Team USA Leotard Reveal: Get Your Eye Bleach Ready!

[Laura722]

In one of the articles the designer said that their inspirations included evening wear and lingerie. And I'm like one of the gymnasts is barely 16, that's not okay!
I also feel subtly embarrassed that the sport is being represented by fashion so much. That may be vaguely hypocritical of me, given that I love figure skating and I get that both are artistic sports, but it feels like it pulls away from the extreme athleticism. We'd all feel a little odd if, like, pole vaulters did a reveal of their crystal-encrusted outfits before competing. And I'm not sure how to overcome the cognitive dissonance I'm feeling with this.

I have to disagree. I don't think it takes away from the athleticism. It's pretty clear the current gymnasts like these types of leos.

Some of the Washington Post comments below the article irritated me. They are questioning why gymnasts wear makeup, how men don't do all this, etc. These women wear makeup because they like it. There is nothing unathletic about it. I hate how things associated with feminity are looked down upon.

 

[makam]

Yeah, I really don't care for the Murica Bald Eagle Freedum outfits the men wear, but at least this bird appears to be having a good time.

the eyeball right on the nip is interesting placement...

 

[irichluck21]

I can't unsee it now!

 

[Puffin]

The USA WAG leos are a mixed bag - I quite like the blue and white but I think the waist swirls are too much. The firework one is growing on me - will probably look good on TV.

One trend that must die is the contrast bottom/belt look (the grey/silver picture 2). They looks really unflattering as they never seem to sit on anyone's natural waist but instead cut the torso in half. They make the gymnasts look like they are wearing spanx over their leo (or worse 1960s school PE knickers). WCC had a really unflattering one that had a red bottom section.

The MAG eagle reminds me of something the Russians were wearing 5 years ago.

 

[xxParkerxx]

Too many crystals. The white and red ones are nice. The blue ombre is ok but I could do without the crystal swirls. The fireworks one makes me want to gouge my eyes out like omfg.

 

[irichluck21]

We should do a poll on favorite one/ one for team qualifications and team finals. Like a predictions thing.

I don't know how to do a poll here though. UGH.

 

[FlipSkippy]

They are certainly on trend with Leos in general for this quad, so there's something to be said for consistency (maybe). Given that I've been force fed on sparkles, multi-fabrics, cut-outs, etc. it doesn't overwhelm me anymore. Like, if I saw these types of Leo styles for the first time, my head would explode, but I've gotten used to it now and have come to terms with it all. So, long way of saying, I actually kinda like most of them. That said, I hope next quad, the pendulum swings the other way to less is more.

 

[glamafonic]

We should do a poll on favorite one/ one for team qualifications and team finals. Like a predictions thing.

I don't know how to do a poll here though. UGH.

The various articles already revealed that the flag one is for team finals.

 

[wishfulgoddess]

What in the Texas kiddie beauty pageant hell were the designers thinking? I'm trying to find something I like about any of them, but I can't.

 

[JaJa]

In one of the articles the designer said that their inspirations included evening wear and lingerie. And I'm like one of the gymnasts is barely 16, that's not okay!
I also feel subtly embarrassed that the sport is being represented by fashion so much. That may be vaguely hypocritical of me, given that I love figure skating and I get that both are artistic sports, but it feels like it pulls away from the extreme athleticism. We'd all feel a little odd if, like, pole vaulters did a reveal of their crystal-encrusted outfits before competing. And I'm not sure how to overcome the cognitive dissonance I'm feeling with this.

I am with you on this. But completely. The makeup thing has always bothered me as well. I remember how Marta used to strictly enforce it. Its ridiculous. Artistic Gymnastics is arguably the single most demanding athletic sport. Why on earth should these athletes have to be all made up before a competition?? I love Jade for many reasons and her competing sans makeup is definitely on that list.

 

[BB12]

I like the red one Jade is wearing and the one Simone is in.

The notion you can't wear stereotypically girly things while competing a very athletic sport is nothing I've never agreed with.Someone else is paying for them so why not go all out with the rhinestones and more expensive fabrics.

