It’s NCAA gymnastics season, and the leotards are as sparkly as ever. With new designs come your favorite series: Leotard Rankings! Each week we’re analyzing leotard debuts to find our weekly faves. There will be up to three points for design, up to one point each for fabric and sparkle, school spirit and uniqueness, and up to three points for overall appearance. This week Claire, Mary Emma and Rebecca are joining editor in chief Elizabeth to help judge. Don’t agree with our ranking? Let us know your thoughts on this week’s leos in the comments or on social media!
And don’t forget to vote in the poll at the end of the article each week. We’ll be tabulating all the votes to find the overall fan favorite design at the conclusion of the 2022 season!
Penn: 8.450
See an image of this leotard on Twitter, or watch a video here.
Elizabeth: 9.400
Design 2.9/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
I’m obsessed with this. From the ombre to the matte colors to the strappy back, it’s basically perfect. I can’t think of one thing I’d change, honestly. I even like the diagonal design since it fits well with Penn’s logo.
Claire: 9.000
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.8/3
Not only is this a fantastic design, it’s impeccably well-executed. We’re used to ombre sleeves and bodices, but I can’t think of another leo that has a horizontal gradient. Love the matte fabric, love the sparkle and especially love the strappy back.
Mary Emma: 9.000
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.8/3
LOVE this! As everyone already knows, any time you include ombre in a leo, there’s a 90% chance I’m going to love it. This is no exception. I wish the strappy back was a little more symmetrical, but that’s really my only complaint.
Rebecca: 6.400
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
Definitely full points for school spirit, and I love matte print designs in a world where I think too much is shiny and sparkly. I just think there’s one too many elements here, and it makes the whole thing a bit confusing. I’d likely have dropped the weird diagonal waistband that doesn’t match up with itself on the side seams and incorporated red into the ombre.
LIU: 8.025
Elizabeth: 8.500
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
When I heard camo before seeing this, I thought ugh, but this is so campy in a good way. I think the sharks are super clever, and I love the shape of the design; it looks good on all the gymnasts.
Claire: 8.100
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I honestly don’t know how they managed to make shark camo look this good. The design could have very easily veered into the ridiculous, but because they kept the remaining elements relatively simple, it works. The rhinestone belt adds the perfect touch of sophistication. I’m not a fan of the material on the bottom, though you can argue it fits the overall aquatic theme.
Mary Emma: 8.300
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
If you had told me that LIU was going to debut a camo shark leo and that I’d love it, I never would have believed you, but I really like this leo! Like Elizabeth said, it’s campy but in a good way and somehow just works. I also appreciate that it’s different from any of LIU’s other leos (and really any leo honestly).
Rebecca: 7.200
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
It’s goofy, but it works. The super-sparkly waistband on this one is a really nice touch and keeps it looking halfway like a garment an adult would wear for doing sports instead of something a child would wear for swim camp at the rec center. I’d like it more if we had a little bit of yellow.
West Virginia: 8.000
View the images of this leotard here and a video here.
Elizabeth: 8.000
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I adore the effect the shimmery gold fabric had on the top of this design. It doesn’t quite come across in still images but looked great in motion. I like that the rest of the design is relatively simple, too, because it allows the unique fabric to shine.
Claire: 8.500
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
The contrasting colors of the leo and mesh are fabulous, giving a very “high fashion” feel. The crystals on the back and sleeves detract from the overall design for me; they don’t add anything under competition lights but steal focus from the interesting parts of the leo.
Mary Emma: 9.000
Design 2.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.8/3
I LOVE this. Ruched necklines are something I’ve recently discovered I like on leos. The shimmer paired with the ruched neck kind of reminds me a bit of that shiny red one that Minnesota has.
Rebecca: 6.500
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.2/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
This one looks fantastic in the very moody, atmospheric promo shoot but didn’t impress me in quite the same way in competition. It’s simple and elegant with good color choices, but it doesn’t really stand out.
New Hampshire: 7.575
View a video of this leotard on Instagram.
Elizabeth: 5.300
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.2/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
OK, so, this is really great but then there’s a giant wildcat… And I hate it… Take that away and just do a rhinestone pattern or make it a smaller mascot, and it would be a really great leo.
Claire: 8.800
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
My initial reaction was, “Huh…” The more I look at it, though, the more I like it. I’ve never seen a giant rhinestone Wildcat before, but it works because they’re leaning into the weirdness. The rhinestone claw marks on the sleeves are a great touch.
Mary Emma: 7.800
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
At first I wasn’t sold, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. I obviously love the ombre sleeves, and the giant wildcat is starting to grow on me. It’s different from any other leo in the NCAA.
Rebecca: 8.400
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I don’t know why I like this, but I do. The wildcat is SO BIG and so weird, but somehow he looks like he fits. The thick white neckline and back also works for me, and the ombre sleeves balance the whole thing out.
