| Ice skating competitions can be nerve-racking | | | | clothing while ice skating you can take a serious spill, |
| experiences. They combine so many factors, from | | | | taking you out of any competitions for quite a while. |
| precision to style, and your personal statement | | | | - Form-fitting doesn't mean tight or constricting. |
| shows in everything right down to the costume you | | | | Forget those old cast-offs from someone else that |
| wear when you skate out onto the ice. You can | | | | are just a wee bit too small. If you can't move freely |
| easily spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars | | | | in them and they don't have enough give for you to |
| every year on your skating costumes because they | | | | move combined with enough stretch to spring back, |
| are so labor-intensive to make and they must be | | | | they aren't meant for ice skating. Be sure to check |
| fitted so precisely to give the right lines to your | | | | the labels - breathable materials like cotton or |
| body. | | | | Polartec fleece are great at wicking away moisture, |
| A mistake that many young skaters make, however, | | | | but between 5% and 10% Spandex or Lycra are |
| is not bothering to invest in the proper ice skating | | | | necessary for the stretch and forgiveness needed. |
| practice clothes. Early on they may purchase a few | | | | - Dressing appropriately for practice will help you |
| good quality pieces if they are on a junior team or | | | | maintain the right attitude. It's a fact - if you dress |
| are just beginning their lessons and there is a "dress | | | | sloppy, you act sloppy. Neat, attractive practice |
| code" that they must adhere to; but as time goes on | | | | clothes help you perform better simply because you |
| they begin to throw on "just any old thing," when | | | | feel more professional and polished. It's exactly why |
| they are practicing on their own time. This is a | | | | so many coaches have practice dress codes (just like |
| mistake for a number of reasons, and each of them | | | | offices have dress codes for their professionals). |
| can and will affect their performance in the ring. | | | | The best part of all this is that ice skating practice |
| - You should always wear form-fitting ice skating | | | | clothes these days are attractive, comfortable and |
| clothing when you are practicing because your coach | | | | have all the features to optimize your performance. |
| can't really see your form or observe your body | | | | Boot-cut skating pants with side stripes to elongate |
| alignment under baggy clothing. That sweat suit that's | | | | the legs, stretch camis for layering and shrugs in |
| fine for basketball won't cut it on the ice - the curve | | | | fashionable colors with beadwork so pretty they can |
| of the arm, the way your buttocks are tucked, | | | | go from the ice to a night out are all available for |
| everything is crucial and the only way someone | | | | reasonable prices. Practice skirts in fun fabrics like |
| observing you can correct you is to really see your | | | | zippy flowered patterns and bold polka-dots make a |
| body. | | | | statement and give you the chance to get the feel |
| - Even when nobody is observing you, it's easier to | | | | of wearing a dress on the ice without wearing a |
| "feel" your own body's alignment when you aren't | | | | full-on costume every day. So if you're really serious |
| hindered by layers of bulk. Not only is it cumbersome | | | | about your ice skating - make the investment to |
| to move with bulky clothing twisting around your | | | | dress the part every day. |
| joints, it's dangerous. If you become tangled in your | | | | |