Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Halloween Costume Ideas

Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan’s tale remains one of the most talked about Nineties scandals. Both athletes suffered backlash, career opportunities lost, and ultimately had their lives affected by events leading up to the 1994 Olympic Games. While this event has been dramatized many times on television, something about its real life events makes them particularly unforgettable – whether that means viewing images like Kerrigan in her virginal white lace dress versus Harding in her vampy maroon gown, or hearing Kerrigan sobbing to judges about broken lace skate – or remembering scenes depicted through film – there are plenty of ways you can portray this pair on Halloween.

One way to commemorate this scandal is with a DIY costume of either athlete involved. There are endless variations for both, though most fans opt for ones that mimic their Olympic outfit. You could also include an outfit belonging to Harding’s husband hired for this purpose of hitting Kerrigan with a police baton; that way you can reenact that iconic incident each Halloween door-by-door!

Harding was an accomplished figure skater, yet she was consistently eclipsed by Kerrigan as champion of the previous year. More well-rounded and with advantages in terms of wealth and family stability than Harding, Kerrigan’s image was more appealing to judges and spectators compared to Harding’s rough-and-tumble redneck persona; her character contrasted perfectly against Harding who came across as jealous while Kerrigan presented as innocent victim in media reports.

Kerrigan was an expert at cultivating her image and style to gain public support and win over judges. She donned white, black, and red skating uniforms that displayed purity as she wore her hair in a bobbed style tied with a scrunchie – wearing one when competing at national competitions like Sochi was one such tool she employed to attain victory on ice.

Costumes inspired by Harding and her rival, Peggy Kerrigan, are always popular Halloween choices, particularly now thanks to I, Tonya. Margot Robbie made headlines as Harding in I, Tonya while Sebastian Stan portrayed Gillooly (Gillooly was hired to break Kerrigan’s leg in real life). All costumes in I, Tonya were meticulously replicated from start to finish – now you can recreate that look yourself using this easy DIY costume perfect for Halloween parties.