ICE STYLE.....2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships COSTUMES: The MEN!

 The Men of the U.S. Nationals--(L to R) Jason Brown, Ilia Malinin, Yaroslav Paniot, and Jason Brown, 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, SAP Center San Jose

In my previous "Ice Style" BLOG HERE, I talked about some of the women's costumes from the 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, so naturally, now it is time to discuss the MEN...

Ilia Malinin Free Skate to Euphoria (soundtrack) by Labrinth--"Quad God" Ilia wore this costume for his Free Skate. The look included a royal blue-purple-and-red airbrush-dyed top featuring geometric panels accented with black trim, and the requisite black skating pants. Listen, I am just happy he's actually wearing something that resembles a costume (unlike Nathan Chen!) so I am OK with this, even though it is a bit "Tron"-like. It is eye-catching, fun, and bold.

Short Program to I Put A Spell On You by Garou--For his Short Program, Ilia wore this black and white look which involved a black-and-white shirt and probably the same black pants he wore for his Free Skate (economical I guess!). The shirt had French Cuffs and tiny crystal sequins on it which sparkled ever so lightly. The whole look--along with the gloves--did give it a "Lounge Singer at a Jazz Bar" vibe.

Jason Brown Short Program to Melancholy by Alexey Kosenko--I absolutely LOVED this costume worn by Jason Brown for his beautiful Short Program. Let's just discuss this top, since it's really ALL about THE TOP: it's GORGEOUS! I love the gray-to-black ombre shading, the skin-tight fit, and especially those dazzling sequins. Beauty, style...and bedazzling perfection.

Free Skate to Music from Schindler's List by John Williams--Jason wins a Double-Double Prize for two fabulous costumes (or at the very least FAB SHIRTS!) with this look worn for his Free Skate to Schindler's List. The deep royal blue color is outstanding and so is the sequined applique across his torso; the black watercolor-like wash along with the perfectly placed crystals made for a nice detail that paired beautifully with his sleek black pants.

Dinh Tran Free Skate to The Matrix--This was one of my favorite MEN'S costumes of the Championships. The black costume was designed by The Well Dressed Skater, and featured gorgeous crystal details highlighting the top. The emerald and silver sequins were done in a way to mimic the matrix codes from the iconic film. The effect was subtle yet stunning even from afar. Well done!

Matthew Nielsen Free Skate to Rich Beyond Belief and One Condition by Guy Farley--I really loved Matthew's costume here, mainly of course for the top. The design featured a beautifully gathered neckline, filled in with a gorgeous "spray" of crystal sequins, which then blended into a tie-dye blue wash around his midsection. It was this gorgeous and impressive top that made him stand out in the costume arena.

Joonsoo Kim Free Skate to Fire on Fire by Sam Smith, Ghost Town by Benson Boone--UCLA grad Joonsoo Kim wore this red and black look for his Free Skate. What I really appreciated about this particular costume was the beautiful cowl draping which highlighted the neckline adding a soft yet chic detail to his costume. Sometimes adding such draping can add bulk to the style but here it was done perfectly so as to not take away from his small frame. I also liked the subtle airbrushing effect and delicate crystals.

Maxim Naumov Free Skate to Iron by Woodkid, Shadows by Woodkid, Loyal by ODESZA--Maxim wore this look for his Free Skate, consisting of black pants (of course!) and a stretch velvet sequined top. The top featured a geometric design with subtle colored inset pieces that were topped off with crystals...I just wished it wasn't so subtle and instead, stronger to create more costume impact.

Mitchell Friess Short Program--Mitchell wore this gray and white (with black pants) costume for his Short Program. I liked the look, especially the top, for its side-wrap draping, airbrush coloring, and fluttering wrist detail. The white under-top had some crystals at the neckline which I felt was unnecessary.

Jimmy Ma Free Skate to Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy, Volcano by Woodkid--For Jimmy Ma's Free Skate, he wore this deep lilac-colored top and black pants. The top had subtle ombre shading with diagonally placed crystals and an asymmetrical hemline that elongated his torso. 

Short Program to Warriors by 2WEI, Edda Hayes--Of the two looks Jimmy wore, this one above for the Short Program was my favorite. I really liked how the black and white top coordinated with his black pants and therefore looked like a complete outfit (as opposed to what most of the male skaters do--pairing the black pants with "any color" shirt...as if that's supposed to work!). The top had this airbrush effect and sequins were placed to look like beautiful feathers across his body. If he ever skated to Black Swan, this look could TOTALLY work as well!

*FAB COSTUME ALERT!!!*

Yaroslav Paniot Free Skate to Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley, Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley, and Hound Dog by Elvis Presley--I cannot get enough of Yaroslav and his Elvis costume!! It is campy, over-the-top, and FABULOUS...and I am LIVING for it! It has all the elements of a great figure skating costume: Bold color, bold style, and exaggerated details...SEQUINS!...and more importantly, all of this can be seen from the "nosebleed seats". The costume gets a 10 out of 10 from me!

Finally...Did he forget to pack his costume??

Samuel Mindra Free Skate to Where Do I Begin by Andy Williams--When Samuel went out on the ice along with the other Senior Men for their pre-skate Warm Up (I was there!), I wondered out loud "I hope he's going back to actually change into A COSTUME!" Alas, he did not: THIS WAS HIS COSTUME! He wore a blue shirt and black pants. That's it. The shirt had nothing...no ombre, no airbrush... no sequins...just a little collar, of the same color. It was like something he bought at Target. Nothing against Target but...I guess this is just a long way of saying "GIVE ME MORE SAMUEL!!!" Well, at least he wore gloves. That's a start.

*NEXT UP: The PAIRS Costume RECAP!