We last left off with the very emotional tribute to the 1961 US Figure Skating Team. I did not feel it appropriate to comment on outfits in light of such tragedy. In this post, I'll get into the events later in the decade. You will start to see a change in the costuming, where skaters develop more of their own personal style. This somewhat mimics the great changes later in the decade, except that, as we all know, figure skating is quite slow to change, and the change is much more subdued.
During the 60s, ice shows were still touring the country. As opposed to the large production numbers in the past, there is starting to become more of an emphasis on individual and pairs skating.
Seems as though the short skirts, fringe, and bling were here to stay. They have certainly been a staple in the ice shows starting in the late 40s. Ice Capades and Ice Follies also brought us a beloved character, Mr. Debonair.
Mr. Debonair was portrayed by Richard Dwyer. He wore a tuxedo with top hat and tails, and skated with six ladies in glamorous gowns. He also gave roses to ladies in the audience. Richard Dwyer still makes appearances at skating events. "Mr. Debonair" was at the US Nationals this year.
On to the Olympics:
For the 1964 Games, the US had a somewhat limited showing, due to the 1961 crash. USFS was building a new team almost from scratch. For the ladies event, long time favorite Sjoukje Dijkstra of the Netherlands won the gold.
In Dijkstra's dress, there are a few more style elements, to include the collar.
In the 1968 Games, the Americans were back in the game! For the men, Tim Wood brought home the silver.
The turtleneck trend kicked off big in the 60s. It became a common theme among men and women. Gary Visconti was also a top-5 finisher and is seen here wearing a snazzy sequined jacket:
In the ladies event, an American woman left a mark on the sport that would change it for decades. From her graceful skating to her beautiful dresses, Peggy Fleming brought a sense of beauty to the ice. Her style was one of refined elegance, as opposed to the more showy and flashy champions of the past.
She showed up for the games in Grenoble, France with two memorable dresses, in unusual colors with memorable details. But her skating was the real treat. She also has this fabulous exhibition costume:
Fringe mania! She looks great, as always. She has hardly aged at all after all this time.
For pairs skating, the 60s marked the beginning of Russian dominance in the discipline. The pair to kick this off was Ludmilla Belousova and Oleg Protopopov.
Oleg is looking very stylish in his tuxedo-like ensemble, and Ludmilla is serving up some fierce 60s fashion realness. The beehive hairstyle and makeup complement both dresses beautifully. As you can see, long sleeves were still the name of the game then. The silhouette fits slightly different, with a shorter skirt. The first picture shows a mock turtleneck style, which became quite popular in the 60s. Another notable change is that there is slightly more embellishment in the competition dresses. The gap is beginning to bridge between the "flashy" show costumes and "conservative" competition costumes.
Oleg and Ludmilla later married.
I met the Protopopovs in 2012 at Lake Placid during Adult Skating Week.
This was my thought at this social:
That being said, it was an amazing experience. They talked a bit about how skating has changed over the years and shows they were doing. They were so nice and down to earth.
Before I close this post out, I had a little surprise and bit of skating trivia for you. I am featuring one more skater, who designed her own costumes. She designs costumes for many figure skaters today, some of which helped them win the gold. Our figure skater of the 60s is fashion designer Vera Wang!
Alright y'all, it's been fun! Next time we will get even more groovy in the 70s!
No comments:
Post a Comment