Leotard Rankings: Week 5

By Elizabeth Grimsley, Christina Marmet and Caroline Medley
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​We had another handful of great leotards, including some stunners from unexpected teams the likes of Rutgers, Western Michigan and Maryland. But, as always, there were also some less-than-stellar leos—depending on your tastes. But we’ll let you decide that after reading through the options.The criteria is the same as last season. But to refresh your memories: up to three points for design; two points for fabric, sparkle, etc.; and two points for school spirit; three points for overall appearance. After assigning points to each category, we’ll tally up the scores and average them with the previous week’s. So by the end of the season, we’ll know for sure which team has the best leotards (according to us) and which teams not so much. We want to know what you thought too (or if we forgot one of your favorites from this weekend)! Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter. And make sure to vote in our poll at the bottom of the page to make your opinion heard in the fan vote, new this season.

LSU: 8.6

Caroline
Design: 2.7/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.5/2
Overall Appearance: 2.6/3
Total: 8.5/10I love all the creative methods of school spirit this week! LSU’s use of the fleur de lys pays excellent tribute to the heritage of Louisiana, and it shines beautifully in the lavender and outlined by all the stones. I do wish there were some gold to the design, and maybe an “LSU” on the sleeve, but honestly that’s my only complaint!

Christina
Design: 2.5/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.8/2
School Spirit: 1.8/2
Overall Appearance: 2.6/3
Total: 8.7/10I like this one because it just screams Louisiana. The fleur-de-lys is a bit big, but it fits nicely in the rest of the leo, and I really like the glittery bands that come out of it and continue onto the back. The shades are lovely, and it has the right amount of sparkles to me. I like!

Elizabeth
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.9/2
Overall Appearance: 2.6/3
Total: 8.6/10This one shoes great school spirit and great state spirit. And I really like the material and color used for the fleur-de-lis. It’s sort of shimmery without being sparklie? I also like how the rest of the leotard is rather simple to highlight the front more. Plus the small detailing on the back is nice and keeps it from being too boring there.


Southern Utah: 8.433
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Caroline
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.6/3
Total: 8.2/10So I know this is the same design as Denver, but I actually think the silver/grey adds way more depth to the design and look of the leo as a whole. I think the red accents play much better than the white ones did on Denver’s, and the use of bling is still excellent. I actually like Denver’s back better? I like that they went for block text rather than a “logo,” like the one SUU used. Still, thoroughly enjoy this leo, one of my favorites this week.

Christina
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.3/3
Total: 7.9/10This is actually the same design as Denver’s leo that we are judging this week. Unfortunately, I like Denver’s better. I know I shouldn’t be comparing the two, but how could I not? It’s like when you’re not supposed to compare two routines from two different meets with different judges… Alas, you can’t help it! On this one, I do like the ombre look on the sleeves, but I am not a big fan of the shiny grey fabric on the rest of the sleeves. I do like the red seams and the SUU on the back as well.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.8/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.8/2
School Spirit: 1.8/2
Overall Appearance: 2.8/3
Total: 9.2/10LOVE THIS. It’s funny because it’s a similar design to DU’s that we also judged and SUU wore this against DU (not in the same meet). Anyway, I adore the ombre on the sleeves and the design on top. I do wish the wrist design went all around though and didn’t stop at the seam. There’s also the perfect amount of red around the shoulders and around the design on the neck. And the SUU on the back is just enough sparkle and not too big. Love, love, love!


Georgia: 8.3

Caroline
Design: 2.8/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.7/3
Total: 8.6/10I fell in love with this leo last season, and it’s just as great the second time around! The cursive G is an unexpected twist on Georgia’s Super G, the contrast between the thin black ribbons and the red background is really nice, and I like the mesh V in the back. I don’t think the second G was necessary though? I also could’ve done with a little more bling.

Christina
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.5/3
Total: 8.0/10I like the originality of this leo, and that the G is still included in there but subtly and nicely. The back is alright but I am not a big fan of the black mesh triangle, and I wish the squigglies had continued onto the back, but oh well. Overall a nice leo with fine color tones.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.5/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.5/3
Total: 8.3/10I like this one because it’s creative. It’s not just random squigglies—the cursive G stands out and you can tell what it’s supposed to be without being another plain Super G. I also like the back with the V, mesh and red band with another little G made out of rhinestones. The color is also nice and the leo as a whole wasn’t too much of any one part.


George Washington: 8.066

Caroline
Design: 2.3/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.8/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 8.0/10Ooooh, a three-color diagonal ombre? I can dig this! I love that it fades from yellow into white and then again into blue, and the diagonal is definitely different from anything anyone else is doing right now. I also love the bling along the front and at the cuffs. Now the hashtag? Maybe not the best. Slogan, I am down for (see Auburn’s War Eagle this week). But put that pound sign in front of it and then we have a problem. Hashtags look silly enough on regular clothes, putting them on leos is just a little too extra. That said, I like that GW is taking risks. It may take a while to figure out which ones work and which don’t, but you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right?

