Testing dress...

[isakswings]

I'm going to ask dd's coach this too... but what type of dress do I have her wear for testing? Dd will be testing pre-pre moves in November. Thanks.

[Clarice]

Generally something simple - you don't need all kinds of bling for testing. She needs to be neat, comfortable, and warm. She can wear a sweater for a Moves test, if she likes, as well as gloves.

[momof3chicks]

Generally something simple - you don't need all kinds of bling for testing. She needs to be neat, comfortable, and warm. She can wear a sweater for a Moves test, if she likes, as well as gloves.

Agreed, my girls wore plain long sleeve black dresses for their first two moves tests, and my younger also wore a simple dress for her Pre Pre FS test.

[sk8tmum]

Nothing flashy - avoid detailing and stoning - avoid strapless or low cut. A few judges do not like to see black on young girls; some find neon to be distracting. Generally, the simpler the better. However, be sure that you can see the skater's "line" - baggy skating jackets are disliked by some.

[TreSk8sAZ]

I agree with the simple dress comments - there should be very little crystalling and no super bright colors. The only thing is be careful to ask your coach regarding anything other than a dress-- some coaches will not let their skaters wear jackets or gloves on test sessions, and some judges do not want to see it. Personally, I've only been allowed to wear a sweater (button down cardigan type sweater, matching my dress) once and never been allowed to wear gloves.

[sk8tmum]

It also depends on how traditional/old school the judges are. We err on the side of ultraconservative for tests: hair in a neat bun, nothing on the face, no makeup or jewellery, neat velvet dress in a solid color for anything technical (i.e. elements, moves aka skills in Canada). Dresses get a bit fancier for dance tests, but, again, nothing too fancy. Generally, we've received positive feedback when the kids have turned up dressed "old school" and I figure it's not worth chancing getting the judge who still believes strongly that bangs on the face, ponytails or loose hair or glittery earrings are inappropriate for a test day. Even the less traditional judges seem to like the fact that the kids take the effort to look polished and professional on a test day.

[isakswings]

It also depends on how traditional/old school the judges are. We err on the side of ultraconservative for tests: hair in a neat bun, nothing on the face, no makeup or jewellery, neat velvet dress in a solid color for anything technical (i.e. elements, moves aka skills in Canada). Dresses get a bit fancier for dance tests, but, again, nothing too fancy. Generally, we've received positive feedback when the kids have turned up dressed "old school" and I figure it's not worth chancing getting the judge who still believes strongly that bangs on the face, ponytails or loose hair or glittery earrings are inappropriate for a test day. Even the less traditional judges seem to like the fact that the kids take the effort to look polished and professional on a test day.

Thanks everyone! My daughter has short hair(above her shoulders) so a bun is out. I was planning on pulling her hair back like we do for competition, minus the glitz. I wasn't planning on make up, so we're good there! Coach doesn't want black, so we'll do another nice color. I also don't think her coach will let her wear gloves or her skating jacket. Dd is used to competiting w/o a jacket so she won't think anything of not wearing one. She was in a learn to skate competition 2 weeks ago and they would have let her wear a jacket and gloves, Dd took hers off... lol! Thanks so much!

[Skittl1321]

My first moves test was in a frigid rink, and the judges sent a runner over to tell us all to wear jackets. Everyone did during the warm up, and the first skater was sent out by her coach without a jacket for the test. She spoke to the judge for a moment and then came scurrying off to get a jacket and gloves, because "the judge told me I could". Apparently the judges were serious that they didn't want freezing skaters out there!

I also saw a pre-pre freeskate test in a warmer rink where the skater came off in tears because she forgot to take her jacket off and didn't realize until she was done. She passed.

Especially when it's young kids involved, they worry about the skating not the outfit. But if it's not colder than normal, I wouldn't wear a jacket, and maybe not even gloves.

But it soundsl like your daughter is set. If she's done a competition, then she'll be ready for this. She's had the experience of being put out on the ice by her coach.

icemom.blogspot.com did a nice post about being prepared for a test session, you have to scroll back a bit to bring it up. The biggest thing, past what to wear, is to be prepared for anything. Especially at pre-pre, they run those tests SO many different ways.

[CaraSkates]

I've worn gloves for every moves test I've ever taken (I've passed Intermediate) but I stopped wearing a jacket after Pre-Juvenile MIF. Freestyle tests are different, no one wears gloves or jacket for those and usually people wear their competition dress but for moves a simple dress is good. I usually wear a black dress with a stripe up the side/arms (looks nice doing moves!), hair either in tight ponytail if it's short or nice bun, a little bit of makeup and plain black gloves.

