Both of these hardcore costume bans were lifted in 2003, and since then, the ISU has kept the Olympic figure skating dress code rules relatively subjective at least for women. After Katarina Witt came out on the ice in a few feathers barely covering her behind in 1988, the International Skating Union enacted a rule that women had to wear skirts. Mit might prefer pants; she competed in the same costume at the womens short program dance during the Internationaux de France ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Grenoble, France, in November. One outfit, a feathered blue number worn by East Germanys Katarina Witt at the 1988 Olympic games (pictured below), was deemed too scandalous by the International Skating Union. Yep, in 1995, Witt joined with Melanie Thornton (the voice behind 90s dance sensation La Bouche) as well as singers Joan Faulkner and Linda Rocco who sang back-up for acts like Milli Vanilli, for the most 90s dance track imaginable: Skate With Me.. Katarina Witt performs on stage during the 'Jedermann' (Everyman) dress rehearsal at the Berlin Cathedral Church (Berliner Dom) on October 13, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. not to mention a backflipping Surya Bonaly! And when you do, you are sure to notice that the sport offers the rare combination of athleticism and fashion sensibility. There was one scandalous moment at the 1988 Winter Olympics that changed the rules of competitive figure skating costumery for a decade-and-a-half, anyways. And then you wait for CBS to call and say two magical words: Ice Wars.. "[Men] can wear a tapered pant, but if it is a tight, that's a reduction in your score," two-time Olympian Johnny Weir told Cosmopolitan. #Olympics, I dont care about how the skate goes, but Mae-Berenice Meit wearing pants and skating to Beyonc is a powerful thing. The award-winning film I, Tonya in which Margot Robbie portrays the life of American skater Tonya Hardingrecreated the pleated teal outfit Harding wore for the U.S. Now, the IOC only wants to monetize on these clips.Katarina Witt of the German Democratic Republic placed 2nd in the portion of the competition. Michelle Kwan, for example, popularized a look that was more swimsuit than skating, eschewing beaded sleeves for spaghetti straps. Through the 50s and 60s, womens costumes were still quite basic and generally featured high necklines with flared skirts. It takes grit, stamina and a willingness to throw yourself onto a slab of solid ice over and over again and look beautiful while doing it. The regulation dictated that it was mandatory for women to wear a skirt that covered their hips and butt, and also required that women covered their midriffs. The Ukrainian athlete competing in the free skate portion of the ladies singles event at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 25, 1994, at the Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre in Lillehammer, Norway. The Russian skater performing in the women's free program of the figure skating event at the Olympic Ice Center, Feb. 21, 2002, during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Osmond, from Canada, competing in figure skating team event during the 2014 Winter Olympics at Iceberg Skating Palace on Feb. 8, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. Skating her free program in the ladies singles event of the figure skating competition in the 1998 Winter Olympics held on Feb. 20, 1998, in Nagano, Japan. Including some of the best from the games in Beijing. In this interview, we dive into her [], Spring is in the air, and we cant wait to embrace all the excitement it brings! If one strap were to break, or if the beading on the sleeve gets caught when they turn, their whole Olympics is over. Sasha Cohen wowed the crowd at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in a red dress with sunburst yellow and orange hemline. And the lyrics are Susan Powter-level inspiration: Just take the mirror and hold up highLook at yourself straight in the eyeYour moment of truth has finally arrivedSkate with me skate with meWe dont need tomorrow, no cause youll be far away Skate with me skate with meIf your heart says follow go and you can come along and skate with me. "One time we had a gold dress that had the whole back open and cutouts on the front with nude mesh. Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie wore a playful long sleeve black dress and beret for her routine at the Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, for which she won her third gold medal. Competing for her 9th consecutive U.S. Champion title, Michelle Kwan wore a one-shouldered gold sequin dress. Now that is some ooey-gooey dance pop music bliss that may or may not make any sense, but just try not listening to this song and feeling like you can land a double salchow right in the middle of Limelight or Palladium. Figure Skating Championships. German figure skater Katarina Witt is known as one of the greatest of all time in her sport, thanks in part to her back-to-back Olympic gold medals. Katarina Witt has an estimated net worth of $9 million. Nancy Kerrigan looked chic in a simple sheer and ruched white dress as she took the podium for her bronze medal at the Albertville, France Olympic Games in 1992. "I have been close for being docked points but, it has never happened," Marissa Castelli, an Olympic bronze medalist and two-time national champion tells Bustle. The Russian skater Irina Slutskaya's embellished black dress stood out with it's jagged neckline during the Salt Lake City Olympics. Girl, you are an #OlympicHero, Ma-Brnice Mit to Beyonce in pants. Witt won the gold at the 84 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, then for the next four years flip-flopped with American figure skater Debi Thomas to be the best in the world. Her red dress with a sheer chest panel at the 1988 Olympics abided by the Katarina Rule. As Bustle notes, because the ISU rules apply to men and women, sheer panels and embellishments can be seen on both genders. With designing the outfits comes great resposibility. Become a Cosmo member to read and save unlimited articles. Lu, of China, in the free skate portion of the ladies singles figure skating competition at the 1994 Winter Olympics on Feb. 25, 1994, in Lillehammer, Norway. Sumners won the silver medal in the event. Countless others have dug deep into Witts figure skating legacy. 