Christina
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.5/3
Total: 8.3/10I like this one from GWU and how they used the same sort of ombre shades as the one leo we already scored (we actually did think we already judged this leo since they look so similar). I like that the ombre is actually happening diagonally instead of down, as it is a bit different from the other leos we have seen this season. The hashtag on the sleeve though is just… No. I am glad you are proud of your school, but the hashtag isn’t necessary at all.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 1.8/2
Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
Total: 7.9/10I like this in general, especially the ombré since it’s an unusual color combo compared to other teams. However, I think it needs to be a lit darker. It’s almost too light as a whole, if that makes any sense at all. Also, I have to talk about the hashtag on the sleeve… I’m totally fine with putting a school slogan or motto or whatever on the leo but it does not need to be hash tagged, that’s taking it a bit too far… But good job on that school spirit, I guess?


Denver: 8.05
Caroline
Design: 2.3/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.3/3
Total: 7.7/10I’m a bit ambivalent on this one. I like the design a lot, but I feel like the sparkle is concentrated on the wrists more than anywhere else, which is an odd place to want to draw the eye. It also looks like the underside of the sleeve is two-tone? Maybe that’s just the picture but again, it accentuates the arms rather than the main torso and that seems a bit strange to me. I do like the lattice design though and the red fabric used for the main bodice.

Christina
Design: 2.6/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.5/2
Overall Appearance: 2.6/3
Total: 8.4/10I really like this one! The design is quite simple but it works well, and I love the fabric and the crimson shade used. The white sparkly criss-cross on the sleeves are lovely, and the “Denver” on the back works well.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.7/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.7/3
Total: 8.7/10Loooove this Denver leo. From the crimson color to the white design on the wrists to the simple “Denver” on the back—I love it all! I’m not sure what else to say… My love for this leo is indescribable.


California: 8.0

Caroline
Design: 2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.3/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 7.2/10I feel like Cal is going too simple with their leo game here? I understand their desire for classic, clean looks, and I can certainly appreciate that. But sometimes you need a little more. I needed more of a design here, rather than just “California” and some sparkle along the back. I hate random ribbons but I would’ve taken some of those over this nothing-at-all approach.

Christina
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.3/3
Total: 7.7/10A pretty simple leo, but it works well here and I like it. The navy and white do look nice together, and the California across the chest adds a nice touch of school spirit to the leo. I do wish the design was a bit more intricate, or maybe featured some more sparkles or fabric, but the current design still looks good.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.8/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.8/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.8/3
Total: 9.1/10This is my fave Cal leo. I love a good white mesh sleeve and the silver around the arms looks GREAT with the white and navy and pulls it all together well. It adds that bit of sparkle without being too much simply with a fabric. I also love the simple “California” on the chest in all caps and the sparkles around the scoop neckline and the slightly lower-than-normal back. Love!


Auburn: 7.7

Caroline
Design: 2.1/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 2/2
Overall Appearance: 2.3/3
Total: 7.9/10This leo looked quite good in competition and on broadcast, I was pleasantly surprised. The sleeve design is cool, and I really like the War Eagle on the back. The mesh V is cool too! But yeah, the front is a bit simple. Points off for that bit.

Christina
Design: 2.0/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.1/3
Total: 7.2/10I like this one, especially the mesh on the top, on the shoulders and on the back. The school spirit and colors are well represented. I do find the front a bit simple, basically only with the “AU.” That said overall it’s a nice, clean look. Not one of my favorites from this new leo series, but still fine to look at.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
Total: 8.0/10This is one of my favorite AUburn leos mainly because it’s not like all the others. Yes, it still has a mostly navy body, but it does incorporate the mesh on the top in a sort of off-the-shoulder look that’s nice. I also like the orange swirls that add just enough color but isn’t too overpowering. The War Eagle along the V on the back is also a great touch.


Rutgers: 7.633
Caroline
Design: 2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.3/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 6.9/10I like the design in general, I just think it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. There’s too much mesh, plus there’s the ombre sleeve, the diamond cutouts, the mesh triangle at the neckline—just overall too many cooks in the kitchen. I actually do like the side cutouts, surprisingly enough, because they’re not a super contrasting color, they blend well with the bodice fabric. I think they nicely accentuate everyone’s figure, but I think outlining them in stones may have been overkill.

