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Creating the Perfect Competition Dress-Part 1

© Dr. Marie Miczak

When you look at what goes into a stellar ice performance, you will see the result of hours of practice both on and off the ice. Many ice skaters are also enrolled in ballet classes to help with leg turn out and arm positions. The finishing touches include neat hair, boot laces tucked in and spectacular makeup. These things represent the decorations but the "cake" itself is the competition dress.

I spoke with some of the top designers in the business about what goes into making dresses that stand out in competition. Sharene, who made Sasha Cohen's dress for Skate America just before the 2002 Olympics, started out making her own dresses for competition when she was only 14 years old. As a young skater she made several trips to the Nationals and felt she could improve on her mother's designs.

Sharene's inspiration comes from the runways of Milan and Paris. She also attends at least two fabric buying trade shows a year. Her favorite materials are traditional velvets for practicewear especially and the chiffons for competition wear. Out of over 100 sketched designs, only about 25 actually make it into her catalog.

So what makes these competition dresses so beautifully special? Well, Sharene doesn't cut corners. Her dresses are extremely well made and are often handed down to younger skaters when outgrown. Her choice is machine cut Czechoslovakian crystals, not plastic rhinestones. These sparkle brilliantly when the light catches them because they are actually "rocks" or crystals. Sharene's plans for the future are to continue to grow her business which is moving to Colorado Springs, home of the USFSA. Visit Sharene Skatewear under our links section under "equipment" or http://www.shareneskatewear.com

I also spoke with an expert on the jewels commonly used on competition dresses. Ellen Long of ASA Beads Galore, CA http://www.asabeadsgalore.com has over 22 years experience in making and decorating competition dresses. Long took sewing classes for theater dress design. She agrees that the right stones and sequins can change the look of even the most ordinary dress. Ms. Long surely sells every type imaginable!

Here are a few which are commonly used:

Crystal Hot Fix Jewels: these have a heat sensitive glue on the back and can be ironed or hot glued on.

Crystal Flat Backs: these can be used with metal Tiffany settings or glue. These offer an alternative to sewing.

Crystal Lochrosens: sew on jewels which have holes in the middle to add seed beads to secure them.

Crystal Margaritas: sew on jewels with holes in the middle for use with seed beads. They look like little flowers and make dresses very pretty.