Top-10 best men figure skating costumes 2014-2015

This-year trendy rating opens with two young skaters – Maxim Kovtun and Nam Nguyen.

№10 Maxim Kovtun and Nam Nguyen

The costume of Spiderman / Ninja Turtles got a lot of criticism this season. Bur I would like to point out that image of Maxim Kovtun. There is something unusual, eye catching and memorable in it. It was a good choice for this program, for a young guy with such style of skating. Plus, the combination of black and baby-blue looks great on the ice. Bit I wish It had been more fitted or attached to trousers.

Costumes of Canadian Nam Nguyen are perfect example of how you should dress up a young man. Even in themed costumes he doesn’t look funny. I believed, and continue to believe that the three-piece suit always looks great on any man. Yes, Nam’s costume for the SP it’s not a revelation of fashion or design, but it looks good and tasteful. If you don’t know what to wear, choose a three-piece suit and you will not go wrong. I want to note the quality of tailoring. All the elements good fitted, trousers is neither narrow nor baggy. Restrained colors made the appearance more serious. I think in the short program, they wanted to show him more adult and with the help of costume it turned out well.

I think in his free program Nam Nguyen doesn’t portray the particular character from the movie. I see it more like a collective image: a bit of circus, recklessness and youthful enthusiasm. But with all thematic costume is not overdone. Of course, they used stripes. But they use stripes in a good way and didn’t turn Nam into a sofa. I like the black and white color range. Red accents added a joyous mood to the image. I’m not usually a fan of plush but Nguyen with his young skinny legs can afford to wear such pants. And I approve black gloves, they fit to the image and emphasize hands movements.

№9 Joshua Farris

On the ninth place is American Joshua Farris, a debutant of senior World Championships. I think the audience remebered him not only due to his skating, we also appreciated a sense of style. I like his costume for the short program. The traditional set trousers + shirt looked well with contemporary music and choreography. Simple and stylish. I also want to note a cool color of shirt. Beautiful blue color, which is beautiful itself and doesn’t need extra decoration. Three-quarters sleeves made the whole image not so official. Give me love, when such a handsome and stylish guy asks about it, it’s difficult to refuse)))

For the free program to “Schindler’s List” Joshua Farris wore a good and proper costume. It’s not just a shirt + trousers. Instead of the usual shirt he use light blouse with a drapery, of a free cut. Grey ombre-effect looks good, and I like the effect of the undershirts. This undershirt highlights the gray ombre-effect and creates a trendy layered effect. Costume looks great in motion, but it doesn’t distract the attention from skating. Nothing superfluous, everything suits the style and mood of the program. For me, this is one of the best men’s suits for the “Schindler’s List” program.

№8 Misha GE

Usually, I’m not a fan of too creative and difficult costume for guys. But every year in my top appears somehow the representative of such costume fashion. This year, in spite of my preferences, elaborate costume that Misha Ge wore for his short program fascinated me. I don’t like frilly costumes, especially for such programs like “Ave Maria”. But Misha’s costume has balance and at the same time has interesting parts, I also like pastel colors. I can’t say that it’s a  historical costume. Though, there are some historical details: ribbons on his trousers, light wide blouse. i have more associations with fantasy. The costume gets it’s chic in movement. Scorched edges of shirt and sleeves looked great in spins. One more wonderful emphasis is a beautiful applique on the sleeve. I also want to praise the belt, gorgeous themed accessory. It is evident that the skater tool part  creating the costume.

№7 Javier Fernandez

This season Javier Fernandez decided to be ruthless to the female audience. Another explanation for his costumes for the short program, I can’t find. Hot Spanish guy in a tight-fitting trousers and tight T-shirt with transparent inserts! Especially impressionable ladies from the audience can lose their mind. Simple costume solution, close to real clothing, but what an effect! I think simple costumes  it’s a best decision for Fernandez.

It was impossible to choose a simple costume for the free program to “Figaro”. But Javier Fernandez was more modest with his costume than Michal Brezina, who also chose Figaro for his free. I like the top: wide sleeves of the shirt and cuffs ennoble and highlight movements of arms and brushes. Soft colors of the waistcoat also a perfect choice for Javier Fernandez. The top of the costume is not bright, but in style, with the right historical details. But I don’t like the trousers! In “Chaplin” such wide and baggy trousers looked cute and appropriate, but in this program they look at least strange. This is a good suit, but not for the ice with its reality and specificity of skating movements.

