18 unforgettable figure skating costumes from competitions past

Over the past 30 years, the sport of figure skating has progressed by leaps and bounds. Somehow, no matter how many mind-boggling revolutions athletes complete while flying through the air, they always manage to look flawless.

As we launch into the 2018 Winter Olympics, let’s take a moment to skate down memory lane and enjoy some beautiful costumes of competitions past.

1. Scott Hamilton

Hamilton’s aerodynamic red and blue suit was made for speed, spins and tight jumps during the 1984 games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

2. Brian Boitano

Boitano channels a stylish pirate and soars across the rink at the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway.

3. Johnny Weir

Weir wowed crowds as soon as he stepped onto the ice thanks to theatrical, statement-making costumes like this winged black and white suit he wore during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

4. Evan Lysacek

In comparison, Lysacek went for the classic look in an all-black Vera Wang collaboration at the 2010 games in Vancouver. Classic until you notice the feathers flying from his wrists.

5. Dorothy Hamill

Hamill’s red V-neck costume for the 1976 games in Innsbruck, Austria, was sweet and simple, just like her trademark bob and classy skating.

6. Tara Lipinski

Teen sensation Lipinski wholeheartedly embraced sparkle with illusion sleeves and a bedazzled bright blue costume on her way to Olympic gold at the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan.

7. Meryl Davis

With an outfit reminiscent of a Disney princess, Davis looked stunning ice dancing for the gold at the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia, with partner Charlie White.

8. Michelle Kwan

Kwan switched up her style with a Bollywood-inspired two-piece look for a free skate performance during the 1996 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

9. Michelle Kwan… Again!

Kwan’s more classic minimalist velvet costume at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano was no less memorable.

10. Surya Bonaly

French skater Bonaly made a splash in vivid orange, sparkles and ruffles designed by Christian Lacroix for the 1995 World Figure Skating Championships.

11. Kristi Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi showed she was going for gold with plenty of gold accents on her black costume during the 1992 games in Albertville, France.

12. Tonya Harding

Harding’s glitzy burgundy number matched her high-energy, high-flying performances at the 1994 Lillehammer games.

13. Nancy Kerrigan

Kerrigan’s graceful style choices and skating programs made her a fan favorite. Here she is at the 1992 games in Albertville.

14. Nancy Kerrigan Part Deux

Kerrigan’s Vera Wang-designed costume decked out with more than 10,000 rhinestones made the skater look like a celebratory bottle of bubbly, in the best way at the 1994 Lillehammer games.

15. Oksana Baiul

Bubble-gum pink never looked so right as it did on Baiul’s fluffy number from the 1994 Olympics.

16. Sarah Hughes

It’s a rare sight for a female figure skater to don pants, but Hughes’s black jumpsuit sparkled across the rink during a 2002 exhibition. In events sanctioned by the sport’s official body, women must wear skirts.

17. Sasha Cohen

Cohen’s sunshine yellow choice for the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships featured ruffles and lace. It was a bright departure from her usual elegant staples.

18. Sasha Cohen Stuns Us Again

When it comes to skating fashion, flexibility seemed to be the No. 1 priority for Cohen. This elegant choice at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, showcases her spectacular splits.