Pittsburgh: 6.700
View a video of this leotard on Instagram.
Elizabeth: 7.500
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I want to love this, but the yellow is very bright and the black part of the ombre doesn’t seem to fit amazingly. I do love the strappy back, though, as well as the blue fabric. Full points for that.
Claire: 7.000
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
This is another one of those leos where the front and back look like they belong to two completely different leos. I mostly like the front; the yellow collar is too big and bold. I like yellow and I like a strappy back, but this is just too much of a good thing…
Mary Emma: 8.100
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
There is a lot going on, but overall I really like it. The back is gorgeous, and I love the yellow ombre sleeves. I don’t love the neckline on the front, and I think I’d prefer it more if it was just solid blue all the way up to the neckline, but overall another winner from Pitt!
Rebecca: 4.200
Design 1.4/3, Fabric 0/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 1.2/3
It’s a no from me. Too much yellow, boring front, super strange double neckline and armpit shaping. Overall it’s just kind of incongruous. I love the strapy design on the back, but I’d love it a lot more if it wasn’t highlighter-colored.
Oregon State: 6.450
View a video of this leotard on Twitter.
Elizabeth: 8.600
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
This works for me. The black fabric is similar to Penn’s blue where it looks a little like leather, but it works better for me here. I’m also REALLY into the sparkle design on the sleeves—super clever. The back and triangle sides aren’t my favorite, but I don’t not like them either. This is a win for Oregon State.
Claire: 8.800
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 3/3
I love this. The copper and black fabrics are great and play off one another beautifully. The crystal designs are gorgeous; the alternating colors make for a really cool overall effect, particularly in motion. The chunky collar is the only part that doesn’t work for me.
Mary Emma: 5.900
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I like the shiny orange fabric, but overall there’s a bit too much going on for my liking. I really could do without the mesh on the sleeves. Not the worst leo, but not the best.
Rebecca: 2.500
Design 0.5/3, Fabric 0.2/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 0.4/3
I know it’s unpopular, but I hate this one. Inverted necklines are a pet peeve of mine, I don’t like this coppery color and I find the weirdly elaborate chunky sparkle stripes on the top of the arms strangely placed and distracting—not to mention the weird striped waistband.
Georgia: 6.275
View a video of this leotard on Twitter.
Elizabeth: 6.700
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
Black and white is almost always good. The sparkles are a little overboard on this particular design, but overall it’s a good one. I would have maybe liked to see some red thrown in.
Claire: 7.400
Design 2/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I really like a lot about this, particularly the criss-crossing design and different-sized crystals. It’s good, but it could have been great if they’d incorporated the team’s signature red.
Mary Emma: 5.500
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
Meh. I just find black and white leos really boring. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it, it’s just fine.
Rebecca: 5.500
Design 0.9/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.3/3
Black and white is a classic look for the Gymdogs but for me, the sparkle pattern on this one is just a bit busy, especially on the shoulders. Sometimes in life you CAN put more sparkles, but that doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
Towson: 5.850
View more images of this leotard on Instagram.
Elizabeth: 5.200
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 1.6/3
This is definitely an older design. It’s not bad, but it’s not revolutionary either. I do like the shade of gold used here, but the rest is pretty boring.
Claire: 5.900
Design 2/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I appreciate a good retro design, but it feels too soon for a mid-2000s throwback. That said, it’s not a bad design, just not especially innovative. I love the gold piping, but I could’ve done without the random studs on the white fabric.
Mary Emma: 5.900
Design 1.9/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
I do love that Towson went for a throwback here. Problem is, when I was watching the meet, I couldn’t remember if it had been worn before or not. It did look really good in motion, and the gold shade is really pretty.
Rebecca: 6.400
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.1/1, Uniqueness 0.1/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
Hellooooo mid-2000s! There’s absolutely nothing new or unique here, but it’s almost been long enough since EVERY leotard looked like this that it gets bonus for being retro. Almost.
Penn: 5.325
View a video of this leotard on Instagram.
Elizabeth: 5.700
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.7/3
This is OK. I definitely don’t like it as much as Penn’s other new leo this season. I like the back, but the blue fabric almost has a leather look? And the shoulder mesh is also an odd decision. Middle of the road for me.
Claire: 3.400
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.3/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I don’t like excessive cutouts in general and sternum cutouts in particular. There’s an overall disconnect between the front and the back: They look like they belong to different leos.
Mary Emma: 5.500
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
This is just OK. I really like the back, but the front is just meh. The mesh is really what ruins it for me.
Rebecca: 6.700
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.2/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
The design on the front is a little odd for me. What are those patches of mesh pointing to the armpits doing…? But I love the way the shades of red and blue look together, and I love the strappy back.
Fan Poll
Congrats to UC Davis for winning last week’s fan poll! Vote for your favorite week three design here.
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 2
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Claire Billman, Mary Emma Burton and Rebecca Scally
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