Figure Skating Fabrics for Costumes

The costume of Figure Skaters must be beautiful or elegant, comfortable as you move, stretchy do movements, insulating, washable, durable and strong so you can use it for a long period of time.

If you are planning to make your own skating dress, you need to consider the fabric that you will use.

Getting a Fabric after getting a pattern, it’s time find a right fabric to use in a fabric shop. Before buying, you need to be familiar with the properties you need on your dress.

Things to consider when buying fabrics 

• Stretch 

First thing to consider is the stretch of the fabric. This may contour your body and to yield the pressure upon when your body starts to move and bend on ice.

The fabric needs stretch but not at all. It needs a stretch in both ways in lengthwise and crosswise. This is called 4-way stretch. Stretch fabrics can be 2-way or 4-way stretch materials will stretch across the piece. The 2-way stretch materials move from left to right as materials comes off the roll. While 4-way stretch fabric will stretch both from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom.  These fabrics offers the best stretch ability and comfort to the outfits.  You can check also in big stores that has a wide variety to choose from.

• Aesthetics

Avoid anything fabric that has sequins sew on it. Since you need to consider the comfortably of your skating dress. Also, a very shiny materials can cause the garments to look less elegant than using more matte. Consider also the lights in the ice skating rink.

• Price

Since it’s your first skating dress, just remember to allocate a budget for your few practice run. It is stunning to buy in store a good one. But once get the perfect materials in creating on it. You will be surprise as you can make a good one same as the store.

• Width

The width of the fabric changes if how much the yards you’ll need. The wider the roll the less you need to buy lengthwise. The pattern will how much length you need depending on the width of the fabric.

Fabric Types

• Spandex
  

Lycra is the name of spandex fabric made and marketed by The Dupont Company. Lycra is spandex but not all spandex are Lycra.

Spandex fabrics are good in the body for an outfit, you can also use to make a skirt on dresses. The heavier weight variety is often used by men’s as skating trousers. The plain form is the basic skating fabric, some spandex can be layered under stretch laces for a great effect. Spandex fabrics has a huge range of colors, patterns, prints, finishes and embellishments.

• Jersey

As an alternative to spandex, you can use a jersey in a soft matte. This can also vary in weights with heavier versions of most luxurious and being most opaque.
This come sin plethora of colors, patterns and finishes. This is also called as “cotton spandex” due to nylon portion.

• Lace

This needs to be layered over base fabric due to its sheer nature. Base fabrics include spandex and jersey since they are thin, flat materials which will cover the body.

• Chiffon
  

Chiffon is a stretch-less fabric often used as skirts and sometimes sleeves. There’s a huge variety of colors.

• Tulle

Tulle is light fabric like chiffon is also stretch-less.  Tulle is stiffer than chiffon and give more volume in a skirt.

• Body Stockings

Stretchy and fine mesh fabric used to create the illusion without uncovering the skater’s skin.

• Velour
  

Is a stretch plush material used in dance and skating costumes.  It is knit fabric causes it to stretch.


With the fabrics specified may help you to configure out what kind of fabric do you want to use to your Figure skating fabrics for costumes.

Behind the Glamour of Figure Skates is a written post made by FSBoutique Figure Skating Dresses.