At my rink, all of the girls under about 16 wear skating skirts and dresses for practice/freestyle/public sessions . I haven't seen any adults wearing those cute outfits though! I want to wear them too! LOL! I just wanted to see what the norm was for adults, and what you ladies wear for practice, and freestyle sessions. I have been wearing stretchy jeans and a sweatshirt, but I'm getting tired of being so frumpy when the kids are running around looking so cute!

Tiara

at my rink on a thursday morning - when most of the adult skaters have their lessons, nearly all of the adult ladies are wearing tights and skating dresses or skirts. some of them wear ones much shorter than i would and im 17 lol.

I do wear dresses, but not always. Often I go after class and then I just put on a kind of jeans which is *very* stretch with skating tights underneath. Of the dresses I wear, one is streetclothing with hotpants under it (in fact it is so streetclothing that with a jacket on top I can wear it to class at university as a miniskirt), two I made myself.
Oh yeah this whole leggins-with-miniskirt-on-top fashion for street clothing that we have here does seem to be a favourite for beginners skating too.

Mee mee mee

Not when it's really cold, but I have a black box skirt I wear over tights, and random stretchy colored tops with it. That's for freestyles though, and the adult night public session, regular public sessions I do in stretchy exercise clothes.

I've also got a plain green velvet practice dress, it's a bit of a pain to change in and out of in a hurry (or go to the bathroom in) but Rockefeller Center, especially with the tree lit, is too pretty not to dress up for.

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It's all about the dress!

I skate in mostly cold rinks and wear fleece tops and fleece-lined leggings. I am 41 and not petite. I see very few adults in cute little outfits. However, the women who are smaller seem more likely to wear tights, leotards and skirts. That has been my observation anyway. For me it's all about warmth, comfort, and practicality.

Kay

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well yes, that too. I should add when I'm learning new stuff I wear lots of padding, which looks pretty dorky under a skirt so I don't do it.

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It's all about the dress!

When I'm having a lesson I wear a knit top (think T-shirt) over a skirt and tights as Coach has asked me to (it's easier to see the non-straight knee etc). When I'm practising, I nearly always wear the same kind of top over black stretch pants (nobody there to yell at me for not straightening my knee or pointing my toe!)

I would like to say to each is own and to wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. At the rink I currently skate at, you will see adults in everything. Personally, I hate skating dresses/skirts and usually skate in running tights or fleece leggings with a an underarmour shirt and a fitted fleece jacket. Basically I borrow a lot from cold weather running gear. That way my coach can see my line and I'm not getting my blade caught on bagging clothing yet I can avoid skating in a skirt.

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we have an adult only time at our mall rink for two hours 3 days aweek. These ladies are all about 50lbs over weight and in there 60s and they all still wear dresses! GO FOR IT

I always practice in leggings and a t-shirt or tank top, unless I'm getting ready for a competiton or performance and need to get used to a dress again. Then again, at my rink the culture is that "serious skaters" wear leggings. Only the younger girls wear dresses all the time. No reason why an adult can't wear a skirt/dress, though! Lots of people say it makes them feel more like a "real skater". If you want to do it, go for it!

I'm 22, but seriously look 16 years old, so I guess I can pull off the dress/skirt thing pretty well.

Because most everyone at my rink wears skirts/dresses for practice, as well as leggings or stretchy yoga pants, that's usually what I wear depending on my mood. Or the weather, LOL! If it's colder, I usually go for the pants and several sweatshirts/t-shirts that I can layer, and a skirt or dress for warmer days or when the mood strikes me.

As a young skater, I was never allowed to wear pants. My old coach though dresses/skirts just looked more professional, so I've kind of kept that mentality even as I've gotten older. Now, however, I think that you can still look professional with a nice pair of skating pants and form fitting top.

I agree. At our rink. The serious skaters only wear leggings or tight fitting exercise clothes

Dresses are very common at our rink. All the serious skaters wear dresses or skirts most of the time. It is rare to see them in leggings. Of course the "serious skaters" at our rink, are not the high level that you see at other rinks. We certainly don't have any senior level skaters, but the girl working on her junior MITF wears a dress everyweek, as do all the other older girls. (Young girls in dresses is a given)

My coach likes for me to wear a dress, so I do when I take a lesson. When I skate on my own I wear lined athletic pants. I believe I am the only adult to wear a dress on a regular basis- though others do.

Honestly- this is an issue of "how much do I care what others think" If YOU want to wear a dress to ice skate- wear a dress to ice skate! If you want to color your ice skates yellow with green polka dots- then do it! It doesn't matter what other people are doing. You might get funny looks- but people will always find something to give you a funny look over.

