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm glad none of the competitors adorned their outfits with feathers. There were enough of them flying around the skaters in the "kiss and cry" area. What's up with that? That must be the strangest "kiss and cry" ever. Leave it to the Japanese to break with tradition. The background changed colors too. I'm still wondering how on earth did they get those large fluffy feathers to float up as well as down?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ladies competitor that put her "best skate forward" at NHK is Canadian <strong>Cynthia Phaneuf</strong>. Her short program teal paisley dress was a wonderful but it was her long program dress that was off the chart stunning. The peacock blue, black and gold Art Deco inspired sleeveless dress was totally gorgeous. The drop earrings, gold barrettes surrounding her hair neatly tucked in a bun gave her a very polished and regal look.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span>Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16350961594318038139noreply@blogger.com0