№6 Takahito Mura

Takahito Mura was “original” in the choice of music for his programs. )) I like his costume for short program “Carmen”, it’s quite unusual, I would even say futuristic. Although, we still can see the analogy with the matador costume. Good decision. When the music is used from year to year, and even in a same warm-up with you someone could skate to it too, it is important to stand out. And the easiest way to do it is with the help of the costume. But you won’t surprise anyone with another torero costume, even of high quality and with luxurious decoration. So, first of all I want to thank the creators of this costume for creativity and to thank Takahito for his courage. The color scheme is close to the traditional black and red combination, but the metallic effect gives some space-look. Large details are also interesting. large crystals look in style and not vulgar. They do not forget about the pants and decorated them with symmetrical trim and added a stylish belt. All the details of the matador costumes were used but they were stylized. I my opinion it’s a great work!

For his free program Takatito Mura was more traditional with costume choice. The traditional suit for Phantom of the Opera: trousers, tailcoat and elegant waistcoat. Thank you, there is no jabot! By the way, from all the Phantoms of the season Takahito chose the most calm colors and least of decoration. Perhaps that is why his Phantom seemed to me the most mature. Trousers of matching fabric must have two narrow strips of braids down the side seams. In our case, they were simulated by using crystals. The tailcoat has silver silk facings. Large crystals instead of buttons, just like in a textbook.

Under the tailcoat you can see a traditional waistcoat buttoned with three buttons. And, of course, snow-white shirt with a decorated collar. They also added a pair of gloves for more connection with the music and character. But I don’t remember whether he used them in program as part of the choreography.

№5 Yuzuru Hanyu

Now I definitely want to write a letter to Yuzur Hanyu and attach photos of his costumes for the short and free programs of the last two seasons. For comparison! Let him feel the difference.) He can look great without ruffles, lace and other decorations! Ok, he can keep Swarovski crystals, but use them wisely. This season Yuzuru wore an amazing costume for the short program. Beautiful, romantic, sophisticated image to match the magical music of Chopin. Again I want to praise finishing of the belt. Beautiful shirt-blouse with a stand collar. Translucent, airy, with wide sleeves, this blouse adds smooth and softness to the movements. The ombre-effect looks impressive on the simple design. It seems that one color just flows into the other. Crystals are well fitted into the image. An excellent example of how they should be used with moderation.

№4 Jeremy Abbott

Jeremy Abbott unfortunately didn’t  hit the national team for Worlds this season. But even a few events was enough for him to be remembered! Abbott is a constant participant of my fashion ranking! So, this season Abbott is just a step away from the three winners. No matter how good or bad his sport results are Jeremy always looks great!

Jeremy Abbott has never been a fan of elaborate costumes, sequins and frills. So, I didn’t even expect costume experiments from him. This set of trousers, shirt and a tie impressed me) Though, many called it a clerk suit. But I continue to insist that such a suit will garnish any man, and Jeremy looked luxurious. I love when a man on the ice looks like a real man. Maybe Jeremy got a lot of comments about clerk suit that he decided to change it.  This time he chose a romantic set of dark blue trousers with black stripes and a pretty shirt with a black collar. There was another option for the short program: the same trousers, but with a tight fitting shirt with short sleeves. This one I like more, but the clerk suit is still better. I can not help myself, I confess, I love men in suits)

 

In his free program Jeremy Abbott again pleased us with a simple costume. He is lucky enough to have a good posture. So, everything looks great on him and there is no need to care a lot about the forms and proportions of costumes. Good gray trousers with a slightly raised waist line and a tight-fitted sweater of nice red color. Simple solution, but looks so great! It underlines the advantages of appearance, but does not distract from the program. On the draped sweater there is a decoration with silver rhinestones. Rhinestones and Jeremy rather unusual combination. But it looked nice and elegant!

№3 Tatsuki Machida

This season in the short program Tatsuki Machida remained true to his classic style. A similar set of black trousers and white shirt, we have seen in the past year. But I like it. Such a classic win-win combination, simple and tasteful. I like the decoration of the white shirt. Transparent inserts on the sleeves and chest were highlighted with dark gray crystals. Well-chosen shade of crystals, they don’t just add shine, but highlight the design idea and made it more graphic. Part of this applique goes on trousers, emphasizing the unity of the costume.

I’m not usually a fan of many Japanese costumes, I don’t like this expensive and rich decoration. But in Tatsuki  Machida’s costume for the free program all that bright colors and rich decoration seems to me quite appropriate. You can see some rococo style here:

Rococo style was distinguished by elegant decorative, fragility, refinement, sensuality and a certain mannerism. Lines become curved and smooth.

A Fashionable silhouette was narrow shoulders,  thin waist, rounded hips line. Even men’s suit looked feminine.

Costumes of the aristocracy were made of velvet, silk and expensive heavy brocade and lace. They were glittered with gold and jewels (even instead of buttons were gems).

All that we can see in Machida’s costume. But, at the same time as I like, it’s not the total imitation of the historical costume. Costume looks modern, and not like from dusty dower-chest.

