What to wear at practice? Check out my recommendations and 6 style suggestions for your figure skating training clothes - athletic, dancer, minimalist, modern...
Skip to the end if you are looking for figure skating outfits for boys / men.
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General tips to choose figure skating training clothes
Before I share my 5 looks to consider for figure skating training, there are a few things you should keep in mind when selecting an outfit for ice skating practice for you or as a parent for your kid skater:
Warmth and layers
Ice skating rinks are generally cold.
And during practice, sometimes you are working a lot, sometimes you are doing less movement.
Therefore the ideal training outfit has layers and removable pieces, particularly for the top part of your body. (tops, jacket, neck warmer, gloves...)
For an absolute beginner, it is better to start with warm clothes with long sleeves.
However, as soon as the skater understands how his/her body reacts to the change in activity and the cold of the rink, the outfit should be adapted with:
- long or short sleeves
- a jacket layer
- warmer clothes or not
Material - Water reaction, breathability, resistance
When choosing your outfit, make sure you opt for fabrics that are:
- Non water absorbent and quick to dry - especially for the bottom part. Figure skaters tend to fall a lot and you don't want to wear clothes that absorb all the water and then freeze up!
- Breathable - figure skating is a real workout (regardless of some people say), the skater is sweating. A good fabric will keep you comfortable and dry when sweating.
- Resistant - figure skating pants will see a lot of things, from the falls to the hooks and blade of the opposite skates... Therefore, you want a material that can last the many practice hours required to master skills.
But whatever the material, always make sure to take your clothes out of the figure skating bag when reaching home!
Shape
The skater should be comfortable, but the clothes should not be baggy or floating so that:
- they do not hinder movement
- the coach can see the lines and the moves to give feedback.
Style
The training outfit is a great way to show personality.
There are always trends in what skaters are wearing at practice, but the skater should always choose what makes him/her comfortable and feel good.
It is important to have confidence.
Like a capsule collection, it is also important to think of how the skater can mix the pieces together to create multiple outfits.
There is no one brand that standout over the others.
Keep hair away from the face
Finally, whatever the clothes chosen, the hair should be kept away from the face, like in ballet.
They can be attached in Ponytails, buns or braids, or cut short.
Figure skating clothes - 5 style suggestions
Now let's have a look at 5 styles that are popular with girl/woman figure skater. Trends rotate among them.
#1 Modern look
- A legging style of figure skating pants with one color or design element (not too many elements)
- A simple long sleeve top, close to the body (or short sleeves for those who are warm when practicing)
- A warm-up jacket, close to the body (so you can keep it, if cold, but it does not hinder the movements), sometimes repeating the element from the leggings.
#2 Athletic look
- Heavy weight tights (avoid competition tights, as they are thin and will tear very easily - learn more about tights)
- A leotard, either plain color or with a design and colors, for the skater to express personality.
- A sculptural short with the same color as the main color on the leotard
- A warm-up jacket, close to the body (so you can keep it, if cold, but it does not hinder the movements)
#3 Minimalist look / warm skater
If you don't want to wonder what to wear every time, have a set of plain color pieces that you just put on without worry.
- Simple comfortable leggings, one color
- Simple top - long sleeves or tank top, depending on the skater's level of comfort
- Simple Polar fleece - for warm-up and when going out of the rink
#4 Dancer look
Ice dancer and skaters with an interest in ballet dancing can enjoy a more traditional look. This was my favorite look when I was a competitive skater. I find the wrap top particularly comfortable.
- Heavy weight tights (avoid competition tights, as they are thin and will tear very easily - learn more about tights)
- Plain color leotard (no sleeves, long sleeves or half sleeves)
- Muslin wrap skirt
- Wrap top with long sleeves
#5 Competition style dress
Some enjoy the feeling of wearing a figure skating dress, even if only in training.
- Heavy weight tights (avoid competition tights, as they are thin and will tear very easily - learn more about tights)
- Figure skating dress - Don't choose a dress with too many design elements. Keep it simple.
- Wrap top with long sleeves
Protective gear look
Like ballet dancer, figure skaters pay attention to their looks.
However, it should not be to the detriment of being protected.
When practicing new jumps or skills, where the skater is at risk of falling, protective gear should be added to the look even if it does not look pretty.
Learn more on my article about figure skating protective gear.
Socks
In the next section I wall talk about other accessories to complete your look, however first we need to talk about socks.
Whatever the look, the skater must decide what to wear inside the boots. This is essential, even if not seen.
Socks should be
- thin enough for the foot to feel the points of pressure
- without seams so as to avoid friction
- reaching over the boot to avoid friction at the top of the boot
Accessories - gloves, neck warmer, leg warmer, boot covers
Now let's have a look at other accessories that can complete your look.
Hands
It is, of course, essential to protect the hands. They are often the ones that get cold and, in case of a fall, they are in the front lines.
You want gloves that are not absorbing water and drying fast (sadly there is more design choice but less fabric choice for young kids)
Consider wearing padded gloves to protect your hands - check out my article on the best figure skating gloves.
Neck
With the wind of skating fast around the ice, the neck can get cold. You can cover it while warming-up and when cooling down after practice.
- Turtleneck leotard or top - but that means you have your neck covered during the whole practice; you can remove it if you are too warm
- a neck gaiter that you can add and remove as needed
Feet
You can complete your look around the skates with
- Boot covers to protect your ice skates from any damages - learn more
- Leg warmers (around the ankles, or going up the legs - this is a discussion to have with the coach and something to try. It can hinder the movement when legs have to be very close to each other. However, it can keep the ankles warm...
Hair
Finally, the skater should think about a hairdo. As written before, hair should not be in the face.
- Consider a head band that is made to protect the head in case of a shock (when practicing jumps)
- Otherwise, you can find skating themes or neutral hair accessories.
Figure skating off-ice training clothes
When training outside the ice (see all my tips about off-ice training) , you can have more choices of clothes.
You can show your passion for ice skating even if you are not on the ice anymore!
Leggings
T-shirts and tank-tops to personalize
Figure training outfits for boys / men
There are a lot less figure skating training clothes choices for boys and men.
Basically the outfits consist of:
- pants
- a top
- a jacket / fleece
Figure skating pants
Figure skating pants for men are mostly black. Sometimes they have stripes on the side, and a few are navy blue.
You can find a few different materials and shapes, but overall, pretty basic.
If you want colors you can look at the yoga leggings for men. But the material is not made to enter in contact with ice. They can be quick dry too.
Tops
Tops that are close to the body - here you can find some colors. Make sure to choose a material that is breathable.
Jacket
For the jacket, again, there is very few for men, exclusive to figure skating.I recommend looking at yoga / cycling gear. They are often waterproof, quick to dry, breathable and close to the body.
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About the author
Hello! I am Claire.
I have practiced ice skating for 12 years and then became a judge for a few years. I also used to train beginner ice skaters.
I love the feeling of gliding on the ice and, with this website, I want to help others experience the same joy.
Have fun!
