All About Figure Skating Competition Dresses

Do not pick something too provocative for a young girl or too cutesy for an older girl. My daughter and her friends were about 9 or 10 at this competition. All the dresses work because they are right for that age. Too many bows and ribbons . . . and the dresses would have looked too young. Plunging necklines and dramatic styling . . . and they would have looked too old.

You can order a skate dress online . . . but be careful of how the style fits! Some ice skating dresses work well with thin bodies and others with fuller ones. So look at the model wearing the dress and ask yourself if your body type is similar. Choose a style based on what it will look like on you, not the model. Remember you will be moving in the dress, so make sure it is a style that works when you bend and jump. Make sure it fits and looks good from all angles.

I am a skate mom who is also a graphic designer. I came up with this Got Ice? design by taking a photo of my daughter's skate boot while she was on the ice. I played with it in Photoshop to make it artsy. The ice in the background is at Center Ice Arena in Ontario CA. My Got Ice design is available on t-shirt, hoodies, mugs, buttons, keychains and more at my shop at Zazzle.
Got Ice? Kids T-Shirt by creativezazz
Creativezazz Figure Skating shop at Zazzle

Most fashion conscious girls seem to just know what color they look great in. But if you are not sure, read up on color "season." Or ask some friends for advice. You want to stand out on the ice, but you don't want the dress to overwhelm you. So pick a color for your competition dress that goes with your skin tone and hair color.

This blue skate dress works well on this figure skater because it fits, is age appropriate, and is a great shade of blue for the skater's skin and hair.

If you are skating to a Disney Princess song, you are going to want a skate dress that sparkles like a ball gown. But if you are rocking out to Elvis singing "Jail House Rock," you want a different look. So pick the dress, the music and the routine together. Don't get your heart set on a dress that won't match your routine.

The upscale look of this skate dress matched the song "Glamorous."

I actually made this dress by taking an old prom dress I found at a thrift store and altering it. I then zazzed it up by putting on Swarvoski crystals. Practice on another item as applying them properly takes a little practice. You will need to buy Hot Fix Swarovski Crystals and a hot fix applicator, found at Amazon or in better sewing stores or some craft stores.