Could You Afford Your Very Own Figure Skating Costume? (Probably Not.)

With a couple note-worthy exceptions, figure skating has always seemed like a rich girl sport. The girls I knew who could afford to do it were always the ones with highest, most shiny of ponytails who, in the winter, wore headbands instead of hats and had really nice ski jackets. Their parents could spend money on countless hours of training and the beautiful, intricate costumes that their daughters would wear while competing. My parents (to my utter devastation) were not down with that shit, so I was left to covet those stunning sequined outfits from afar.