Figure Skating Costumes Throughout the Years-Early Modern Figure Skating

Today's skating costumes are beautiful, aren't they? Any time I get to visit a skating museum like the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, or the Lake Placid Olympic museum, I gush over the beautiful works of art. However, the glitz and glam of today's skaters is not always what was worn for the sport. This post will take you through a little bit of history on skating wares. This will be broken up into several posts by decades and/or similar themes.

Early Modern Figure Skating: Victoria Era through the 1910s

During this time, all skating was outside, so costumes were primarily focused on one thing: warmth. There is more fur in these costumes, as well as hats. You will also notice that both men and women are wearing black boots, and they come up to the mid calf. Stay tuned to watch that transition through time.

 Here is Jackson Haines, the founder of modern figure skating, and inventor of the sit spin. Men's costumes consisted of a jacket and tight pants resembling leggings.

 Womens' skirt lengths were much longer as well, keeping in tune with the fashion of the period.

 It was acceptable for the younger girls to have a slightly shorter skirt.

 I really enjoy these country-themed sweaters worn for figures. There will be more throughout these posts.

Edgar and Madge Syers. Madge also competed in singles skating, and here was her competitor:

Yes, that's right, it was Mr. Ulrich Salchow, inventor of the salchow jump. She came in second, and some of the judges placed her first! Pretty damn impressive! After the 1908 Olympics, the singles figure skating event was split to have separate men's and ladies events.

There was another Olympic event in 1912, and then none for the rest of the 1910s due to World War I.