Many teams debuted beautiful new leotards for the first postseason meet of the year. With so many lovely options to judge, who knows which one we loved the most! This week, we’re joined by Gabrielle, who will be filling in for Casey while he’s in China! As always, you might not agree with our opinions, so let us know what you thought about this weekend’s leotards in the comments or on Twitter. And did we miss one you loved? Let us know!
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Utah
Score: 9.2 Gabrielle Design: 2.8/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.9/2 School Spirit: 1.6/2 Overall Appearance: 2.8/3 Total: 9.1/10 Yes. These are awesome. They’re sporty but still pretty, with the right amount of sparkle. The back and shoulders are probably my favorite part. I guess ombre is in, but I’m not complaining. Elizabeth I LOVED THIS LEO. It’s definitely in my top three for the weekend. The mostly red ombre is lovely and the shoulder design is really cool. I also love the arms and the sparkly U on the back. Well done Utah. I like the change from the mostly black leos it normally wears. |
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Oklahoma
Score: 9.15 Gabrielle Design: 2.5/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2 School Spirit: 1.7/2 Overall Appearance: 2.6/3 Total: 8.3/10So from the front, I would agree with Elizabeth, 10/10. The rhinestone design and ombre mesh is really beautiful. But when I saw the back…honestly it reminds me of a flashy prom dress that I’d never wear. If it were plain red without the bling it would be a different story. Elizabeth I literally don’t have anything I don’t love about this leotard. The front is so pretty. The subtle ombre arms are gorg and the back is STUNNING. I love love love this leotard so much. Probably more than any other leotard worn this season or maybe even ever? |
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Michigan
Score: 9.0 Gabrielle Design: 2.8/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.9/2 School Spirit: 2/2 Overall Appearance: 2.8/3 Total: 9.5/10 Not sure if it was the color combo, the geometric design, or the strappy back, but this leo caught my eye, and I fell in love. It can handle a lot of detail because all the lines and absence of curves make it still look organized. The M is subtle but still shows school spirit. A+ Elizabeth Michigan always goes one step past where it should stop. I really like the design and color placement, but it’s just a tad too busy. Less is more. I also wish there were either three back straps and three sleeve lines to go with the three stripes on the first on and back or only two on the front and back to go with the two back straps and two sleeve lines. If that makes any sense whatsoever. |
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Washington
Score: 8.2 Gabrielle Design: 2.6/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2 School Spirit: 1/2 Overall Appearance: 2.7/3 Total: 7.8/10 The color is really eye-pleasing, and the overall appearance is clean and elegant. The “Washington” down the sleeve is a nice touch. It wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but hey, that’s not always a bad thing. Elizabeth This lavender ombre was GORGEOUS. I looooove it. That plus the sweetheart neckline and the simple black mesh made this leo a huge winner. |
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Arizona State
Score: 7.7 Gabrielle Design: 2.4/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2 School Spirit: 1.3/2 Overall Appearance: 2.6/3 Total: 7.8/10 The back is definitely what makes this leo. The creativity makes the simplicity of the leo as a whole work. A little more color might be nice, but other than that I really have no complaints. Thumbs up, Arizona State. Elizabeth I liked this one. It’s still weird in an ASU way but not over the top. The back is backless without being backless and the nude color actually blends in with all the girls’ skintones, so good job with that. The front was fine, but I didn’t drool over it or anything. |
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Iowa State
Score: 7.65 Gabrielle Design: 2/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2 School Spirit: 1.4/2 Overall Appearance: 2.1/3 Total: 7/10 The front design is beautiful yet simple, and the splash of gold on the neckline adds a nice touch, like Elizabeth said. I’m not crazy about the back, but it’s not bad. Elizabeth I really like this. The small gold detailing on the neckline is great and the red color is really pretty. The back design is cool and the front is simple but not boring. |
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Michigan State
Score: 7.35 Gabrielle Design: 1/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1/2 School Spirit: 1.2/2 Overall Appearance: 2/3 Total: 5.2/10 If Michigan’s leo was the stuck yurchenko 1 ½, this would be the fall on beam. That sounds mean. But I really don’t like this one. The main thing that throws me is the asymmetry…it just looks weird. The green is nice, and the Spartan logo is alright. But overall not impressed. Elizabeth I really love this emerald green color. And I like how the white on the front snakes around to the back and widens and has the Spartan logo. I also love the sparkle outlining that white dip. The design as a whole is elegant but simple. Classy. |
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Georgia
