Looking back at Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s most fabulous ice skating costumes
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At 9pm on Christmas Day, a feature-length biopic will re-tell the story of ice dancing duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on ITV.
The pair went down in Olympic history thanks to their famous Bolero figure skating performance in 1984 – but their thematic costumes, lest we forget, were just as legendary.
From tie dye colours to spangly decorations, some of the 1980s’ biggest (and boldest) fashion trends made it onto the ice via Torvill and Dean.
Let’s take a look back at some of their most memorable showstoppers…
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At Lake Placid New York in 1980, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean made their Olympics debut, finishing fifth. Dean wore a simple-looking suit, while Torvill wore an emerald velvet dress.
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The flared mini skirt became a staple for Torvill in her professional skating career. Choosing the right costume to match the routine became essential for them.
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The duo won the European Figure Skating Championships in Innsbruck, Austria in 1981, wearing matching leotards with silver leaf detailing on the shoulders.
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A performance in 1983 showed how far the pair had come in the costume department. Dean’s night fever turquoise lapels matched a sash belt on Torvill’s dress.
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Here is a close-up of Torvill from that routine. Note her black ribbon choker, and the turquoise stud detail on her top.
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Gearing up for gold, wearing gold, the duo performed their Barnum ice dance routine in February 1983 at the Richmond Theatre.
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Torvill and Dean debuted their famous Bolero routine – and the now-iconic costumes – at the British Figure Skating Championships in Nottingham, November 1983.
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A few months later, in February, 1984, the routine won gold at the Winter Olympics held at the Zetra Ice Hall in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
Those purple tie-dye chiffon outfits, with their flared sleeves, are now in every iconic image of the ice-dancing duo.
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At the February 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, Torvill and Dean returned to the ice to compete. Torvill wore a new butter yellow chiffon costume with sheer sleeves.
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A few days later at the same competition, Torvill debuted this fairy-like creation, covered in complex beadwork.
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The embellishment served to highlight the ice-dancer’s figure. Dean wore a classic black tie look.
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A final outfit for the competition was made from black chiffon, with emerald beading on top.
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These outfits, worn for the European Skating Championships in 1984, were all about the arm embellishments. Note Dean’s matador-like shoulder pads, which echo the theme of the dance.
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For the World Professional Championships held in December 1984, Torvill and Dean performed a piece called Song Of India. Their costumes featured billowing chiffon harem pants and jewelled crop tops.
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To perform their routing Venus in Japan in 1985, Torvill took on the character of the Goddess of Love. At the start of the piece Torvill was stood on Dean’s shoulders and he was concealed under a large cape. When this part of the costume was removed, Torvill kept a headscarf and flared arm bands on.
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At the launch of Dancing on Ice in 2006, Torvill and Dean brought back some of their style hallmarks – stretch suiting for Dean and lurex, figure-skimming dresses for Torvill.
