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 Allison, Rebecca and Tavia 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!
Centenary: 8.725
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 8.500
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, Theme Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
I love this. It’s an under-utilized stock design, and I love Centenary’s teal tribute to Big Syl, who passed away. The colors used here paired with red work great together, and I love the ombre and white sleeves, too.
Allison: 8.200
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, Theme Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
The execution on this leo couldn’t be better. The teal tribute shines through beautifully. The design of the sparkles being a different pattern than the leo design is well done and the wings and initials on the sleeve in a place where it wouldn’t get lost is really well thought out, too.
Rebecca: 9.200
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.8/3
Gorgeous! This is such a unique color, but it still captures the vibe of a Centenary leotard while obviously signifying something profound to the team. The design is delicate and elegant. Love it.
Tavia: 9.000
Design 2.8/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, Theme Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.8/3
Objectively, I love this. Subjectively, I could cry. I liked the choice to use maroon jewels on the sleeve and mix the teal with traditional Centenary colors. This leo is pretty in pictures but shines even more in person. I’m so glad that Syl will continue to live on within the Centenary program for years to come.
SEMO: 8.650
View more images of this leotard on Twitter.
Elizabeth: 8.900
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
I love this! The black and white ombre is fab and I actually think the false neckline works. The only thing I don’t like AS much is how the straps extend onto the leo itself. But this is a nearly perfect design.
Allison: 8.000
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
I would like to rank this leotard for front and back because they are very different personalities. I’ll start with the front. The chandelier, cascading sparkles in the different colors in addition to being on top of ombre? Perfection. Absolutely perfection. If this had been the design on the back I would’ve gone 10.000. I had a hard time with the straps and the sparkles on the back, I think I needed the straps to end at the top of the opening but I appreciate the sparkles on the mesh and the SEMO.
Rebecca: 8.600
Design 2.6/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
Awesome! I love the ombre, and I love the elegance of the design. My only gripe is how the upper chest transitions between the body design and the mesh.
Tavia: 9.100
Design 2.8/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.8/3
I’m borderline obsessed if I’m being honest. This is just one of those leos that everyone looks good in. I love the white to black ombre, the number of jewels used and the “SEMO” at the waist. The straps were a stylish addition as well. I really would only take points off for the awkward lining between the keyhole and where the straps end.
Air Force: 7.750
View the images of this leotard on Instagram. To see our thoughts on Air Force’s other new leotard this season, click here.
Elizabeth: 7.000
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I like how the design mimics the wings of the Air Force logo. Plus, the use of colored rhinestones is great and the ombre sleeves is always a good choice.
Allison: 7.900
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
Echoing what was said, I love the sparkles flinging out into a wing style pattern—fabulous decision making. Belts don’t normally do it for me, but I realized I don’t like when they’re thrown on without thought; Air Force went ahead and gave that some love and sparkles. Plus the ombre sleeves.
Rebecca: 8.500
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
I like this a lot. I think Air Force’s recent push toward incorporating red into its leotards has been a mixed bag, but the red sparkles here add a bit of flavor and the whole design reminds me of wings and flight, which is obviously appropriate.
Tavia: 7.600
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
Air Force is on its leo game this season. I love that the neckline and jeweling on the front mimics wings. It’s a subtle way to add in some school spirit. The white glitter belt at the waist is also very flattering. My only thing is the seam at the armpit. The transition between fabrics looks a little strange, but I’m not too mad at it.
West Chester: 7.300
Elizabeth: 7.100
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
This is one of the better stock designs in my opinion, and I really like the use of yellow rhinestones. West Chester always does a good job using its school colors, and it did it again here.
Allison: 7.000
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
The front of the leo looks like someone scattered a handful of glitter over it, and I could not possibly love it more. I really enjoy the strappy purple overlay on top of the mesh and the Golden Ram (in gold!) on the sleeve. This feels perfectly West Chester.
Rebecca: 8.200
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
I loved this when we first saw it in blurry Instagram stories, and I still do. It’s simple and I know it’s a stock design, but it’s pretty and unmistakably West Chester. Bonus points for using yellow sparkles.
Tavia: 6.900
Design 1.9/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
I love the use of yellow-gold jewels in this design, especially for the ram on the sleeve. Colored crystals are making a comeback this year, and I’m here for it. This is a pretty standard overall design, but I do enjoy it.
Southern Connecticut: 7.025
View a video of this leotard on Twitter.
Elizabeth: 7.100
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I love a good matte white leo, and that fabric looks really nice with the blue in this design too. I don’t care for the front and back Vs, but that’s a small complaint. This leo gives me a bit of a retro vibe, and I don’t hate that.
