It’s NCAA gymnastics season and the leotards are as sparkly as ever. And with new designs comes 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, sparkle, school spirit and uniqueness, and up to three points for overall appearance. This week Ian, Tara, Izzi, Rebecca S, Tavia, and Talitha are joining our editor-in-chief, Elizabeth, to help judge.
Don’t agree with our ranking? Make your opinion heard by voting in the fan poll at the end of the article each week or voicing your thoughts on social media.
Air Force: 8.371
Elizabeth: 8.400
Design 2.6/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
This is a design where I’d see a sketch and probably wouldn’t like it, but on the gymnast and in motion it looks really really good. The ombre on the sleeves and shade of blue is great, and I especially love the sparkle strips that outline the body design. I don’t even mind the side cutouts because they add to the overall look of the leo rather than being random.
Ian: 8.700
Design 2.6/3, Fabric .9/1, Sparkle .9/1, School Spirit .9/1, Uniqueness .7/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
This is perhaps the most apt use of side cutouts I have seen all season. Go Air Force! Air Force leos in the past have skewed cheesily patriotic, so this is more of an understated take on the military academy theme. The ombre mesh on the sleeves will always be a win for me.
Tara: 8.300
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
Mesh side cutouts don’t always work, but they do here. I’m a fan of the striping pattern on the front and the ombre, plus the back is a nice touch.
Izzi: 8.200
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
This leo is great! The design feels fresh without being too over the top. The panel in the back is a little weird– either do an open back or don’t. Besides that, though, I really enjoy this.
Rebecca S: 7.900
Design 2.6/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
This is really lovely. Air Force has dabbled with using red (not a school color, but patriotic) in recent years and in my view has gone overboard sometimes. The red here contributes but doesn’t overwhelm. The sparkle flag is adorable, and the design is well-executed. My biggest critique is I find the quantity of sparkle on the blue border bands excessive. It’s a little crusty.
Tavia: 8.300
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
Love. Love. Love. Air Force cannot go wrong in my eyes. Love the ombre sleeves, stripes down the front, and the American flag. I could do without the side cutouts, but otherwise it’s stunning.
Talitha: 8.800
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
Oh I love this leotard!!! The ombre sleeves are beautiful, and the mesh cutouts and back are really elegant. The chest design is perhaps a bit much, but it feels very Air Force.
Lindenwood: 8.271
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 7.800
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I love the matte white, the gold accents, and the sweetheart neckline. I could take or leave the side cutouts, and the arm details make the overall look just a bit too busy. Overall this is really nice for Lindenwood, though! A good change from the mostly black looks it normally wears.
Ian: 9.100
Design 2.8/3, Fabric .9/1, Sparkle .8/1, School Spirit .8/1, Uniqueness .9/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
I love this! White and gold is a really hard color combination to pull off, and I think this leo does it perfectly. The white matte with the metallic gold accents give it a really regal look to the point that I don’t even mind the side cutouts that much. Especially for a school that probably doesn’t have a huge leo budget, Lindenwood really hit this one out of the park.
Tara: 7.300
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
It’s so close to being great, but it’s just fine. I like the concept of the sweetheart neckline and accenting the white body with gold. Plus, the script “Lindenwood” in sparkles below the open back is nice. The side cutouts and gold band on the arm are a touch much and don’t really feel like they fit with the rest of the design.
Izzi: 9.200
Design 2.8/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
I’m obsessed with this leo! The matte white and gold looks amazing, and I actually enjoy the high neckline. Lindenwood hits it out of the park every time. Could I do without the extra gold lines on the sleeves? Sure. But the rest is so stunning that it doesn’t affect the design as a whole.
Rebecca S: 8.700
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
This one looked so very exciting in the preview video Lindenwood posted, and while the final product didn’t quite live up to the promise, it’s still a very good leotard. I am quite bothered by the gold stripes on the sleeve: The intended effect of continuing the body pattern didn’t work and even if it did, the concept isn’t necessary. Otherwise, this is a win for me. I love matte white, I think the two-color sparkles worked great, and while side cutouts are a little overplayed right now, the gold bands around them make them fit into the rest of the design.
Tavia: 7.700
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
For someone who never loves a white Leo, Lindenwood pulled this off relatively well. I like the departure from the norm. The gold on the body and on the mesh don’t match, which bothers me a bit, and the mesh cutout gets gappy. I am thoroughly obsessed with the back though.
Talitha: 8.100
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
Somehow I feel I shouldn’t like this leotard, but I really do! The gold stripes that go from the chest and continue onto the arms give it a very elegant look, and the gold accents are powerful yet subdued. Great job!