I also want to note a great combination of colors and how blue and gold look great together on ice! Light shirt looks great in motion. My favorite part of the suit is delicate golden belt. Such a beautiful and smooth transition from the rich shirt to a simple black trousers. Good work!

№2 Michal Brezina

Michal Brezina this year not pleased us with his sport achievements, but pleased with two new programs and beautiful costumes. This season, Michal dicided to try historical costumes. An ambitious decidion, i might say. Historical costume is spectacular thing, but insidious. It’s not an easy challenge to sew it efficiently and conveniently. And taking an opportunity, I want to say a few words about historical costume in figure skating.

Dear skaters and their designers, no one will blame you for some discrepancy of the costume. At least, I will not wrinkle mine nose and say “My dear friend, why do you wear renaissance panties, when it should be the rococo?” It is enough that the costume will just work on the character. It is not necessary to sew a costume like a graduation work at the faculty of costume history. Just highlight the main features of that times. And don’t forget that although the costume is historical the skater is modern and he shouldn’t look ridiculous in that outfit. Even if by the standards of that time is the most fashionable thing. And the most important thing is that all this wealth must be comfortable.

Michal Brezina’s designers, have done their work well. In his costume for the short program we can see references to medieval warrior. All the season, we were wondering who does Brezina portrays Stark, Lannister or Targaryen? This remain a mystery, unfortunately, costume also didn’t give us any clue. On the extended vest we can see some leather belts and precious buckles, that allude to the noble origin of the character. The designer paid attention to detail, even sewed covers for skates to imitate boots.

Costume for his free program to “Figaro” illustrates fashion of the second half of 18th century:

Justaucorps is shaped tighter, cuffs and pocket flaps become smaller. Silk and brocades are also the prefered materials, with or without embroidery.  Velvet is added usually, in blue, brown or red.

On their upper bodies wealthy men wore white linen or cotton shirts with a lace-edged jabot, or tie, topped with sleeveless waistcoats and a long-sleeved justaucorp.

The shirt featured a lace jabot on the chest and lace cuffs on its sleeves.  

Narrow gray trousers with a high waist looks good on Michal Brezina. I also want to note a perfect color combination, the suit looks expensive and not tacky.

It was hard to choose the best. Well, the prize for the best costumes of the season 2014-2015 goes to Kazakhstan.

№1 Denis Ten

Denis Ten in the short program, also made a bet on minimalism and proven over the years classics – black and white. And not lost. With his level of skiing and the quality of his programs, he can afford to wear a simple suit, and the viewers will not distracted from skating. Costume is simple but everything in the details. Trousers with a high waist visually make legs look longer, and of course i can’t no to mention beautifully decorated belt. Simple white shirt gets romantic character thanks to a little stand-up collar and unbuttoned shirt-front. Combined with stunning music costume looked great!

Denis Ten in short program, also made a bet on minimalism and proven over the years black and white classics. With his level of skiing and the quality of his programs, he can afford to wear a simple suit. Costume is simple but everything in details. Trousers with a high waist make legs look longer, and of course I want to mention a beautiful decorated belt. Simple white shirt gets its romantic character due to stand-up collar and unbuttoned shirt-front. Combined with stunning music costume looked great!

I liked all the costumes for the free program, but especially these two! This season, Denis Ten was a fan of plush trousers. But I don’t have anything against it, because they are well-sewn and fitted. He chose a wonderful dark shade of blue (blue might be a color of the season) not a banal black. And as expected, with simple trousers the whole design idea went to the execution of the shirt. I can see the image of the nomad, especially  collar trim reminds me about that. It seems that something wound around to protect a nomad from the wind and dust. Belt also in style, looks like trousers are tied with a rope. It was a memorable image.

That costume is good but I like the previous one more. I’m not familiar with the Kazakh national costume, so I can’t assess whether any national details or ornaments were used in this costume. But I got that national colour impression! It was cool. And in combination with the colourful music the effect was stunning.

I like that to the dark costume they added a shirt of the gentle shade, it refreshes the whole image. There is an asymmetry in costume. I see here a parallel with such features of the Kazakh national costume as wrapping from left to right. Of course I’m delighted with the belt and applique decorations on his chest. Just incredible fine work, decorated with colored rhinestones and sequins! So, I was upset when Denis Ten changed costume, for my taste it was luxurious!

 

You can also see the best pairs costumes.

Related topics: Denis Ten, Jason Brown, Javier Fernandez, Jeremy Abbott, Joshua Farris, Maxim Kovtun, Michal Brezina, Misha GE, Nam Nguyen, Takahito Mura, Tatsuki Machida, Yuzuru Hanyu