Christina
Design: 2.0/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
School Spirit: 1.5/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 7.3/10Meh. SIDE CUTOUTS. Also, this design looks very familiar and I feel like it has been worn by another team, but I might be going crazy (obsessing over the side cutouts). In all honestly, the ombre on the sleeves is nice and I like the overall shades of this leo. But darn side mesh cutouts.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.6/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.8/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.7/3
Total: 8.7/10I really like this one. I love the ombre on the sleeves and in the side cutouts, as well as the mostly black look with accents of red. The red strands on the top are also pretty and the rhinestones are placed well and there aren’t too many. Plus, it looks good on all the girls. I do think the side cutouts are a tad too big? Slightly smaller and it would have been an all-around win for me.


Michigan: 7.6

Caroline
Design: 1.8/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 1.2/2
Overall Appearance: 2/3
Total: 6.5/10The design on the front looks scarily anatomical to me, like they’ve been cut open. Not really a fan. I understand the intent of the scalloped look, but it didn’t translate for me. I love the bling, and I love how the sleeves and some of the stoning shine blue and gold rather than just generic silver shine. The back is hard to see from this particular video, but I like it a lot more than the front.

Christina
Design: 2.3/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
Total: 7.9/10Love the back, really not a fan of the front. Granted it’s a unique design, the scalloped look doesn’t do it for me. I like the deep-v though both in the back and in the front, but the rest of the design is a bit of a turn-off. As for colors, I like the shades and how it shines both blue and gold on the sleeves and the upper part of the bodice.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.5/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.6/3
Total: 8.4/10Let me start with saying how much I love the sleeve color. It’s gold but also blue—so lovely! I also like the back strap, how it’s not a typical back strap how it goes across rather than criss-crossing or something like that. I also love the V on the back and the deep V on the front but don’t especially care for the scalloped look in the front V. But overall, this is a good one for me.


Maryland: 7.1

A photo posted by dee (@deannamagro) on

Caroline
Design: 2.2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.7/2
School Spirit: 1.2/2
Overall Appearance: 2.1/3
Total: 7.2/10

Love the crystal cascade on the bodice paired with the ombre color fade. I do think the sleeve mesh was slightly too transparent; it would have been more effective if it actually looked black on the gymnasts rather than being able to see their skin tone so clearly through it. The thicker mesh on the chest area should have gone all the way down the arm. Maryland logo is also itty bitty, so a tenth or two comes off for that.

Christina
Design: 2.3/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.1/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 7.2/10

This one looked better on paper than in reality for me, unfortunately. I do like the glittery rain on the front, and the kinda ombre look on the sleeves. I’m a bit bothered by the slightly thicker black mesh on the upper torso rather than the sleeves and wish it had been the same. That said, it still looks nice and much better than many of the Maryland leos, and doesn’t prominently feature bright, mustard yellow. I actually like that the yellow is incorporated into the UA logo, and on the small “M” on the hip bone.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.0/2
School Spirit: 1.7/2
Overall Appearance: 2.0/3
Total: 6.9/10

This is another good one, but I don’t like it as much as some other ombre leos. It’s almost faux-mbre? Because the design is printed on the fabric rather than using multiple fabrics or rhinestones to create it. I do like how the Under Armor logo is yellow to bring in the school spirit and stop it from being just a red and black leo. I also love the sleeves, neckline and Maryland logo on the hip, although I wish for the love of god the Big 10 teams would stop putting BIG on the gymnasts’ leotards.


Arkansas: 7.1

Caroline
Design: 2.3/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
School Spirit: 1.3/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 7.4/10

So I normally like the lace leos. But the fact that it’s a turtleneck to open back is just a little weird to me? I don’t know, something about it just throws me off. The use of sparkle is really nice, and I like that the “Arkansas” is a little smaller and on the back this week.

Christina
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.4/2
Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
Total: 7.6/10

This is one of my favorite Arkansas leos. I loooove the back cutout and the small Arkansas. The front is elegant and I really like the sweetheart neckline. Overall, I’m a big fan. Simple, yet stylish.

Elizabeth
Design: 1.8/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.2/2
School Spirit: 1.4/2
Overall Appearance: 1.9/3
Total: 6.3/10

You know how I feel about lace, but this is one of the better ones. I don’t like it as much as SUU’s lace leo, but it’s up there. I like the back cutout—how it’s not the same as every other back cutout. I also enjoy the sweetheart neckline and the “Arkansas” on the back, but I don’t like how high the lace goes in the front. That would be annoying to compete in I feel like.


Stanford: 7.0
Caroline
Design: 2.2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 1/2
Overall Appearance: 2.1/3
Total: 6.8/10

So I don’t mind the flames because they’re flames. I mind them because they don’t make sense with Stanford. Especially since like, their mascot is the Cardinal and their logo is a tree? That just seems counterintuitive to me, but maybe I’m overthinking it. Anyway, I do like the sparkly material on the sleeves and the V-neck is a nice silhouette on most of the girls.