Centenary: 7.471
View images of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 7.000
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I always liked this design of Centenary’s, so I’m glad it got an updated leo so it could keep wearing it for years to come. The Block C on the side really pops, and the subtle ribbing on the fabric is a neat touch—and looks hella comfy. A classic leo, but a good one.
Ian: 7.200
Design 2.1/3, Fabric .7/1, Sparkle .7/1, School Spirit .8/1, Uniqueness .4/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
While this is a design we’ve seen time and time again, this is still a really pretty take on an often replicated motif. Especially for a smaller school, this is a great leo!
Tara: 5.800
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
It’s nice and simple but not the most unique. I’ve always thought the logo on the side with rhinestones framing it was a nice touch, and I’m glad Centenary got an updated version of this leo.
Izzi: 9.400
Design 3.0/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 3.0/3
I adore this one from Centenary! This is an extremely popular style, but I love most of its iterations. The block C here looks really nice, and I love how clean the lines bursting out of it are (as opposed to a general sparkle explosion). Hardly any deductions from me!
Rebecca S: 7.800
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
What I love about this one is that the ribbed fabric was likely a substantial cost-saver versus mystique but actually improves the overall effect. It exemplifies the fact that more isn’t always better in leotard design and that working with a budget doesn’t have to limit you if you’re smart and thoughtful. Big picture, even though we’re forced to hit it on originality, this leotard was always good, it’s still good, and I’m glad that Centenary brought it back.
Tavia: 8.300
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
I’m going to try to keep this as objective as possible since I’ve worn the original of this leotard. I really appreciate the modern upgrades made by increasing the amount of sparkle and better defining the “C” on the side. Also, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a ribbed competition leotard before, but I just know it’s the most comfortable thing that could possibly be worn on a meet day.
Talitha: 6.800
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I like this revived version of Centenary’s classic design. It’s modern yet timeless, simple yet effective. It’s not memorable, but it gets the job done.
Texas Woman’s: 7.129
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 7.100
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I like this! Maybe not as much as some of TWU’s recent new leos, but it’s very solid. I like the use of different colored and shaped rhinestones, and an open back is always a win for me.
Ian: 7.400
Design 2.0/3, Fabric .7/1, Sparkle .8/1, School Spirit .9/1, Uniqueness .6/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
Although this is on the simpler side, I do really like it! You can’t see it in these pictures, but there’s a rhinestone shape of Texas on the hip, which is a good touch considering TWU is still the only Texas school that has gymnastics. I love the use of the different colors of rhinestones as well.
Tara: 7.300
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I like this, but I don’t love it. I enjoy the touch of red in the rhinestone pattern on front, and it works with the deep V. Plus, the little touches of school spirit are nice, between the Texas state outline on the hip and “Pioneers” on the arm in the school’s font.
Izzi: 7.300
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
This is nice enough. It’s a similar design to many other schools, but it’s neutral enough that it doesn’t bother me to see the same style so many places. The extra red sparkles are a nice touch to make it stand out!
Rebecca S: 7.300
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
This is a beauty. A lot of teams are starting to get the use of colored sparkles right this year, where in previous years they’d tend to fade into the background. The vibrance of the red in the necklace pattern is very pleasing to me. I can see why some people would like more action on the body, and I definitely agree that it could have pulled together just a little more, but I’m not mad about the final effect.
Tavia: 6.400
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
It’s giving “regal.” I feel like this design definitely looks better up close than from afar, so you can better see the details. The v neck with the necklace-like jeweling is nice, but the rest is kind of plain. It grinds my gears that the “Pioneers” is up the arm rather than down it, but I’m impressed that the team was able to get the font right to match its branding.
Talitha: 7.100
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I agree with Tavia, this is a regal leotard. The use of crystals is “crown jewels” like, I love how they cascade down the chest.The back is a bit plain for me, but overall I really like this design.
Yale: 6.671
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 6.900
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
This is such a detour from what Yale normally wears, but I like it! The back is especially nice, and the cut is really flattering. I don’t love the side cutouts, but I know that style is in when it comes to dresses and stuff, so I’ll let is slide. The only thing I wish was that this was Yale blue rather than black.
Ian: 7.100
Design 2.0/3, Fabric .8/1, Sparkle .6/1, School Spirit .7/1, Uniqueness .8/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
The front of this is kind of meh for me. I don’t really understand the pattern on the chest and the unnecessary side cutouts. The back of this leo, however, is beautiful! I am always here for an open back, and I think the simpler design on the back really works with the black fabric.
Tara: 6.700
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
This is nice overall. The pattern on the front is nice, and the open back works well. It’s weird to see Yale with black instead of navy—and I do think it would look good in navy—but it works. It’s not the most revolutionary or exciting, but it’s solid.