23.02.2018. Get ready for sheer mesh, catsuits, and a whole lotta plunging necklines. By the 70s, lower necklines were making their way onto the ice and embellishments also started gaining popularity. Katarina Witt's blue costume caused a stir. Albright of the United States displaying her grace and technique during her free skating program at the 1956 Winter Olympics. Dubravcic, representing Yugoslavia, skating her long program during the Winter Olympics on Feb. 18, 1984, in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. I loved the French skater (Ma-Brnice Mit)'s awesome pants outfit and the Bey song. So even if you don't keep up with competitive figure skating, you'll probably tune in at least once during these next few weeks. In the 1990s, another trend that emerged was designer costumes. Figure skating fashion just keeps getting better. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. From then on, hemlines continued to go shorter. The guidelines continue: "The clothing must not give the effect of excessive nudity inappropriate for the discipline. Katarina Witt performs on stage during the 'Jedermann' dress rehearsal at the Berlin Cathedral Church on October 13, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. In this interview, we will delve into what makes Dinamo []. Aside from winning a gold medal for East Germany at the Calgary Olympics, Katarina Witt caused quite the uproar over the short hemline on her blue feathered dress. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. The following is Rule 501 in the [ISU Special Regulations & Technical Rules handbook, last updated in 2016: In short, women's costumes don't have to follow a specific formula. The World, where four figure skaters from the U.S. battled four figure skaters from well, the world. The figure skater won Japan its first gold medal in the sport during the Turin, Italy Olympics. Prev 5 of 8 Next . Ptzsch, of East Germany, performing at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. German figure skater Katarina Witt is known as one of the greatest of all time in her sport, thanks in part to her back-to-back Olympic gold medals. Kristi Yamaguchi opted for a long sleeved gold brocade dress for the Olympic Games in Albertville, France the year she took home the gold medal. Hamill's red dress and wedge haircut instantly became iconic after she nabbed a silver Olympic medal in Innsbruck, Austria. In fact, at the 1924 games in Chamonix, France, women wore full skirts with sweaters and hats that didnt look much different from their everyday clothes (which makes sense, considering Olympic skating rinks used to be outdoors). Well first you win an Emmy for a performance of Carmen on ice aptly called Carmen on Ice. I'm with it. Yes, you read that right: A figure skater competed at the PyeongChang Olympics sans skirt. Clothing that does not adhere to these guidelines will be penalized by a deduction.". even Dr. Ruth was contacted by Reuters to comment on the dres, boogie to the dulcet sounds of a cold bottle of Diet Coke being cracked open, for the most 90s dance track imaginable: Skate With Me., an anecdote about how Trump once tried to hit on Katarina Witt, The East German Stasi (secret police) kept 3,500 pages of files on her. Janet Lynn, Beatrix Schuba and Karin Magnussen, 1972. American figure skater Debi Thomas in a black jumpsuit at the 1988 Olympics. Of course were talking about Katarina Witt, the Olympic powerhouse who helped make figure skating among the most iconic sports during the last 40 years. 1. German skater Katarina Witt in a red design with a low-cut sheer panel and very '80s sleeves at the 1988 Games. Dinamo is not just a design practice, it is a way of thinking that applies interesting concepts to a wide range of production areas, from typography and design to research and consulting. Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox. Unlike the dress code, the actual rules of competitive figure skating which has been around for over 100 years are complicated enough to make your head spin. American figure skater Gretchen Merrill in a button-down shirt and pleated skirt at the 1948 Winter Games. Katarina Witt performs on stage during the 'Jedermann' dress rehearsal at the Berlin Cathedral Church on October 13, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. In 1994, after the absolute blockbuster chaos of the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan story, figure skating was riding an all-time high in the zeitgeist of American culture. An unabashed 80s & 90s pop culture junkie, Michael Jones is a Brooklyn-based writer and co-host of the Pop Trash Podcast. For one, it seems not everyone is up to date on the new rules. Figure Skating Championships. Without giving too much away, lets just say that if you like your double toe-loops with a dose of snipers and car chases, this movies for you. Norwegian skater Sonja Henie in a knee-length, long-sleeve silk dress in 1932. Its absolutely nightmarish!, says runway designer Vera Wang, who custom designed the outfit of US competitor Nathan Chen. But back in 1988 . For real. Debi Thomas dazzled in an embellished bubblegum pink outfit as she placed second at the U.S. The American skater performing her free skating program during the ladies singles event at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Showing Editorial results for katarina witt. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. The French skater performing her free program during the Winter Olympics Feb. 21, 1992, in Albertville. Which Olympic Figure Skaters Are Actually Dating? From Sports Illustrated: Perhaps it's not an accident that the rules for the skaters' costumes are kept relatively lax after all, there's a lot to keep in mind when you're on the ice, and whether your butt cheeks are showing or not.