Figure skating has earned its spot as one of the most awaited event of the Winter Olympics – understandably so, since it has the double appeal of amazing athletic performances and captivating costumes.
Some figure skaters love to go all-out with their ensembles, probably making the most out of the fact that they are the only competitors in the Olympics who do not have to wear a uniform.
However, this creativity isn’t always put to good use, and while their athletic prowess is undeniable, some Olympians’ outfits are so far off the mark they can end up distracting from their performances and take over the conversation surrounding their routines.
When skating in pairs, the damage can easily be twice as bad as for individual performances, with duos decked out in mismatched prints or simply absurd patterns.
From two polka dot fails and a cacophony of stripes and neon, to underwhelming or malfunctioning outfits, this year has offered its fair share of sartorial fails on the ice.
Here, FEMAIL rounds up the most baffling outfits seen on the Pyeongchang skaters during their admittedly dazzling performances.
PAIRS
There’s just too much going on: Czech Republic’s Martin Bidar and Anna Duskova’s outfits, which combined stripes as well as bright pink and two shades of yellow, didn’t quite work
Problematic pattern: Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek of Italy showed that polka dot can be tricky to pull off on the ice
Matchy-matchy: Sometimes, coordinating is not the way to go, as shown by Russia’s Vladimir Morozov’s black and yellow tie, which matched his partner Evgenia Tarasova’s dress
Loud print: The skaters’ outfits, with the clashing combination of black and yellow, was rather lacking in subtlety
Style inspiration? These outfits worn by Italy’s Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek wouldn’t have seemed out of place at a Las Vegas casino, or down the rabbit hole in Alice In Wonderland
Unexpected: Russian skaters Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov also wore these arresting black outfits with red fabric wrapped around their bodies
Cut-outs: Vladimir’s shirt had a very deep neckline plunging all the way to the bottom of his abdomen and looked like it had been ripped open on his left side
Busy: Italy’s Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise stepped on the ice wearing a confusing mix of black, grey, tie-due purple and bright pink, complete with silver embellishments on black add-ons
Underwhelming: Russia’s Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert’s costumes ended up looking a bit messy on the ice
It was off to a great start! South Korea figure skater Yura Min (pictured with her partner Alexander Gamelin) wore a nice red outfit that unfortunately came undone during her routine
Clashing: China’s Wang Shiyue’s neon pink and neon yellow outfit didn’t jibe with Liu Xinyu’s all-black costume
Mismatched: In a similar way, Russia’s Ekaterina Bobrova’s eye-catching purple and bright blue flapper costume didn’t go with Dmitri Soloviev’s minimalist plunging black shirt and matching pants
Two different styles: The athletes’ respectove outfits weren’t nearly as coordinated as their moves on the ice
MEN
Super star (trek): Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu may have claimed victory in the men’s individual competition, however his ensemble hit a rather bum note, and left him looking like an extra from the hit sci-fi series
Too much: On the other hand, Hanyu once again overdid it with his ombre, blue and white shirt with puffy sleeves and golden embellishments from his neck to his waist
Disappearing: With his all-white outfit, Spain’s Felipe Montoya’s silhouette blended perfectly with the ice in the background
Where are you going? Spain’s Javier Fernandez looked more ready for a night on the town than an event at the Olympics
Knight in not so shining armor: German skater Paul Fentz’s medieval look didn’t do anything to uplift his routine
Geometric: American figure skater Nathan Chen performed in a bizarre grey turtleneck with a white panel and sleeve
Dandy: Latvia’s Deniss Vasiljevs seemed ready to hang out with Marie-Antoinette in his jabot shirt and two-toned vest
Blast from the past: The skater’s outfit, with its lace details, looked like it could have been inspired by a period movie
A bit too casual: Israel’s Alexei Bychenko’s shirt became untucked during his routine, resulting in a rather messy outfit
Newspaper boy: Germany’s Paul Fentz’s outfit would have been perfect for a performance of Newsies, but it lacked the glitz and glamour expected during an Olympics figure skating event
Where to begin? Michal Brezina of Czech Republic performed in an arresting T-shirt with dragons made out of crystals on it, with a strange white belt around his waist and a prominent chain around his neck
Banker-style: Keegan Messing of the US looked very elegant, but a tad too business-like for a figure skating event
Not quite there: On the other hand, Yan Han of China looked a bit too casual in his simple beige T-shirt
What’s the point? Matteo Rizzo of Italy wore grey pants and a grey-rimmed white shirt with an open collar, but still sported a little red scarf tied around his neck
Not a great use of sequins: The embellishments on Filipino skater Michael Christian Martinez’s sleeves had a bizarre effect
Whoops: Moris Kvitelashvili of Georgia, who suffered a fall during the free skating element of the individual competition, wore a rather confusing outfit that was wrapped with pieces of black rope
Not really the place for denim: Keiji Tanaka of Japan wore jeans-like pants with a busy mix of stripes, a blue vest, and a red flower tucked into his pocket
WOMEN
Underwhelming: US figure skater Bradie Tennell’s outfit didn’t pick a team between minimalist and dazzling, and as a result failed to make a strong style statement
It needs something more: The skater’s combination of burgundy red and black elements wasn’t particularly striking
Not great: South Korea’s Choi Dabin donned an aqua and white dress that, despite its ombre details, its embellishments and its bell sleeves, didn’t quite make an impression
Strange design: Carolina Kostner of Italy wore a purple dress with simply bizarre cut-outs all over her chest
Panels: As per the rules of figure skating, Carolina’s dress had flesh-colored panels to fill in the cut-outs
Not a great color: Israel’s Aimee Buchanan donned a bubble-gum-pink dress that even several rows of crystals couldn’t save
A bit too simple? Italy’s Carolina Kostner’s red dress didn’t have a strong wow factor during the ladies single short program