If a dress increases your enjoyment- wear a dress, and enjoy skating.
(When I first started going to freestyle, a friend would also go- we'd do "i'll wear a skirt, if you wear a skirt" it did increase the comfort factor)

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I'm no rail-thin teenager. I'm in age class IV (46+) and 5' 8" tall with an "at least appropriate weight" as my doctor calls it. And I always wear skating dresses. That way my brain doesn't freak out about THAT difference when I test or compete. At the two rinks where I normally skate and that are two very different skating cultures, there's a little of everything: young kids in pants, higher level girls wearing dresses, yoga pants on boys and girls up through late teens, adults wearing dresses and stretchy pants. The only thing I don't see is anyone wearing anything baggy, since it's all about the coaches seeing the lines of your body. Wear what you want and enjoy it!

The serious adults where I skate wear pants too. I'm just dress deprived since I never had one (or lessons) as a kid. I'm not letting embarrassment get in the way of indulging my inner child.

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It's all about the dress!

I always train in tights and a dress. Our rink is one of the warmest in the UK and I also feel more comfortable in the proper attire. My former coach was pretty into her skaters wearing tights so she could get an easier view of the line. I just don't think about it.

Nicki

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I do about half the time. I started wearing skirts a lot this summer - I got tired of ripping up my pant legs with my blades But now that it's cold, I'm wearing the pants again.

I'd guess that about half of the adult women I skate with (and also about half of the older girls) wear skirts or dresses. The ones who do wear skirts/dresses are of all ages and sizes.

I felt self-conscious the first time I wore a skirt to skate in as an adult, but after that one time, I was fine. No one will stare at you - unless you're the only figure skater on a crowded public session I always feel more polished and "serious" when I wear a skirt. Give it a try if you want to

I do. I am not young and I am not petite; I am 40 and about a size 14/16. I usually wear very thick tights or snug leggings under a longer dance skirt and a long sleeved T shirt or a wrap top. It looks good, is flattering and appropriate, and helps me feel like "a real figure skater" without trying to squeeze my jiggly bits into some obscenely short and tight little sparkly number designed for a 98 lb teenager. Most of my skating clothes are not "real" skating clothing, but stretchy things I've co-opted or altered from regular clothing.

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3turn
The Great Skate Experiment

At my rink, some of the adult ladies wear leggings and others wear skirts. There is no correlation between skating apparel and body type; those who like skirts wear skirts and those who like leggings wear leggings. . . and nobody notices or cares who is wearing what.

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Ditto the above. I wear leggings with a chiffon skirt and a wrap top or polo neck sweater. I sometimes wear tights and a skirt depending on how cold it is.

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Nor is there a correlation between what you where and how "serious" a skater you are. I skate on club ice and anyone who pays that kind of money for ice time is serious as far as I'm concerned.

I like to wear a dress but I live in Iowa and it's freezing cold now so I wear pants.

j

I wear pants (or rather, running tights), but that's a personal preference. I wore dresses from about age 6 to age 17. I definitely say wear what you want!

i'm 14. when I started skating, I wore pants. After a few sessions, I built up the nerve to wear a skirt (some of you may remember all the worry I had over that! but i had very unsupportive 'friends' at the rink) with leggings.
After LTS, I wore a skirt with 2 pairs of normal tights.
A month or so ago, I bought skating tights, so now I wear a skirt and those tights. I also wear hotpants sometimes (esp. when I know I'm likely to fall lots, or I'm planning a session dedicated to sitspins/catchfoot spirals (I once tore a skirt doing catchfoots))
I have no skating dresses. yet...


I'd say wear what's comfy and shows your body line... but you have to get over the mental fear (if you have it). really, no one is going to be looking at you or saying "omg she's too old to wear a dress". if you are scared of wearing it, try wearing it at a more relaxed public session, where you feel less pressure.

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I skate early morning sessions at a cold rink so now that it is winter and cold here in the northeast USA I usually wear tights (2 pair) and leggings. I like to wear longsleeve t-shirts (either stretchy ones or my competition not as fitted ones) and a fleece top (usually Old Navy) on my top half. I also usually wear an earband (fleece ear warmer) and then I am nice and warm.

On the Friday afternoon session I'm more likely to wear tights (footed and OTB) and a dress. It's just easier to wear the pants early in the morning
Oh and I'm a just turned 18 year old girl whos a curvy size 8ish so I'm not a teeny little thing.

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I actually prefer to wear dresses - am I 58 and a bit plump but still have the legs for it Almost all the younger competitive skaters on our early morning session wear dresses but I just find it too cold most of the time and wear stretchy pants (with longjohns under!).

The first time I wore a skating dress most of the young girls commented "What a nice dress!". My coach (a 32 year old woman) whistled and said "Nice pins! I hope I still have legs like that when I am your age!" I THINK that was a compliment

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Dianne
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