Allison: 7.200
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.81, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I normally struggle with the hard stop in designs in leos, but I really love the elegance and colors of this. It feels ball gown-esque to me. I really enjoy the use of sparkles to serve as visual divider and continuation of the sparkles up top. The mesh v-neck, in addition to having a sparkly look, wraps it all up so nicely. The sleeves would for sure feel empty without the Southern down the side, too.
Rebecca: 7.400
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
The shaping on the bodice is just a bit odd, but matte white is my absolute favorite leotard color and there are lots of little details, like the creative grid sparkles on the cuffs, that I like a lot.
Tavia: 6.400
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
This is simple and sweet. I like the number of jewels used here. The addition of the jewel belt and the details at the bottom of the sleeve are a cute touch.
Bridgeport: 6.500
View more images of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 7.500
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I like Bridgeport’s effort with doing the two different nudes thing, but I almost wish all the leos used the darker brown shade for the arms. It’s such a nice shimmery bronze that I think could have worked well in a non-nude way. As for the rest of the design, purple to black ombre never misses.
Allison: 7.500
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
Let’s start with school spirit because it couldn’t be better. The purple knight has all the necessary shading throughout AND Bridgeport included the GEC logo in sparkles. The ombre is great, and I love the sparkles throughout. It could maybe use some near the neckline on the back—maybe. Bridgeport went for the skin tone and didn’t totally hit it, but that shimmery bronze looks gorgeous.
Rebecca: 4.000
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 0.7/3
I don’t see why you would attempt nude here when you could just use…any other color! It’s not even nude mesh, it’s just two colors of brown. I understand that maybe nude mesh is more expensive than brown fabric, but instead of brown you could have just used another school color! The design and ombre are nice, but this is just too much for my nude-hater heart. Customizing for your athletes’ skin tones is good, but you know what’s better? NOT USING NUDE.
Tavia: 7.000
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
The ombre and the purple knight on the back are EVERYTHING. This is a pretty standard design choice, but it is executed quite well. I just wish that the sleeves were a mesh material instead of whatever material was used. That would help some with the color match.
Texas Woman’s: 6.300
View a video of this leotard on Twitter.
Elizabeth: 6.200
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
This is very Oklahoma, which sort of works since I think of TWU as the Oklahoma of the USAG division. I like the stripes and the commitment to the Texas shape on every leo. The high neck is meh for me but otherwise this is a pretty good leo.
Allison: 5.900
Design 1/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
There’s a lot going on here, and I feel the same way about the Oklahoma comments. I love the Texas outline and the high collar, but maybe a little less stripe on stripe, like maybe just one stripe pattern for me. Colors are great though.
Rebecca: 6.700
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
Not getting points for originality, but it’s a nice leotard and I think it still captures that TWU vibe. Little Texas accents are always a win.
Tavia: 6.400
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I will echo the Oklahoma sentiment on this one. Iowa State also recently released a design that is very similar as well. I think that this design is really flattering, but I also cannot ignore the mid-sternal maroon stripe. I enjoy the sleeves and the Texas shaped jewels on the back. The neckline area gets a bit busy for me, but I also don’t have a good design alternative.
Brown: 6.250
Elizabeth: 6.200
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
WHen I first saw this leo I had a hard time seeing Brown just because I’m so used to seeing it in black, but I like this design as a whole. The Bear doesn’t really look much like a bear, but I like how the mesh/dark parts appear brownish to fit in well with school spirit.
Allison: 7.100
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
Brown went hard on the school spirit. With the Ivy and leaf on the sleeve, Brown in jewels and the bear on the back. I enjoy the continuation of the sparkles on the collar through both the front and the back. A+ work for doing something unexpected.
Rebecca: 5.700
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.6/3
I’m not a big fan of the red, honestly. It’s a little far from what I visualize for Brown and Brown Gymnastics. I also am not a fan of this base design, and I’ve said this before for other teams. The little sparkle designs are solid.
Tavia: 6.000
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.6/3
I really like that Brown ventured out of its comfort zone with a red design. I also love that it chose to put the Ivy League emblem in jewels just like many of the larger conferences. The jewel design on the sleeves is probably my favorite part. I’m not entirely certain about the neckline, but this is overall a flattering look.
Southern Connecticut: 6.225
Elizabeth: 6.400
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
This has grown on me since I first saw it, but I still don’t know what to think quite yet. I like the white, but I think I wish the diagonal black line had black under versus white mesh and that it was a true reflection on the other side too. I also wish there was more blue than just the rhinestones.
Allison: 4.900
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.3/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.4/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 1.0/3
This leo has a LOT going on. I love the bright blue sparkles on the dark side and the sparkles on the other side, but I think I would’ve gone blue throughout it. I do like the belt, and I would’ve continued the split design all the way through. It feels very ’80s, and it for sure stands out.
