Skating skirt

[Melzorina]

I really want to buy a skirt, but I never wear skirts, and I'm paranoid about my legs looking fat, as all the other skaters at my rink tend to have lovely legs! Does anyone know what price they are? (in Sterling £)

[fadedstardust]

If it's gonna make you feel self-conscious you're better off not buying one because you will concentrate too much on that and not enough on the skating. However if you don't care (and really, you shouldn't because very few people will be checking out your legs, I know I don't look at anyone on the ice unless they're about to collide with me and even then it's not their legs I see) then since you said you really wanted one, you should get it. As far as price in England, I have no idea. I think they average about 20 dollars here, which I believe would be about 35-40 pounds? I could be veryyyyy wrong on this, I'm sure there are stores you could call, even ones online, just do a google search. Good luck!

[ice-princess]

I'm assuming you live in the UK like me. I bought a skating skirt recently and it only cost me £15. And don't worry about people looking at your legs. If they are, do you REALLY want to know them? :)

[batikat]

Don't worry about how your legs look in a skirt. They are probably not as bad as you think they are and anyway no-one will be looking at your legs too much.
Your rink shop probably has skirts or if there is a club at your rink then they may well have a second hand sale where you could pick one up quite cheaply.

There are also plenty of online shops. For the UK try www.insideedgefashions.co.uk. They have some nice skirts and also make reasonably priced dresses to your measurements.

35 - 40 pounds sounds way too much.

20 dollars US would be about £15 (not sure of exchange rate but you get more than 1 dollar to the pound)

[ice-princess]

You are soooooo right about skating.I am completely obsessed with it.

[Melzorina]

I'm definetly going to buy one. Thank you!

[Canskater]

Hi:

I know nothing about the price of skirts in the UK .... why don't you consider buying a dance length skirt. I think they are very flattering and can hide any multitude of sins ...... I only skate in dance length myself, for what it's worth.

-- sheilagh

[babyballerina]

You can get a good idea of the price by looking on www.ebay.co.uk in the 'sports apparell' section. Some of the sellers on ebay are dealers so if you don't see what you are looking for but want something similar, you can always e-mail and ask them. If you buy your skates from a sports shop, they will no doubt sell skating clothes too.

[backspin]

If you want a skirt that's the kind that wraps around & ties, you can make it very easily yourself, & then you can decide how long you want it to be & find some very pretty fabrics! Georgette works best, light enough but still hangs nicely.

I bought my first skirt, & then used that as a pattern to make more! Takes about 1 yard of fabric & a length of ribbon--that's it. :D

[ice-princess]

Yeah, in the right colours and fabrics, wrap skirts look gorgeous on the ice. Just don't try anything to bright. BELIEVE ME!!!!!!! :lol:

[Melzorina]

I was thinking about black to match my boot covers. Black goes with almost anything, right?

[batikat]

Black would be fine - my first skirts and dress were black - but dont' discount the idea of colours or patterns. There are some lovely ones about and to my eyes the prettiest colour on ice is a bright orange (though you may want to save that for when you have progressed some as it is a 'look at me!' colour.)

Is there a reason you wear black boot covers? It is a very contrasty colour against white ice and to me tends to accentuate every 'not quite pointed toe' or poorly done bit of footwork. I say this from experience as I wore black skirt tights and bootcovers to my first competition and was horrified when I saw on the video how clearly it showed up every inch of fat calf and inelegant leg-lines! Flesh coloured tights and white boots are much more forgiving.

[Melzorina]

Well, I wear black because it matches whatever I wear on the ice and it isn't bright. Are you suggesting that I should buy white boot covers?

[batikat]

Well, I wear black because it matches whatever I wear on the ice and it isn't bright. Are you suggesting that I should buy white boot covers?

Not suggesting anything at all - just curious and giving you the benefit of my experience - up to you what you do with the info.....

To be even more curious - why wear boot covers at all - do they keep your feet warm or stop your boots getting scraped or do you just like the look?? Personally I dont' like wearing them as they are a fiddle to put on - and those times when you've done all your boots up and realise you've left one of them off .....aaaaarrrgghhhh! :frus: (this happened to me more than once when we were doing a panto one time :roll: ). However my poor boots are pretty scraped up (I love doing drags!) and so I tend to wear over boot tights for competitions to hide them! :lol: Though white Dylon shoe dye also works wonders when you want your boots to be nice and shiny white.

[fadedstardust]

I despise boot covers on anyone. Even Brian Joubert in his costume this year. Not the case with Joubert, but with the majority of people, they look very "beginner" and while BEING a beginner is absolutely not a bad thing, the bootcovers really do not do anything for anyone's skating look. It does kill the line, among other things. If you want to protect your boots, wear over-the-boot tights, although I mean any scuff can be removed easily with rubbing alcohol, anyway. :) Skates really are a pretty thing, especially classic white ladies' skates, why not let 'em out a little?

PS: I truly hope this comment does not offend anyone, I don't mean it in a mean way, it's just my thoughts. I haven't seen *everyone* in the world who wears covers and I'm sure it looks good on some people, most I've seen wear boot covers are little kids who have no line anyway. So please don't take this wrong.

[Melzorina]

I wear them to protect them, and I'm not too keen on over boot tights, I'm not sure why. They also protect my skates, although they are getting a bit scuffed etc.

I need to make up my mind soon about what tights etc I'm getting because I'm going to have a look on saturday.

[batikat]

Hope you find something you like and enjoy wearing it. I suddenly felt like a 'real' skater the first time I wore a skirt - and they are lovely to spin in!!!

I know what you mean about over the boot tights - sometimes I think they can look rather clumpy. Although I have worn over boot tights for most comps i've done, I really think the nicest look is nice white boots and flesh coloured tights which really does go with anything - but the main thing is that you should feel happy in what you are wearing so you can get on with the business of skating. Good luck.
Let us know what you get.....

[NCSkater02]

I suddenly felt like a 'real' skater the first time I wore a skirt

I didn't feel like a "real" skater--I just felt naked! :lol:

Now, of course, I can't imagine skating in anything else.

[Melzorina]

Thanks for your help

[Melzorina]

I've got my skirt! I have a navy blue skirt, and suntan tights with white boot covers. I felt very exposed when I first wore them but I'm gradually getting used to it.