Leotard Rankings: Theme Meet Leos

The criteria is the same as always: up to three points for design, two points for fabric and sparkle, two points for theme meet spirit and three points for overall appearance. This week Claire and Mary Emma are joining Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth to help judge.

Temple: 9.400

Photo: @TUWG, Twitter

	Design	Fabric/ Sparkle	Pink Meet Spirit	Overall Appearance	Total
Elizabeth	2.8/3	1.8/2	1.8/2	2.9/3	9.3/10
Claire	3.0/3	2.0/2	1.3/2	3/3	9.3/10
Mary Emma	2.9/3	1.8/2	2.0/2	2.9/3	9.6/10

Elizabeth: This is one of the best pink meet leos I’ve ever seen. I typically don’t like that pastel shade, but it works so well with the white and feathery design. Plus, adding ombre to the mix is just absolutely fantastic.

Claire: I love everything about this: The pink and white ombre, the scalloped neck and opening in the back and the feathered design perfectly accentuated by crystals. Not only is this my favorite pink meet leo of 2020, but one of my favorite leos of 2020 period. 

Mary Emma: Now this is how you do a pink leo. I love the feather design as well as the pink pastel ombre look. 

Michigan: 8.800

Phote: @UMichWGym, Twitter

	Design	Fabric/ Sparkle	Flip for Chip Spirit	Overall Appearance	Total
Elizabeth	2.3/3	1.6/2	1.8/2	2.4/3	8.1/10
Claire	3.0/3	1.7/2	1.5/2	2.5/3	8.7/10
Mary Emma	2.8/3	2.0/2	2.0/2	2.8/3	9.6/10

Elizabeth: I will always encourage more use of purple, so I love this leo and am so happy Michigan decided to do an actual FLip for Chip leo this year. I don’t love the side cutouts, but overall this is a good leo.

Claire: This is a gorgeous leo in and of itself, but I love how they’ve integrated the various elements behind “Flip for Chip.” A fitting tribute to a worthy cause. 

Mary Emma: First off, I just have to say how happy I was to see that Michigan finally has an official “Flip for Chip” leo. Overall, I love this design. The shade of purple used is lovely, and of course the ombre sleeves are a win.

Michigan State: 8.467

Photo: @MSUgymnastics, Twitter

	Design	Fabric/ Sparkle	Pink Meet Spirit	Overall Appearance	Total
Elizabeth	2.7/3	1.8/2	1.8/2	2.8/3	9.1/10
Claire	2.7/3	1.4/2	1.0/2	2.5/3	7.6/10
Mary Emma	2.6/3	1.7/2	1.8/2	2.6/3	8.7/10

Elizabeth: Man teams killed it with the pink leos this year. If Temple hadn’t come out with what it did, I’d have said this is the best pink leo I’ve ever seen—but it’s a close second. The hot pink works here, and I love the mesh ombre sleeves. Plus, it all looks so great with the black.

Claire: There’s a lot to like about this one—especially the sleeves—but the “Spartans” written on the back looks clunky. It would have been really cool if they’d used the white Spartans logo surrounded by pink and black ombre that closed out the video instead.  

Mary Emma: This one is great! Again, I love the pink to black ombre look (are we surprised?). I do agree with Claire though that the “Spartans” on the back looks a little clunky, but overall this one is a winner.

Ursinus: 7.100

Photo: @taylor_cusik, Instagram

	Design	Fabric/ Sparkle	Pink Meet Spirit	Overall Appearance	Total
Elizabeth	1.6/3	1.4/2	1.4/2	1.8/3	6.2/10
Claire	2.0/3	1.7/2	1.0/2	2.3/3	7.0/10
Mary Emma	2.6/3	1.5/2	1.5/2	2.5/3	8.1/10

Elizabeth: We’re getting into Pepto pink territory, which I really don’t care for. But I will give a shoutout  to Ursinus for having some sort of pink leo to begin with, which most DIII teams don’t have.

Claire: Another design that harkens back to the omnipresent mid-2000 swirl, but the mesh sleeves help make the leo feel a little fresher. Also, the silvery applique looks purposeful, complementing the black and hot pink rather than looking like an afterthought. 

Mary Emma: I like this one. Another good pink and black leotard, but I also like the silver swirly pattern on the chest. It’s a little bit plain, but overall this is a solid design.

Air Force: 6.767

	Design	Fabric/ Sparkle	Pink Meet Spirit	Overall Appearance	Total
Elizabeth	1.8/3	1.4/2	1.6/2	1.8/3	6.6/10
Claire	2.4/3	1.5/2	1.4/2	2.0/3	7.3/10
Mary Emma	1.5/3	1.5/2	1.7/2	1.7/3	6.4/10

Elizabeth: This leotard would have been much better without the OU-style backpack straps. But overall it’s fine? Not the best pink leo but also not the worst.

Claire: I’m a sucker for hot pink and black, but something about the overall design isn’t working for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching so much Make It or Break It, but this feels very 2009. 

Mary Emma: Not a big fan of this one. I like a good pink and black combo, but I think I would like it better without all the black swirly designs on the sleeve.

Florida: 6.467

Photo: @GatorsGym, Twitter

	Design	Fabric/ Sparkle	Pink Meet Spirit	Overall Appearance	Total
Elizabeth	1.2/3	1.2/2	1.4/2	1.6/3	5.4/10
Claire	2.1/3	1.2/2	1.0/2	1.5/3	5.8/10
Mary Emma	2.3/3	1.6/2	1.8/2	2.5/3	8.2/10

Elizabeth: I’m going to use the space for my thoughts to rant for a second. Florida: You do not need a new pink leo every single year, especially with how much pink leos cost and especially since the designs aren’t that good to begin with. Instead, spend more time designing regular leos that don’t all look the same or better yet, donate the money that would have been spent to breast cancer research. Sorry to sound harsh and make it seem like I have it out for Florida leos, but honestly.

Claire: This design hits two of my deal breaker boxes: Chest cutouts and faux-bra straps. On top of that, the silvery piping is weird and out of place. 

Mary Emma: This leo is fine, but there’s nothing really special about it. Like I mentioned for Air Force, I like the pink and black combination, but I don’t like the cutout on the chest.

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Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Claire Billman and Mary Emma Burton

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