And don't forget either over the boot tights or clean her skates!

[isakswings]

My first moves test was in a frigid rink, and the judges sent a runner over to tell us all to wear jackets. Everyone did during the warm up, and the first skater was sent out by her coach without a jacket for the test. She spoke to the judge for a moment and then came scurrying off to get a jacket and gloves, because "the judge told me I could". Apparently the judges were serious that they didn't want freezing skaters out there!

I also saw a pre-pre freeskate test in a warmer rink where the skater came off in tears because she forgot to take her jacket off and didn't realize until she was done. She passed.

Especially when it's young kids involved, they worry about the skating not the outfit. But if it's not colder than normal, I wouldn't wear a jacket, and maybe not even gloves.

But it soundsl like your daughter is set. If she's done a competition, then she'll be ready for this. She's had the experience of being put out on the ice by her coach.

icemom.blogspot.com did a nice post about being prepared for a test session, you have to scroll back a bit to bring it up. The biggest thing, past what to wear, is to be prepared for anything. Especially at pre-pre, they run those tests SO many different ways.

I've worn gloves for every moves test I've ever taken (I've passed Intermediate) but I stopped wearing a jacket after Pre-Juvenile MIF. Freestyle tests are different, no one wears gloves or jacket for those and usually people wear their competition dress but for moves a simple dress is good. I usually wear a black dress with a stripe up the side/arms (looks nice doing moves!), hair either in tight ponytail if it's short or nice bun, a little bit of makeup and plain black gloves.

And don't forget either over the boot tights or clean her skates!

Thanks so much! Skittl, dd is definately used to skating w/o a jacket during competition and she's always warn sleeveless or short sleeved dresses, so she will likely be OK for a test. She'll also be skating this test at her home rink, which can be a very cold rink depending on the day! She just might need a jacket if it is a particularly cold day. She has a black club jacket. Is that suitable? We do have some sweaters and sweat jackets, but none would match a dress and they all have hoods! Her skating jacket isn't as tight fitting as it could be since I bought it big. It doesn't look huge, but it is not form fitting either. I'm guessing she'll skate w/o it!

cara...her coach loves OTB tights on her, so she'll likely wear those too. Her skates are relatively new and we just put new laces in them, so they look great still! If she skates w/o OTB tights, I will be sure to put new laces in(test is about 7 weeks away) and make sure they are nice and bright!

As for hair... I am lost there. Her hair is not long enough to pull back into a pony or bun! I will pull it off her face, but the back will likely be down. If she doesn't have her hair cut between now and then, I MIGHT be able to pull it all back. There is a judge who skates at her rink, I will have to ask her what she would suggest too. Thanks!

[Schmeck]

The skaters around here test moves wearing their jackets (we have no warm rinks in our area!) with matching gloves - usually those inexpensive stretchy ones. White sweaters with front zippers are the preferred coverup, with brand new white gloves. Of course my daughter went the other direction - always wore her black mondor jacket with black gloves, all the way up through senior moves, LOL!

[Kat12]

IMO, if a judge really cares that her too-short-to-put-up hair because it hasn't been painstakingly glued to her head so that absolutely no strands move, they are worried about the wrong thing...what are they going to do, mark her down for something she can't help and that has nothing to do with her skating?

I could see it if it was getting in her face, but if it's that short, that's unlikely.

This has always been a pet peeve of mine in the highland dance world as well...yes, there's a dress code, but when a dancer is posting on message boards freaking out because she is afraid her kilt is half an inch too short and she's going to be marked down, or because her nails are long, you know it's starting to get ridiculous.

The judges are there to judge skating (or dancing, or whatever). As long as a person's appearance isn't blatantly sloppy or dangerous (hair obstructing vision, skate laces untied), and the clothing isn't so loose that judges can't see the lines of their bodies, so what? You mean to tell me if a person skates fantastically they'll be marked down simply because the judges don't personally like their hairstyle?? I could see it maybe in higher levels where everyone is so perfect that a judge just needs to find something to place one person above another, but in a testing situation that doesn't even apply as no one is competing against another person.

[Clarice]

People get themselves all in a tizzy about things that aren't all that important. Yes, the judges are there to judge the skating. The skater won't be failed because of what they wore or how their hair is styled.

However, the act of getting dressed appropriately does help get one into the right frame of mind for what one is about to do. And, like it or not, one's appearance does influence other people's first impressions of you. If a skater comes out to test looking sloppy and disheveled, the judge is predisposed to look for sloppy skating as well. Best to come out "looking the part".

In dance, it is important that the skirt not be too long for testing - the judges need to be able to see the skater's knee action.

