| Ever wondered where all the gymnasts got their | | | | groin area and are very low cut below the chest. |
| fantastic costumes? Like most other sports | | | | They are also usually polo necked though this has |
| Gymnastics has its particular dress code. Its dress | | | | since moved become another unisex feature of |
| code requires that each participant puts on a | | | | the garment. |
| tightly fitting garment that allows him or her to | | | | The gymnastics leotard is worn for a wide range |
| move around with ease. The essence of the | | | | of activities. Gymnasts, thespians, circus |
| tightly fitting clothes, known as gymnastics | | | | performers, acrobats, athletes, and dancers can |
| leotards, is that the sport dictates a lot of tossing | | | | wear them. You can also put them on during |
| and turning and loose fitting clothes can easily get | | | | physical training exercises as they offer great |
| caught on the various apparatus and consequently | | | | support for the body. If you wish to wear the |
| injure the competitor. | | | | leotard as a casual garment then you can |
| It is because of the above that the gymnastics | | | | accessorize it with a belt or other additional |
| leotard was designed. A leotard can be described | | | | garment that suits your fashion sense. |
| as a tightly fitting one-piece garment worn during | | | | The leotard has its history in France. It was |
| various sports events. The gymnastics leotard | | | | invented in the 19th Century and named after a |
| covers the trunk (chest and abdomen area) | | | | French acrobat by the name Jules Leotard. He |
| leaving out the legs. It can either be sleeveless or | | | | was one of the most celebrated sportsmen of his |
| have short or long sleeves and is occasionally | | | | time and is remembered for his great contribution |
| worn with tights or bike shorts by those | | | | to the modern sports' costumes. Jules |
| individuals who find them too exposing. However, | | | | Léotard invented the first skin-tight, long |
| there is a modified version of this garment known | | | | sleeved, one-piece garment, which he gracefully |
| as the unitard. The unitard, unlike the traditional | | | | adorned during his acrobatic performances. |
| leotard, has long legs and sometimes even long | | | | He designed it to display his muscles and to enable |
| sleeves so that it is able to cover the wearer's | | | | him have unrestricted movement during his |
| whole body. | | | | performance. At the time he called the referred |
| One thing to note is that these garments are | | | | to the garment as 'maillot' but as time went by |
| unisex. It has been an issue of controversy over | | | | and many years after his death the name leotard |
| the years whether they should also be worn by | | | | was coined. The garment was however restricted |
| men especially since most adverts and sales | | | | to acrobatic shows but was later incorporated and |
| mostly target women. Various design houses | | | | modified into a women's garment. The result is |
| have, however, come out to refute these claims | | | | the current one-piece swimsuit that is worn by |
| and have even gone a step ahead to not only | | | | women when swimming or the gymnastics |
| market the garments to men but also design | | | | leotard used for the various types of Gymnastics. |
| various leotards that are able to conform to the | | | | Around the late 20th Century, wearing a leotard |
| physical needs of male wearers. The only major | | | | was not only restricted to sports or other |
| difference between the men and women leotards | | | | physical exercise but had become a fashion |
| is that men's leotards are low cut around the | | | | statement in most parts of the world. |