2009-2010 Ladies: Part Four

2009-2010 Season in Review: Part 8 of 16
Ladies: Part 4 of 4

Laura Lepistö. Current World Ranking: #5

 

Short Program: Imagined Oceans by Karl Jenkins

We have several issues with this costume. First of all, although Bee actually likes the mesh sleeves, the body of the costume is blue-toned purple while the sleeves are red-toned purple. They clash. Secondly, it's actually pretty rare for us to come up with the same exact ideas about a costume independently, but in this case we both looked at those lilac fabric strips and wrote down "party streamers". Elle really doesn't like the way the polka dot pattern continues onto the mesh.

Free Skate: Adiós Nonino & Fuga y Misterio performed by Gary Burton
We have mixed feelings. Bee finds the whole thing boring and really hates the hemline. Elle didn't like it at first, although she loves the color, but when she tried to articulate what she doesn't like, she started doubting her own opinion. After all, Yu-Na Kim went simple and basic and we totally loved her costumes, so what's keeping us from liking this one? We're not sure, but it doesn't quite come together.

Joannie Rochette. Current World Ranking: #2
We don't feel comfortable judging Joannie Rochette's costumes when the Olympics happened at such a vulnerable time for her. She wore these costumes while overcoming personal tragedy to win an Olympic medal. That's amazing, and she doesn't need some people on the internet telling her whether or not she looked good doing it. But for the sake of being comprehensive, here are her costumes.

[top: Canadian Figure Skating Championships, bottom: Olympics]

Short Program: La Cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez

Free Skate: Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saens

Mao Asada. Current World Ranking: #3

 Short Program: Waltz Masquerade by Aram Khatchaturian

Both of Asada's costumes feature a lot of the same features: a giant scoop neckline, a matching choker, and long sleeves. We'd like to see her change it up a bit more. In fact, she even uses this look for some of her exhibition costumes. This costume has a Renaissance Faire look going for it, sort of like Alissa Czisny's short program costume did. We talk a lot about costumes distracting us from the skating, but in Asada's case, it was the reverse. The good skating distracted us from the things we don't like about this costume. Elle hates that this costume has a top with a maroon lace overlay paired with a bright pink skirt. This is also one of the few instances in which Elle hated a costume much more than Bee did. That pretty much never happens.

Long Program: Prelude No. 3 op. 2 ("Bells of Moscow") by Sergei Rachmaninov arranged by Stokovski
We hate the ruffled neckline and the matching choker, but other than that we don't feel too strongly against this costume. Elle thinks it ages Asada a lot, though.

Carolina Kostner. Current World Ranking: #6

 

[top: Olympics, bottom two: World Figure Skating Championships]

Short Program: Nocturne in C Sharp Minor, No. 20 by Frederic Chopin/Violin Concerto by P. I. Tchaikovsky
We don't know why Kostner switched back to this costume for Worlds. It actually manages to be worse than her Olympics costume, and there she had a giant heart on her chest. The version she wore the rest of the season makes her look segmented. It's sort of like there's a graph on her body. Elle does really like the skirt on the Worlds version, though.

[top: Cup of China, middle: Olympics, bottom two: World Figure Skating Championships]

Long Program: Air on the G String by Bach/Cello Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi
We're going to consider the Cup of China version of this costume as a rough draft, so we don't have to think about the sleeves on it. And we think it's totally worth having a tacky costume at a Grand Prix event if it means rocking the other one for the rest of the season. This costume has a super deep v-neck that manages to remain classy. The beading is amazing. The color is amazing. It's like what Cynthia Phaneuf tried to do but failed. We don't really like the Olympics version of this costume, but luckily Kostner returned to the better version for Worlds.

Yu-Na Kim. Current World Ranking: #1

Short Program: Fight on the Disco Volante (from James Bond "Thunderball" soundtrack)/Girl Trouble (from James Bond "From Russia With Love" soundtrack)/Die Another Day and Going Down Together (James Bond soundtrack)/Death of the Tarantula Killing the Guard Death of Dr. No (James Bond soundtrack)/Dr. No - The James Bond Theme soundtrack
Skaters, sit up and pay attention, because Yu-Na's showing you how it's done. Her costumes are so flawless we have very little to say. Clearly Yu-Na's perfection in skating extends to everything she touches. She looks great. We even love her makeup.

Free Skate: Piano Concerto in F - Allegro by George Gershwin
All we can say is, see above. Totally gorgeous. Bee's thrilled that both Yu-Na's costumes feature a symmetrical hemline (rare in ladies' skating), and we love the color.

[Photo Credits: Asada SP2&FS1, Lepisto FS2: Reuters. Asada SP1, Kim SP1, SP2, SP3, FS1&FS2, Kostner SP1, SP3, FS1, FS2&FS3, Lepisto SP1&SP2, Rochette SP1, SP2&FS: Getty. Kostner SP2&FS2: AP.]