Throwback Leotard Rankings: 2005 Big 10 Championship

Continuing with the throwback leotard theme, this week we’re taking a look back at the fashion at the 2005 Big 10 Championship. You’re going to love it, but we won’t spoil the fun…

The criteria is the same as during the season. But to refresh your memory: up to three points for design; two points for fabric, sparkle, etc.; and two points for school spirit; three points for overall appearance.

Penn State: 7.75

Christina

  • Design: 2.3/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
  • School Spirit: 1.7/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
  • Total: 7.8/10

I like the idea behind the blue stripe going across the chest, but I am not sure it stands out enough. At first, I honestly thought it was mesh and I was like “did they really put mesh right in this area?!” It wasn’t until the close-up that I realized what it was. This might just be an issue with footage quality or something, because I overall quite like this design now that I’ve figure out what was going on. Just like with MSU’s leo, I am a big fan of the criss-crossing straps in the back, and points for the sparkly PSU leo on the hip. A nice and elegant leo overall.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 2.4/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
  • School Spirit: 1.5/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
  • Total: 7.7/10

I’m loving this one! It’s simple and athletic and more toward modern style rather than some of the others. I love everything from the back to the lycra to the blue band design on the body. Maybe add a few more sparkles, and we’d be good to go.


Michigan State: 7.6

Christina

  • Design: 2.3/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
  • School Spirit: 1.7/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
  • Total: 7.9/10

Aaaah yes, all the velvet!  I quite like this one actually. The solid bodice in crushed velvet and the mesh sleeves work fine, and I like the faux shoulder straps look. The back is interesting, and I like the criss-crossed straps as well. The overall design isn’t something new and we’ve definitely seen plenty of other teams use it, but I like it anyways. In the GIF, the leo looks darker than on video, so I’d guess the color is actually more along the lines of ivy green/olive green, and I do like that for school spirit. The green is there, but not too in your face.  Add the small ‘Michigan State’ on the front, and it’s a solid look overall for me.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 2.2/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.2/2
  • School Spirit: 1.6/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.3/3
  • Total: 7.3/10

I really like this. I feel like we don’t often see mostly green leos and I’m loving this dark forest color. The velvet makes the girls look a tad dumpy, so it probably would have shown off their true athleticism with lyra instead. I also liked the mesh sleeves and loved the back design. I wasn’t really a fan of the stitched on “Michigan State,” though.


Michigan: 7.45

Christina

  • Design: 2.5/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
  • School Spirit: 1.5/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.4/3
  • Total: 7.8/10

I appreciate the light blue after so many dark leos. I like the sweetheart neckline and the V in the back, and the two fabrics go well together. That said, I’ve never been a fan of the shiny, pleather-y like fabric like this one use for the bodice here, but it doesn’t bother me as much as some other leos we’ve seen in the past that were just full-on pleather. I wish this leo incorporated some gold, but other than that, a nice look for Michigan.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 2.1/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
  • School Spirit: 1.3/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
  • Total: 7.1/10

I really like this one! The fabric is so shiny but not too much so, and there’s a good amount of sparkle as well. I like how the mesh fabric contrasts with the body well.


Minnesota: 7.1

Christina

  • Design: 1.8/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.6/2
  • School Spirit: 1.6/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2/3
  • Total: 7.0/10

Now that’s an old school leo. Unfortunately it’s yet another dark leo in this meet, and there is too much black for my taste. That said, I like the originality of the sleeves, all shiny in gold, and the ‘Minnesota’ on the front is nice. The design of the leo itself is fairly simple. It’s a clean look, but it doesn’t really blow my mind.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 2.0/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
  • School Spirit: 1.6/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.1/3
  • Total: 7.2/10

I can dig it. I love the sparkly sleeves and the Minnesota on the front. Like Christina, I do wish it wasn’t so dark and that some maroon was incorporated in somehow. Maybe deep red sparkly arms instead?


Illinois: 6.1

Christina

  • Design: 2/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
  • School Spirit: 1.3/2
  • Overall Appearance: 2.2/3
  • Total: 6.9/10

Bonus points for awesome dismount! Anyways, Illinois was way ahead of UCLA in the mesh open back department. The swirly part on the front is interesting… but I’m not mad a it, and I actually do like the mesh open back. Once again, it’s hard to tell on the GIF, but I like the shades of deep, navy blue going with the crushed velvet, and the lighter blue with the mesh part.. A little orange on there would have been nice, maybe with the sparkles, or something else to up the school spirit score.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 1.3/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.4/2
  • School Spirit: 0.9/2
  • Overall Appearance: 1.7/3
  • Total: 5.3/10

I like the fabrics and textures used in this leo but the design is super meh. I don’t really like the random swirly and how it does over the shoulder. Maybe if the back was the same, no swirl and a simple sweetheart neckline?


Iowa: 4.85

Christina

  • Design: 1.4/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.1/2
  • School Spirit: 1.7/2
  • Overall Appearance: 1.3/3
  • Total: 5.5/10

Hmmmm… I am torn here. It is very black and very plain, but I am kind of obsessed how they just basically stitched the school logo up front. I like the hole in the back as well, but overall I feel like this is more of an 90s leo and not a mid-00s leo with its lack of sparkles and simplicity.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 1.2/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 0.2/2
  • School Spirit: 1.7/2
  • Overall Appearance: 1.1/3
  • Total: 4.2/10

Umm no. The one-note velvet makes all these super athletic girls look really round and pudgy. I like the showing of school spirit with the Hawkeye on the front and the hole on the back is nice too.


Ohio State: 4.7

Christina

  • Design: 1/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 0.8/2
  • School Spirit: 0.2/2
  • Overall Appearance: 0.9/3
  • Total: 2.9/10

Eh. Ohio State was pretty tame back then compared to some of the shiny looks we’ve seen the last few seasons. This is too simple, and nothing makes it stand out or screams that it’s a tOSU leo. Just a blah for me on this one.

Elizabeth

  • Design: 2.0/3
  • Fabric/Sparkle: 1.5/2
  • School Spirit: 1.1/2
  • Overall Appearance: 1.9/3
  • Total: 6.5/10

I like this but wish it had more red on it in perhaps maybe a sparkle design or lining. Or even a sparkly Block O. But I do appreciate the lycra black and shiny white sleeves.

Have a throwback meet you want us to judge? Stick it in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, and we’ll try to get to it in the coming weeks!


Article by Elizabeth Grimsley and Christina Marmet

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