4 Rules You Probably Didn’t Know About Olympic Skaters’ Outfits

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Figure skating is one of the most mesmerizing Olympic sports—both for the breathtaking displays of athleticism and the intricate, elegant outfits.

But those crystal-laden getups are more than just visual entertainment: They’re crafted in accordance with specific rules. And athletes can get penalized—pretty heftily, actually—for breaking them.

With the 2026 Winter Games underway in northern Italy, we rounded up four figure skating outfit rules you probably didn’t know.

The athletes can’t look too naked.

According to the International Skating Union (ISU), which established the costume rules used in the 2026 Olympics, skaters’ outfits “must not give the effect of excessive nudity inappropriate for the discipline.” What constitutes “excessive nudity” is subjective, of course, but Lisa McKinnon, a costume designer in Los Angeles, says she avoids using see-through material and makes sure costumes fit well so that certain body parts (like butt cheeks, for example) aren’t revealed. Other than that, her only hard rule to ensure costumes don’t veer into the vulgar category is “let’s not show nipples,” she says.

McKinnon designed 15 costumes for the 2026 Winter Games, including outfits for the three American women’s figure skaters—Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito—as well as American pair ice dancers Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko and Korean figure skaters Haein Lee and Jia Shin.

Of course, the nudity rule doesn’t mean skaters are completely covered in fabric—that would be impractical for competition—or that they have to avoid all things sexy. McKinnon gives the example of the outfit she designed for Amber Glenn’s short program, which is set to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” The costume, which features lace, layered necklaces, and burgundy-colored fabric that drapes off her shoulders, “is in the direction of more mature and sexy without pushing it too much,” McKinnon explains.

Their clothing also can’t be “garish” or “theatrical.”

The ISU rules also states costumes “must be modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition—not garish or theatrical in design.” Again, these terms are all pretty subjective (in case you’re wondering, garish means “ clothed in vivid colors” or “excessively or disturbingly vivid,” per Merriam-Webster). But McKinnon says she adheres to this regulation by avoiding “gimmicky” elements, like an athlete changing some part of their costume mid-performance, for example.

At the same time, the rules state that “clothing may, however, reflect the character of the music chosen.” And this, McKinnon says, is an “extremely important” part of her process.

“The number one goal is to make sure that the costume goes with the feeling that you get when you are listening to the music and when you’re watching the style of the choreography,” she explains. That’s why she listens to the music on repeat when she’s sketching a design.

Absolutely nothing can fall off onto the ice.

This one’s centered on safety: All decorations on a costume must be “non-detachable,” states the ISU. That means they can’t fall off, which could pose a safety risk.

McKinnon takes serious precautions to ensure every last component of a costume stays intact, even as athletes leap, spin, and twirl at rapid pace. This includes double knotting threads, inserting multiple hook-and-eye closures going in different directions, and using only the highest-quality glue. It’s no surprise thatMcKinnon says it can take her between 50 to 100 hours to create a single costume.

Fortunately, none of McKinnon’s costumes have detached mid-performance, but she acknowledges there’s always a risk, especially when an outfit features dangling elements, such as crystals, fringe, or beaded details. “You can never say never,” she says.

Athletes face strict deductions if they break these rules.

If athletes break any of these costume rules—plus a few others laid out of the ISU—they can be penalized by a deduction of one point per program. That’s the equivalent penalty they would receive from falling on the ice, according to ISU rules.

That may sound harsh, but the non-detachable rule is intended to keep athletes safe, and the rest are aimed at keeping the focus on an athlete’s performance—not an over-the-top outfit.

This aligns with McKinnon’s design philosophy. “The costume should enhance the program and almost not be noticed because it all just gels so well together with how it fits the person, how they’re skating, the music, and the choreography,” she says.

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