The wave of new leos is slowing down some, but we still got a number of great new additions to team lineups this week. Which were your faves? The criteria is the same as always: up to three points for design, two points for fabric and sparkle, two points for school spirit and three points for overall appearance. This week Katherine and Mary Emma are joining Elizabeth to help judge.
Denver: 7.967
New leo alert! #PioneerTogether #GoPios pic.twitter.com/AJxJwuqaj7
— Denver Gymnastics (@DU_Gymnastics) January 26, 2020
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.2/3 | 1.6/2 | 1.5/2 | 2.4/3 | 7.7/10 |
| Katherine | 2.1/3 | 1.6/2 | 1.6/2 | 2.5/3 | 7.8/10 |
| Mary Emma | 2.5/3 | 1.7/2 | 1.5/2 | 2.7/3 | 8.4/10 |
Elizabeth: I like it! I wish the shade of red leaned less toward brown and more toward red, but overall it’s a good one. I especially like the front design and the unique back.
Katherine: Most of this is decent. The front is very regal, and I like the shade they used. It’s the back that gives me pause. I’m usually fine with the use of crisscross on the back, but this instance is too busy for me.
Mary Emma: I really like this one! The shade of red is really pretty, and it has just the right amount of sparkle. I even like the back, despite being someone who usually doesn’t care for open back leotards.
North Carolina: 7.100
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7w3ovWJ5bk/?igshid=12sjt2morld1j
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.6/3 | 1.8/2 | 1.8/2 | 2.7/3 | 8.9/10 |
| Katherine | 1.6/3 | 1/2 | 1.2/2 | 1.5/3 | 5.3/10 |
| Mary Emma | 2.3/3 | 0.8/2 | 1.7/2 | 2.3/3 | 7.1/10 |
Elizabeth: I love this! The silver is so great, and it just works with the white mesh sleeves. I especially like the subtle light blue accents and sparkle design on the body. Excellent work, Carolina!
Katherine: Meh. The beading on the chest is nice, but otherwise it feels pretty boring. I like when schools use color schemes other than their own, but this one just feels like part of a stock design.
Mary Emma: I really like this one. I love the use of the Carolina Blue on the sleeves. I’m not the biggest fan of the shiny silver fabric, though.
Arizona: 7.100
https://twitter.com/ArizonaGymCats/status/1221151784187523072
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.6/3 | 1.3/2 | 1.6/2 | 1.7/3 | 6.2/10 |
| Katherine | 2.5/3 | 1.5/2 | 1.4/2 | 2.5/3 | 7.9/10 |
| Mary Emma | 2.2/3 | 1.3/2 | 1.5/2 | 2.2/3 | 7.2/10 |
Elizabeth: When I saw the sneak peek of this leo, I said, “Oh gosh I hope that’s the back.” It wasn’t. It was the front. And I don’t care for it. The real back ont he other hand is quite nice.
Katherine: Honestly, I like everything but the script of “Arizona;” that part is a little too throwback. But I really like the cutouts and the use of the zigzag sparkles. The material is nice too.
Mary Emma: I don’t hate this one. I don’t like the cutout on the front, but other than that, this is a really solid design.
Maryland: 7.100
Reppin the BEST flag in the B1G pic.twitter.com/X8GhBBklDm
— Maryland Gymnastics (@TerpsGymnastics) January 25, 2020
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.6/3 | 1.2/2 | 2.0/2 | 1.7/3 | 6.5/10 |
| Katherine | 1.6/3 | 1.1/2 | 2.0/2 | 1.8/3 | 6.5/10 |
| Mary Emma | 2.7/3 | 1.2/2 | 2.1/2 | 2.3/3 | 8.3/10 |
Elizabeth: While I love this leo for the out-of-control kitsch factor, I don’t like it quite as much as last week’s flag leo. It’s so bold.
Katherine: I always give props to state spirit since it’s a little more unique than school spirit, but this just comes across as hoaky. At least the flag doesn’t make up the entire leotard; I just wish the transition into black was a bit more subtle.
Mary Emma: Yes, I did just give a score over 2 for school spirit. Maryland sure loves its flag and doesn’t shy away from incorporating it into nearly every leotard.
Rutgers: 6.933
https://twitter.com/RUGymnastics/status/1220851218186194945?s=19
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 2.0/3 | 1.4/2 | 1.6/2 | 2.1/3 | 7.1/10 |
| Katherine | 1.4/3 | 0.8.1/2 | 1.6/2 | 1.9/3 | 5.7/10 |
| Mary Emma | 2.2/3 | 1.8/2 | 1.5/2 | 2.5/3 | 8.0/10 |
Elizabeth: I like most of this design. I could do without the Rutgers band in the back hole and the stomach diamond, but as a whole the red and black with the white is really nice.
Katherine: Most of this doesn’t work for me. Of course I love the ombre sleeves, but I barely noticed them because I don’t like the design on the front… It crisscrosses in an odd way, and it just seems like they tried to combine a lot of designs unsuccessfully.
Mary Emma: This one is nice! I love the ombre sleeves and the shade of red used. My only gripe is the weird hole on the stomach.
Arkansas: 4.267
https://twitter.com/RazorbackGym/status/1221069316780711936?s=20
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 1.5/3 | 0.4/2 | 1.4/2 | 1.6/3 | 4.9/10 |
| Katherine | 0.6/3 | 0.7/2 | 1.6/2 | 1.2/3 | 4.1/10 |
| Mary Emma | 0.5/3 | 1.0/2 | 1.3/2 | 1.0/3 | 3.8/10 |
Elizabeth: Why did they have to go and ruin a perfectly good leo with boob lace? I love the grey with the red and the shape of the neckline, but the lace is a huge no from me in both the placement and the use of it in general.
Katherine: Another example of trying to put too many things into one design. The stripes with the lace are too much, and I don’t like the transition into the different materials. It also looks a little cheap overall.
Mary Emma: This one’s a no from me. I hate leos that use see-through mesh on the arms and shoulder area. In fact, it makes me think of that black UCLA leo that I hate so much. Also, the stripes are weird. I do like the shade of red and the lace.
Iowa: 4.100
https://twitter.com/IowaGymnastics/status/1221177071143215105?s=20
| Design | Fabric/
Sparkle |
School
Spirit |
Overall
Appearance |
Total | |
| Elizabeth | 0.3/3 | 0.8/2 | 1.5/2 | 1.0/3 | 3.6/10 |
| Katherine | 1.9/3 | 1.4/2 | 1.1/2 | 1.8/3 | 6.2/10 |
| Mary Emma | 0.2/3 | 0.5/2 | 1.3/2 | 0.5/3 | 2.5/10 |
Elizabeth: Sigh. Iowa. This could have been good! But it’s really not! Were you going for one of those dressed with the weird sleeves? I really like the sparkle pattern but the disconnect of the sleeves to the body is a huge no for me.
Katherine: Sorry to be contrarian yet again but…this is actually OK. I love the sparkles on the front, and the stripes just seem to work for me. Nude mesh is a little exclusive to different skin tones, but I guess Iowa doesn’t have to…worry about that?
Mary Emma: Nope, I don’t like this one at all. You all know how much I despise nude mesh necklines, and this is just about the worst possible way you could do it.
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 3
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Katherine Weaver and Mary Emma Burton
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