Gymnast Uniforms

[ruby]

I personally don’t like the German unitards. I don’t see the point in covering yourself down to the ankles and putting lace or nude cutouts into the fabric that basically give the illusion of more skin. I do feel that they must be so much more comfortable because you absolutely do not have to worry about shaving every day.

From my experience as a gymnast I would have loved shorts because I was always paranoid to get my period at the worst possible time. And I was everything but regular so it was a big deal. For that reason I always get team leotards with black or very dark colours at the bottom.

 

[MaryClare]

Shorts don’t work for WAG. It completely ruins the leg line.

I think what’s being forgotten is how infrequently gymnasts actually compete. How many days of the year? The rest of the time they can wear whatever they like in training.

As I said, it seems to be a non issue for the gymnasts and a big issue for fans

 

[MaryClare]

you absolutely do not have to worry about shaving every day

Well, ya know. Germans gonna German

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Yeah, although the pitch black backgrounds need to stop.

 

[RedBirdie]

The rest of the time they can wear whatever they like in training.

lol. I can’t tell you how many gyms I’ve trained at or worked in that prohibited anything other than a leo. Even shorts are banned. The last gym a worked at, which I left in the absolutely not ancient year of 2019, did not allow the team girls to wear shorts. There are several other gyms in my immediate area some elite and some not, that had the same rule last time I checked.

 

[ruby]

It is not a nonissue for the gymnasts, that’s just not true. It’s not an issue for every gymnast as levels of self confidence greatly vary but it is an issue for quite a number of them. A lot of gymnasts have just been taught not to speak up since they were very young and once they get to an age where they feel more comfortable to speak up they have either long quit or have stopped worrying so much.

When I was 16 and definitely needed to shave my bikini line (and none of my teammates had to) I thought the tiniest razer burn would be visible to everyone and of course a photographer would take a photo and I would be known to everyone as the gymnast with pubic hair beyond the leotard line. Totally irrational but in a culture where puberty and everything associated with it was regarded as bad, I would have never ever talked to anyone about it - not even my teammates.

I did talk to some of them later though…not too long ago when all of us had kids (and after having babies nothing is embarrassing anymore) and they had all felt self conscious about wearing leotards and just like me never talked about it. Maybe we were a super special bunch though and were quite unique in our discomfort.

The girls nowadays all seem to be much cooler about that stuff and seem to talk more openly about everything so maybe things have changed…

Oh and about the legline…I’d line to see some well-designed matching shorts first. Nowadays with sublimation it must be possible to design leotard-shorts combinations that look elegant.

 

[MaryClare]

That must be an American thing. It’s not the case in Britain or Russia in my experience. Not for gymnasts doing serious training anyway. Some British clubs do have quite strict uniform rules for their recreational gymnasts, but parents and children are used to that as it’s the same if they go to dance class. My students are 8-11 and they start the session in leggings and t shirts, then more often than not they choose crop top and leggings. This seems linked to current style trends, as a few years ago it was leotard with shorts.

 

[ruby]

Oh and if you attend Worlds and have a look at the gymnasts inbetween events and before march-in, it’s a leo-checking and adjustment fest for a lot of them. Applying butt glue, some of them pulling underwear in one and leo into the other direction, teammates checking the fit and so on.

 

[MaryClare]

So? That’s a completely different issue to gymnasts feeling self conscious in what they are wearing. It’s exactly the same in the wings before a performance, checking costumes, no one wants a malfunction.

 

[ruby]

We don’t have to agree but preparing for a short stage performance and competing about 2 hours with no real options to disapear between events is not the same. And I’ve done both.

Maybe the FIG should ask the athletes a few simple questions:

If given the choice by your federation would you wear
A. a leotard
B. a leotard and shorts
C. a leotard and leggings
D. something else (please specify)

 

[Seyonne]

Forty plus years ago I wore tights under my leotard for ballet. Figure skaters do the same. Would that work for gymnasts?

 

[MaryClare]

That’s basically a unitard…

 

[MaryClare]

You cannot have shorts in WAG.

The FIG has provided an option in the unitard. I get why some people don’t like it, but it still preserves a cleaner line than shorts. If gymnasts want to wear it, but federations are not allowing it or not providing the opportunity then that absolutely needs to be addressed but there’s no evidence that’s the case.

 

[Puffin]

Is it not possible to create leotards that have a slightly longer legline to incorporate a shorts-like length? Like you can get for swimsuits - high leg or low leg? and let gymnasts choose?

I don’t see why gymnastics has to be 100% matchy-matchy - as long as the team members are wearing the same basic design - does the length of the legline actually matter?

After all other sports don’t have these rules - in athletics relay races as long as the teams wear the same basic design members seem able to choose their own kit - crop tops, running tops, t-shirts, unitards, leotards, knicker shorts, cycle shorts, leggings etc etc

 

[MaryClare]

They aren’t aesthetic sports.

No, you can’t have short leg unitards. Either you have full leg or no leg. They would be even less popular than the current unitard option. They’d come with in built deductions.

Yes, leg line absolutely matters. In other artistic sports, outfits are purposely designed to elongate the leg line. Jesus, I remember being taught at the age of 7/8 where my bun has to sit on my head to lengthen the neckline.
I’m amazed at the number of people who seem to think that gymnasts can dress the same as cyclists.

 

[irichluck21]

You cannot have shorts in WAG.

I thought there was a female gymnast from Qatar or Kuwait that wore shorts in the late 2000s, early 2010s.

 

[makam]

I think the beam booties do more to “ruin the leg line” than any shorts do. Also, any judge who needs a high cut leo to determine if the knees are straight or who gives more points to people with longer legs, shouldn’t be a judge.

 

[QuietColours]

Frankly, I think shorts look better than either a plain leotard or a unitard. And I’ve never had an issue telling if legs were fully extended when seeing training videos.

 

[irichluck21]

 

[irichluck21]