For one Moves test, my daughter's coach actually requested that she wear her hair in a long ponytail. He wanted the judges to see that she didn't jerk her body around while doing the particular move - I think it was power pulls - so that her ponytail hung straight down her back while she did them instead of swinging wildly side to side! (I doubt the judges even noticed!)

[isakswings]

As for her hair, I am going to fix it like I do for her freeskate in comps. I pull sections of the top back and the back and what sides are left, are curled. I will likely leave it straight for the test, but it will be neat and tidy, which is the look we'll be after. I'm not all that concerned about her hair.... it is what it is. It won't be in her face and will look nice and that is all that is important. :) She'll have a nice dress and proper tights and other appropriate accessories if needed. I do doubt her coach will allow her to wear her jacket and gloves, but if it is cold, she can wear her black mondor jacket and black gloves. I'm not going to stress too much about this, we'll make sure she looks nice and then go from there. It's a pre-pre moves test, I bet the judges are more forgiving at this level to then they might be if she was a more experienced skater.

I'm excited for dd! It will be very cool for her to pass(hopefully) her first official skating test! :)

[Clarice]

I'm excited for dd! It will be very cool for her to pass(hopefully) her first official skating test! :)

Yes, it certainly will! Best of luck to her!!!

[Mrs Redboots]

Mostly, the judges won't mind what she wears as long as she is neat and tidy. At our rink, if the skaters are going to take any Elements or Free tests as well as Moves, they wear the same dress all through.

The first time I took a Moves test, I wore a black wrap skirt and black/gold sweater, which was fine, except I was absolutely freezing (it was a cold morning) and couldn't stop shivering. All I could think of was Charles I asking for an extra shirt on the day of his execution so that he wouldn't shiver and have everybody think he was afraid!

[momof3chicks]

I'm excited for dd! It will be very cool for her to pass(hopefully) her first official skating test! :)

Funny story (now, but not then)- DD was 7 when she took her first MIF test. She was growing so fast and her skates were so small just prior. So we went to get new boots/blades and they had them in stock that day. So I kept the old skates too and then dd tried (like one lesson, one practice) the new ones and she actually skated the moves better in them. I don't know, maybe something about being able to feel your toes- 8O...

Anyway, the night before the test, I get this call from the skate shop to please look inside the skates- and sure enough they mixed up the boots- she had two different sizes!

So, she had the choice of either taking the test like that, or having one brand new and one slightly broken in!! She test drove each about 30 minutes before the test and decided for one new and one old. She passed of course. But geesh- such drama for the poor little kids very first test ever.

[dbny]

It will be very cool for her to pass(hopefully) her first official skating test! :)

Keep in mind that this is very specifically an "encouragement test" and it is rare for anyone to be given a retry on it.

To hijack this thread just a bit - what do you think of over the boot tights or boot covers for an ice dance test? I haven't seen many skaters wear boot covers on the ice, though they were very popular in roller.

[phoenix]

I'm not a fan of boot covers, though I don't mind the look of OTB tights. Different people have different opinions, none is right or wrong, it's just subjective.

[momof3chicks]

I'm not a fan of boot covers, though I don't mind the look of OTB tights. Different people have different opinions, none is right or wrong, it's just subjective.


I liked OTB with some of dds dresses but I liked the look of the white boot with others.

[RachelSk8er]

Around here we are allowed to wear fitted jackets and gloves for moves tests (it never fails, the rink is always unusually cold on test day). We can also get away with pants as long as they are the fitted legging type and the look neat (like Seku or Under Armour). I've always worn a simple, comfortable practice dress for moves tests, with or without a jacket.

For freestyle tests, people usually wear their competition dress, but simple is also OK.

Dance--people wear anything from a simple black dance dress to something more similar to what they would compete in. I have several dance dresses, and if one goes with a dance better than another (i.e. my black/red lacy dress for the Tango or Paso, my bluish/purplish dress for the Blues), I prefer it over someting plain because it helps me get more in the right frame of mind. I always slick my hair back though for a dance test and put it in a bun, even if I may not always do so when I compete dance.

[Schmeck]

Icy wears OTB tights for ice dance testing - keeps her laces and hooks from fouling with her partner's feet as well. We are sick of skate tape (synchro did that to us!) so none of that ever again!

[Mrs Redboots]

I always use over-boot tights for test/competition - my coach dislikes bootcovers (and you know me - I hate skating with naked boots!), and I do think it's safer when skating with a partner.

[isakswings]

Thank you for all the replies! This is great! :) It is very helpful to a mom who has not been through this before.