Izzi: 5.400
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
This is very meh. I think I would prefer it in navy for more school spirit. The back is fine. The front sparkle pattern is weird but not necessarily bad or distracting.
Rebecca S: 3.900
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.1/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 0.9/3
To me, this one’s not very interesting from a distance and then when you look closer the design choices become pretty odd. I don’t tend to like all-mystique leotards, and while there’s a little mesh here, it’s placed so weirdly that it doesn’t disrupt the monotony of the body at all. The front design is bold but not aesthetically pleasing, the side cuts don’t fit into the rest of the design in any way, and I don’t understand why it uses zero school color while also not being a theme leotard. The one thing I like is what I believe is a sparkle bulldog on the sleeve.
Tavia: 8.300
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
When I first saw this leo, I was shocked not to see Yale in navy. Love the back strap, and I’m honestly surprised to like the cutouts too. If anything, I’m missing a bit of blue sparkle to scream YALE a little more, but this is a good design overall.
Talitha: 8.400
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
This leotard looks just fine in pictures, but it’s gorgeous in person. It’s so sparkly and elegant, the back is beautiful, and the mesh cutouts add an extra twist to it. The color doesn’t scream Yale, but the crystal Handsome Dan on the right sleeve really does. Plus, this leotard was designed by last year’s senior class, so it’s really special to the athletes.
Brown: 6.243
View an image of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 7.600
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I love Brown using brown! The ombre sleeves are lovely, and this is one of the better stock designs. The only thing I would change is the weird collar. New head coach Brittany Harris has experience doing more with less from her time at Centenary and Lindenwood, and she did it again here.
Ian: 5.700
Design 1.9/3, Fabric .6/1, Sparkle .5/1, School Spirit .6/1, Uniqueness .3/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
This is a rather mediocre stock design all things considered, and while the mesh on the sleeves is a fun touch, I wish they were fully committed and made the bodice brown as well. The black kind of breaks up the only good parts of this leo, and this particular rhinestone pattern doesn’t do much to help.
Tara: 7.300
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I know this is a stock design, but it’s one of the better ones. I love the combination of the deep V with the crossy rhinestone pattern. The back isn’t the most exciting, but it works, especially considering the front design.
Izzi: 5.200
Design 0.8/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.1/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I just reviewed this stock design for the new Mizzou leo, and I continue to dislike it. There’s nothing aggressively wrong with it, but I do not like the sparkle pattern on top of the deep V. Too many competing lines. And, I know this isn’t exactly Brown’s fault, but the color is boring.
Rebecca S: 5.600
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
Brown leos are always interesting to me because I don’t think there’s a specific “Brown look;” The team has historically gone in many directions. I like the use of the color brown here, and I’d be interested to see Brown explore it more in the future. This one I don’t find particularly memorable, especially being a stock design and with fairly light usage of the one distinctive feature (i.e. the color), but I appreciate the novelty.
Tavia: 7.000
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
Another team with a completely different Leo vibe in 2023! We love to see it. I’m definitely more into the front, with the back looking a little bare. The Brown on the hip is a nice touch, too.
Talitha: 5.300
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 1.6/3
This is a nice stock design, but we’ve seen it so many times it’d be difficult for any team to own it. This is a fine effort but a bit boring.
SEMO: 6.171
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 7.200
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I love a good red and white combo. The deep v is nice, the back is nice and I really like the use of mesh. My only negative is how solid the white fabric on the chest looks compared to the mesh white sleeves.
Ian: 6.800
Design 2.2/3, Fabric .5/1, Sparkle .5/1, School Spirit .6/1, Uniqueness .4/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
Although this is a simple design, I have to praise SEMO for not sticking random purple accents on an otherwise pretty leo like Arkansas did Week 10. I think the back is nice—we see a lot of strappy open backs that generally fulfill the same niche, so this stands out nicely.
Tara: 6.800
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I like this! I love a good deep V, and it’s hard to go wrong with red and white. The mesh cutoff with the white is weird and abrupt, but that’s about my only negative with this leo.
Izzi: 4.500
Design 1.4/3, Fabric 0.2/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
I really dislike many of the elements going on here, but Ian has reminded me there could always be purple sleeves to make it worse! The mesh arms ruin any flow of the design here. With the back straps too, it’s too many lines going in too many different directions for me.
Rebecca S: 6.200
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.3/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
Echoing everybody else in saying that shoulder color transition is just so distracting. I also wish the red faux-neckline was placed higher on the body. It’s a really nice concept and I appreciate the simplicity, but the execution isn’t perfect.