Score: 6.9 Gabrielle Design: 2.7/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.8/2 School Spirit: 1/2 Overall Appearance: 2.5/3 Total: 8/10 I really like this leo. Yes, a little red might make it pop more, but it’s super classy and I think the mesh and sparkle are perfectly placed. It’s like the “little black dress” of leos…you can’t really go wrong. I do agree with Elizabeth about the “Dawgs” on the back. “Georgia” would be a little more sophisticated. Elizabeth This leo’s alright. I need some red, though, at the conference championship. I don’t like the term “Dawgs” (yes, I realize I went to Georgia). It just always reminds me of the stereotypical Georgia football fan saying, “GO DAWWWWWGS,” with a thick southern accent. Stick with Georgia for gymnastics. |
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LSU
Score: 6.75 Gabrielle Design: 2.2/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2 School Spirit: 1.3/2 Overall Appearance: 2.7/3 Total: 7.8/10 I can pretty much always count on LSU for a beautiful leo, and this was no exception. Maybe it’s just the deep purple that I love, but to me it has the perfect amount of pizazz. I have to agree about the love handle mesh, it’s kind of weird, but I don’t think that takes too much away from the rest of the leo. Elizabeth WHO thought it was a good idea to put mesh on the stomach right there? They’re basically love handle cutouts. Nononononono. I can’t get past that. I really love the rest of the leo, but that is probably the worst place to push random mesh. What were you thinking? The color’s nice. Without the love handle mesh, this leo would have been in the 8s for me. Shame. |
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Florida
Score: 6.35 Gabrielle Design: 1.6/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.2/2 School Spirit: 1/2 Overall Appearance: 1.7/3 Total: 5.5/10 I think the blue color is pretty and the mesh arms are nice, but for some reason I’m not a huge fan of this one. Maybe it’s the jagged design on the front or rhinestone collar that’s a little much. Overall it’s just okay. Elizabeth This was a collaboration between the sophomores and junior. I like it more than some of the other new leos Florida has debuted this year. The blue with blue mesh is nice and the hue is pretty. I also don’t mind the rhinestone dog-collar and design on the chest. |
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Alabama
Score: 6.3 Gabrielle Design: 1.8/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.2/2 School Spirit: 1.8/2 Overall Appearance: 1.5/3 Total: 6.3/10 These leos have so much school spirit, it’s a shame they couldn’t help Bama clinch the championship title. The classic A on the front is nice, and so is the “Alabama” on the back, just not when they’re both on the same leo. It’s too much. So is the blingy V-neckline. But I do like the ombre sleeves and color, so it’s alright. Elizabeth What a funny coincidence that these look nearly identical to Oklahoma’s ombre leos. Obviously the teams designed them way before the season started but still funny. While it’s almost the same, I still like Oklahoma’s better. I don’t like how the neck is a V but then is cut off my a straight line on the chest.It’s weird. |
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Oregon State
Score: 6.05 Gabrielle Design: 1.1/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.1/2 School Spirit: 1.2/2 Overall Appearance: 1/3 Total: 4.4/10 Hmmm. This is one of my least favorite from this week. I commend Oregon State for switching it up, but I’m really not a fan of white leos. There’s a reason they’re rare. And the contrast of the white with the many black straps on the back isn’t too appealing. The swirly design is alright though. Elizabeth Props to Oregon State for changing things up from mostly black with some orange to mostly white with some orange. This is the same design as Kentucky’s. I like the weirdness of it. The multiple back straps are cool and the mesh design on the arms is unique. I don’t love the white, but orange probably would have looked just as not-fantastic. |
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Nebraska
Score: 5.7 Gabrielle Design: 2.1/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.2/2 School Spirit: 1/2 Overall Appearance: 2.2/3 Total: 6.5/10 It’s hard when your colors are red and black, because so much has already been done before. Nebraska did something different, so props to them. I actually kind of like the weird design on the side, and think it plays nicely with the plain red front. Nothing spectacular, but decent. Elizabeth I’m not sure how I feel about this design. The one side looks like something I doodled when I was little when I scribbled random lines on Window’s paint app and filled in portions. The asymmetry is kind of cool and the black mesh isn’t bad. |
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Arizona
Score: 4.5 Gabrielle Design: 1.2/3 Fabric/Sparkle: 1.1/2 School Spirit: .8/2 Overall Appearance: 2/3 Total: 5.1/10 I’m going to have to disagree with Elizabeth on this one. The leo is definitely not amazing, but it’s not completely bad either. I have to commend them for taking a risk with the lace mesh. Without it, the leotard would be too boring. Overall, so so. Elizabeth So this leotard looks like the girls are wearing a lace crop top with a sleeveless leotard on top. Yuck. It would have been kind of alright if it didn’t have the side cutouts, but even then… Maybe if the body and lace were different colors? I just don’t like this. |
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The Oregon State leotard did not look good on any of the girls. They all looked like they had gained a good 10 pounds in their stomach, because the swirls drew attention to that area. Perhaps if the leotard hadn’t had a white background, it wouldn’t have been so off putting. I really wanted to like the concept, but was disappointed in the end result.