Rebecca: 7.400
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
OK, I like it, Picasso. It’s funky, but it’s not overwhelming to me. I like the use of blue sparkles and the sparkle owl. I don’t mind the harlequin design. I’m not sure about the asymmetrical side cutout, but I’m not mad. Definitely full points for uniqueness.
Tavia: 6.200
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
This leo was so close to being good. I do like the idea of using black and white as the main colors with blue jewels. However, the blue doesn’t quite come through from afar. The triangle of white mesh was an unnecessary addition in my opinion. I do enjoy the bedazzled owl on the sleeve though.
Brown: 5.825
Elizabeth: 5.700
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, Theme Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
I’m fairly certain the sparkle pattern on the front is a cancer ribbon surrounded by more sparkles, but it’s hard to see in this screenshot and it was hard to see on the video as well. The pink to black ombre is obviously great, but otherwise this is a pretty boring leo.
Allison: 5.200
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I don’t feel strongly one way or another about this leo from Brown. I enjoy the ombre as a way to add some color and pattern. I think some lining on the collar or a few sparkles on the side of the torso would add something it’s missing.
Rebecca: 7.000
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
My standards for small team pink leotards are pretty low because it’s just fun that they get to have one at all. This isn’t my dream leotard or anything, but it’s ombre and it’s pink so I’m calling it a win.
Tavia: 5.400
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, Theme Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.7/3
This looks very similar to the Brockport pink meet leo but with less sparkle. I would still mark points for the lack of smooth transition of pink to black on the sleeves here. It’s fine. I just wish it was more shiny to make it stand out.
Cornell: 5.675
View an image of this leotard on Instagram.
Elizabeth: 6.300
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
This is a nice design for Cornell! I like the mostly black look with red accents. The only thing I don’t care for is the stark contrast between the solid body and the mesh sleeves. That transition at the shoulders doesn’t work perfectly for me.
Allison: 5.700
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
I don’t know why this leo is a miss for me when I’m usually a fan of the strange and unusual. I love the mesh sleeves and the design on the torso. It needs a whisper of something more, maybe a C or a few red sparkles to adorn the sleeves. Although, the more I look at it, the more it grows on me, especially in motion.
Rebecca: 4.900
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.3/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
This doesn’t immediately say Cornell to me, and I think some of the sparkle work on the front is a little odd. It’s not offensive, I just think the execution is a little clumsy.
Tavia: 5.800
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
Ehh. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. I appreciate that Cornell used more black than red with this design to switch things up. The design is generally flattering, but it falls a little flat for me.
Lindenwood: 5.500
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 5.900
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
This reminds me of either a bunch of wheat or a tassel that you’d find on a curtain at a rich person’s house. The use of yellow rhinestones is nice, but the rest of the design just isn’t for me. I prefer the use of a more gold color like Lindenwood had in the past.
Allison: 6.900
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
Lindenwood has never disappointed me, ever. This one is incredibly unique and out there, but I’m still not disappointed. I think I’d drop one section of gold or maybe intersperse the layers on the torso the way it did on the sleeves. Using just black and gold kept this leo from being too overwhelming and busy. Great use of sparkles, though.
Rebecca: 4.200
Design 0.4/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 0.7/3
I respect where Allison is coming from, but personally Lindenwood has disappointed me here. What am I even looking at? All I can really say for it is that it has school colors. Everything else about it is incongruous and unappealing.
Tavia: 5.000
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.3/3
I’m not a huge fan of this. I appreciate that Lindenwood went for something different, but the stripes seem very randomly placed and not the most flattering. I do like specifically the right sleeve in isolation, and the font used for “Lions.”
Southern Connecticut: 4.425
Elizabeth: 4.200
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, Theme Spirit 0.4/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
Not my favorite stock design, and not my favorite shade of pink. I appreciate Southern putting in the effort to have a pink leo—especially for the Pink Invitational—but I would have preferred it to save its money for a better one.
Allison: 4.500
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, Theme Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I will say this leo went big on execution but didn’t quite make it on the delivery. I really enjoyed the sparkly pink fabric, but it maybe could’ve used that where the black material is and vice versa. The sparkles on the front added a nice touch, but it falls a little short.
Rebecca: 5.100
Design 1.4/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.2/3
I swear this leotard is like three years old, I don’t know how we haven’t rated it yet. Anyway, it’s fine. A little much, but it could have been worse.
Tavia: 3.900
Design 1.0/3, Fabric 0.3/1, Sparkle 0.3/1, Theme Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.2/3
This I do not like. The mesh sleeves are fine. I wish there were more jewels and a less loud pattern on the body. This design stands out. That’s for sure.
Fan Poll
Congrats to Michigan State for winning the regionals fan poll! Vote for your favorite new USAG leo here.
READ THIS NEXT: The USAG Dismount: Nationals
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Allison Freeman, Rebecca Scally and Tavia Smith
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Voting for Centenary – that leo is spectacular!