Tavia: 6.600
Design 1.9/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
This is very Arkansas, but I don’t hate it for SEMO. I love the back. The only thing that bugs me is the line between the white on the body and the sleeves.
Talitha: 5.100
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I quite like this design and the back is pretty, but I resent the fact that the shade of white on the upper body doesn’t match the white of the sleeves.
Cornell: 5.886
View an image of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 6.000
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 1.7/3
I have mixed feelings here. The underlying design with the red and black ombre is fantastic, but the faux crop top sweater design on top confuses me. The design on the sleeves is fine, but I just wish the top design didn’t stop where it did. Maybe going with a plain red and black ombre with mesh sleeves that start solid but ombre into the geometric design would have worked better?
Ian: 5.500
Design 1.3/3, Fabric .6/1, Sparkle .8/1, School Spirit .5/1, Uniqueness .8/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
Sometimes less is more, and this leo could’ve done with a few fewer design elements. The ombre is always a winner, but there’s so much going on on top of it that it gets lost. Between the ombre, the grid pattern on the chest, the pattern on the arms, and the faux deep v, there’s just too much going on for my liking.
Tara: 5.900
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.7/3
I don’t love the fabric pattern, but everything else is solid. The ombre and the rhinestone pattern on the front are both nice.
Izzi: 4.200
Design 0.7/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.0/3
There’s nothing I hate about this leo, but unfortunately there’s nothing I like about it either. The pattern stops oddly high which gives it an odd cropped camisole feeling that we seem to keep seeing this year.
Rebecca S: 6.100
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.7/3
I like it, but I don’t love it. The ombre was promising, but the gray-black print design for some reason looks brown to me, and it makes the whole thing pretty busy. Cornell is a school that doesn’t get a lot of leotards, so it’s nice to have something more modern.
Tavia: 7.300
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
Glad to see Cornell with some modern design elements in this leo. You can never go wrong with ombre. The pattern overlay is a good idea in theory but is a bit much in reality. Is it still my favorite Cornell Leo? Hands down.
Talitha: 6.200
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I have mixed feelings about this leotard. The ombre bottom half is gorgeous, but the busy upper part is too much for me. Overall, a strong effort, though.
Southern Connecticut: 4.671
View an image of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 5.200
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, Theme Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.3/3
This is very pink. The design is actually subtly quite intricate, but I don’t think it stands out enough for it to be worth it. You can’t see it at all on the video. The Owls on the back is a good touch of school spirit, though. Also, funnily, SCSU did not wear this at a pink meet.
Ian: 4.100
Design 1.0/3, Fabric .3/1, Sparkle .6/1, Theme Spirit .7/1, Uniqueness .4/1, Overall Appearance 1.1/3
Welp. Here’s the positive: It’s certainly pink, and that was the assignment at hand. The rhinestone design ends at a weird place, not quite at the waist and not quite going to the bottom of the leo. I’m sure there’s an 8-year-old out there who would absolutely love this.
Tara: 5.100
Design 1.4/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, Theme Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
I don’t think the sparkle pattern on the front is bad by any means—I just think it needs to stand out more, whether it’s using a different shade of pink or a different rhinestone color. As is, everything blends together and feels a little too one-note.
Izzi: 3.300
Design 0.7/3, Fabric 0.2/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, Theme Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 0.4/3
When did Nastia start designing Southern Connecticut leos? (I don’t even hate pink. It’s my favorite color, and I love a lot of the pink-era USA leos. But…wow.)
Rebecca S: 5.000
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.2/1, Sparkle 0.2/1, Theme Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I mean, this was always gonna be goofy. Doing a theme leotard at a small team is bound to be a low-budget affair, and I don’t expect anything more than single-color mystique with a sparkle pattern; I don’t think it’s fair to be as harsh as I might with a non-theme leotard for a bigger team. Still, as others have pointed out, the pattern could have been more visible.
Tavia: 5.300
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I wish the jewels were a different color because you can’t really see the design unless you’re up close and personal. I’m not a pink-lover at baseline, but this is A LOT of hot pink.
Talitha: 4.700
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 0.9/3
Oh dear… Not even Nastia Liukin ever dared to wear a leotard this pink. It’s just too much for me. It’s a shame that the crystal pattern gets suffocated in the pink extravaganza—it’s the most interesting and sophisticated part of the design.
Fan Poll
Congrats to California for winning the NCAA regionals fan poll! Vote for your favorite USAG leotard here.
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: NCAA Regionals
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Ian LeWarn, Tara Graeve, Izzi Baskin, Rebecca Scally, Tavia Smith and Talitha Ilacqua
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