Having ranked our top 10 leos for all the big four conference teams last offseason, as well as some other popular schools (let us know if we haven’t ranked a team you want to see!), it’s time to look at each individual editor’s top 15 leotards of all time—limited to one leo per school. Next up is our webmaster, Izzi!
No. 1: LSU: I’m obsessed with this leo. I love the shape of the waist and shoulders, I love the scallop detail (you’ll see a theme here) and the rhinestone pattern adds exactly the right amount of flourish to the design. LSU also really lucks out with such a good base color to work with. I genuinely don’t understand why they don’t wear this leo for every meet. It is perfect.
No. 2: Michigan: It was really hard to choose which Michigan leo I’d feature because I love almost every single one. It came down to the velvet national championship leo and this one, but I feel like this one doesn’t get enough attention. The cutout is actually an intricate part of the design rather than just random extra holes everywhere, and the sparkles add gorgeous depth. This looks like a figure skating costume in the absolute best way.
No. 3: Oklahoma: I’ve been extremely attached to this leo for years. I love the scallops (obviously), and I love the deep crimson and cream contrast. I really appreciate the simple twist on a very common, and in my opinion boring, leo design.
No. 4: UCLA: This is the leo I picture when I think 2010s UCLA. It had a lot of similar ones, and I honestly loved all of them. At the time, this kind of use of sparkles was fairly unique, so it feels very UCLA to me. The transition between the mesh and the body fabric is nicely disguised with the rhinestones, which makes it feel elegant, almost like a figure skating costume.
No. 5: Utah: I had to include this gorgeous skyline leo. What a unique idea with excellent execution. It’s so much fun to have a leo that is really specific to Utah.
No. 6: Centenary: This one appears on many of our editors’ favorite leo lists. The use of the pattern is so unique but not overwhelming at all. The cut is flattering, and there’s a strappy back. In my opinion, the matte white fabric is what makes this leo stand out and look particularly clean and elegant. Everything comes together just perfectly.
No. 7: Arkansas: Look, if you put scallops on your leo you will most likely make my top 15 list. Those are just the rules. The matte fabric adds a ton of points in my book, as does the angled waist. More bonus points for using a creamier white color instead of bright white.
No. 8: Georgia: I’m so happy the Gym Dogs finally wore this leo again in 2021. It’s so simple and elegant. I especially love the detailing on the back. I really like when teams can make a pattern look clear while only using rhinestones.
No. 9: Kentucky: Kentucky is an underrated leo school—I had a hard time choosing my favorite! This black one is velvet with just a little bit of royal blue details around the shoulder and waist. I really like the diamond design on the sides, which is a theme in Kentucky leos, especially the older ones. The deep black with the bright blue really makes this leo stand out.
No. 10: Alabama: Bama used to use the Script A a lot more in its leo designs, and I miss it! I love the unique placement of it on the side here, and I appreciate the simplicity of the rest of the leo since the A is so large.
No. 11: Minnesota: I’m usually not a fan of high necklines, but I keep coming back to this Minnesota leo. The ruching is a really pretty way to add depth and texture to the leo, and the rhinestone design complements it nicely. I love that it’s simple but still visually interesting.
No. 12: Auburn: I’m generally not a fan of Auburn leos—they’re usually too busy for me. In this one, though, the pattern feels fresh. I really like the way the clean rhinestone lines stand out from the dark navy body. I love the ribbon around the arm and how subtle it is so as not to take away from the main pattern on the leo.
No. 13: Penn State: This leo is very similar to the Centenary one, but a little more chaotic. The overlay of the patterned fabric is pretty, the cut around the waist is pretty and even though I’m not a huge back cutout person, it looks fine with the design. My favorite part of this leo is the silky blue fabric that outlines the printed design.
No. 14: UC Davis: This leo is the definition of simple and elegant. Less is more, folks. The deep blue color contrasts perfectly with the rhinestones to make this look special.
No. 15: Michigan State: This leo just can’t stay off our editors’ favorites lists! The ombre is gorgeous, the shade of green is perfect and the rhinestones add just enough extra pizazz. It’s a beautiful leo.
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Article by the editors of Izzi Baskin
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