Christina
Design: 2.0/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.1/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 6.7/10

This is indeed one of the nice Stanford leos. I like the shade and colors, but am not too big on the flames coming out of the chest area. I do like the V-neck and the sparkles, but I can’t get past the flames.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.4/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
School Spirit: 1.3/2
Overall Appearance: 2.3/3
Total: 7.5/10

This is one of the better Stanford leos. I like the shimmery arm color but it almost matches too much with the body. I wish it was just slightly more different so the two colors contrasted more. But I do love the sheen it gives off. Aside from that, I like the flamey design on the V-cut in the front and the amount of sparkle along the V as well—it makes the gymnasts really shine when they move.


Michigan State: 6.933

Caroline
Design: 2.1/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.1/2
School Spirit: 2/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 7.4/10

This is a statement leo, and I actually really like it. Only a school with such a starkly recognizable logo would be able to pull this off, and I think MSU’s Spartan fits that bill perfectly. I would’ve loved to see some more sparkle on the black fabric in the bodice (or maybe even make it an inherently-sparkly fabric?), and I actually would’ve made the Spartan bigger, to make it more visible from both the front and the back, rather than just the side. I wish the ombre were a little more full-bodied on the Spartan too, the fade to white looks almost blue in the photo.

Christina
Design: 1.5/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.0/2
School Spirit: 1.8/2
Overall Appearance: 1.6/3
Total: 5.9/10

This is an interesting design, but I’m not sure I really dig it. I do like that they went for the ombre trend on the Spartan logo, but other than that, it’s just such a simple leo. I understand we can’t make it too busy because of the giant Spartan head but still… Or maybe don’t put the head on the side, so at least there is something on the front or back? Or maybe add some more rhinestones? It does need a little something more. I just can’t get behind this leo.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.0/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
School Spirit: 1.9/2
Overall Appearance: 2.0/3
Total: 7.5/10

This leo is oozing with school spirit—you can’t deny that. I like the incorporation of the ombre inside the Spartan head. It’s not the typical use of ombre but still sticks with the current trends. I also like the rhinestone cuffs around the wrists but the rest is sort of blah. Obviously you don’t want it to get too busy or it would detract from the giant head on the side, but it needs some more oomph.


Arizona: 6.9

Caroline
Design: 2.2/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.2/2
Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
Total: 7.2/10

I love the minimalism of this design. I could’ve used a little more bling on the bodice itself and that particular shade of blue may not be flattering to every skin tone, but I like that they took such a bold color and made a statement. I have no idea what the back looks like, but apparently there’s some school spirit there, so I threw in some tenths for that which I cannot see.

Christina
Design: 2.3/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.2/2
School Spirit: 1.4/2
Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
Total: 7.1/10

I love this shade of blue unlike Elizabeth, and I like the subtle touches of red here and there. Where my main issue here is how long the mesh goes. I feel like the cut is just kind of weird, and maybe the sweetheart neckline should have been a tad bit higher? It just feels like a lot of mesh on the upper part of the bodice. The back was a bit too simple for me, and I wish it included some red in there too.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.1/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 0.9/2
School Spirit: 1.4/2
Overall Appearance: 2.0/3
Total: 6.4/10

I like this one… There’s just something about it… It reminds me a lot of the Russian leo from the Olympics in Rio. It’s almost as if the blue color is too bright and bold? It’s too in your face. Maybe if it wasn’t so much primary colors together, it would be better? I did like the font of the “Arizona” on the back and the mesh on the sides.


Western Michigan: 6.6

Caroline
Design: 1.9/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
School Spirit: 1.4/2
Overall Appearance: 2/3
Total: 6.7/10

This is a solid leo. A bit basic perhaps, but solid. The touch of the gold ribbon makes it a little more complex, though I would’ve liked to see a pattern in it rather than just a random design. I also really like the “Broncos” written on the hip! I like when teams include their mascot and not just their school name. I could’ve used more sparkle, and maybe just a little more oomph somewhere. That’s what I’m missing—the oomph factor.

Christina
Design: 1.7/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.1/2
School Spirit: 1.4/2
Overall Appearance: 1.8/3
Total: 6.0/10

This one is a bit too simple for me. It is a nice leo and there is nothing specifically that bugs me about it, but I wish there was just… More to it? More sparkles, more design, more colors? I’m not sure… It’s alright. I don’t hate it, but I don’t *love* it either.

Elizabeth
Design: 2.1/3
Fabric/Sparkle: 1.3/2
School Spirit: 1.6/2
Overall Appearance: 2.1/3
Total: 7.1/10

I like this one. It’s classy. You can’t really go wrong with a black body and white sleeves. Adding the gold ribbons on the arms and chest kept it from being boring and also added in that school spirit we look for—not to mention the subtly “Broncos” on the hip. I could have used maybe a touch more sparkle throughout, but overall it was a solid leo!


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