If the gymnasts wants to go all out with their make-up look for the event, then good for them. It hurts no one.

 

[Puffin]

If they want to go full in for make up then they should let us have Celine the cat back!

I mean if we are having leos with 10,000 crystals - a bit of cat make up is tame in comparison

 

[KristyJ]

I like the red one Jade is wearing and the one Simone is in.

The notion you can't wear stereotypically girly things while competing a very athletic sport is nothing I've never agreed with.Someone else is paying for them so why not go all out with the rhinestones and more expensive fabrics.

If the gymnasts wants to go all out with their make-up look for the event, then good for them. It hurts no one.

I don't think it's the stereotypically girly part that's throwing me. I'm stereotypically girly in a lot of ways. Back in the 90s I used way too much hair glitter and was thrilled by crushed velvet with foil prints. I think it's the extent to which they're going (leotards that you wear for warmups to get used to the weight?!) and the way that this is what is highlighted in the news right now.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

We should do a poll on favorite one/ one for team qualifications and team finals. Like a predictions thing.

I don't know how to do a poll here though. UGH.

I'm actually wondering which will be used for podium training.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I don't think it's the stereotypically girly part that's throwing me. I'm stereotypically girly in a lot of ways. Back in the 90s I used way too much hair glitter and was thrilled by crushed velvet with foil prints. I think it's the extent to which they're going (leotards that you wear for warmups to get used to the weight?!) and the way that this is what is highlighted in the news right now.

What I have a problem with is that there doesn't seem to be any space for tomboys in elite gymnastics. What would happen if just one national team member hated anything with sparkles or loved black? And I'm not just talking about normal hate...I'm talking about I-would-be-uncomfortable-wearing-this hate.

 

[lovegymnasts]

Simone #1
Don't hate but don't like
Think these is the team finals leo

Suni
Love! Love! Love!
All day every day

Hezly
No! No! No!
What is up with that pose? No! No! No!

Joscelyn
Indifferent; Kinda of like; Kind of blah

Leanne
Kinda of like

Jade
No! No! No! Always detested that slashed fabric look.

Jordon
No! No! No!

Simone #2
Yes! Yes! Yes!

 

[brg09]

The only one I really dislike is the one Suni is wearing. The "negative stars" are a little much. It would be prettier if the stars were made of crystals, not the other way around.

I do LOVE that they are red, white and blue, for the most part. The Nastia Pink Era looks to be finally over.

Also, NOTHING could be any uglier than that hideous circus tent stripey leotard from trials. Good for... whoever it is who made these leos. (GK? Underarmour?) Setting our expectations low, very smart.

And I pray that someone stages an intervention with Jordan about those eyebrows. The "fluffy" brows make her smile look even more... grimacey?

 

[Kara]

I'm 100% a girly girl, the sparklier the better person. I rhinestone for a living and even named my dog Sparkles, lol. My problem with these, and most recent leotards is that there are just too many things going on. The designs rarely look cohesive or well thought out. It just looks like a bunch of ideas thrown together to make every leo the most extra it can be.

 

[Passion]

Oh.. oh it's so much worse seeing them blown up on my desktop vs seeing them small on my phone earlier. Now I can see all the details.

Earlier I was thinking they at least cleared the extremely low bar of being better than the Trials leos. The blue one that Simone is wearing somehow managed to be worse.

WHAT is going on with those sleeves!? Faded grey pattern of stars, under both white and red stripes of crystals, but also blue crystal stars, and also just random dots of crystals thrown in.. all on top of each other.

Then the chest has stars that aren't lined up right with the crystals, and three stars that are missing crystals on parts (I guess on purpose because they're missing symmetrically) but it makes it look like the they fell off and leotard is so shoddy that crystals are already falling off just from trying it on.

The same thing happens at the ends of the sleeves, the white stripe of crystals runs through a blue crystal star and they just.. give up on bedazzling the rest of the star. Why put crystals on those stars at all if you're only going to do half of the star? Those could have easily been left as not-crystaled stars instead of being made into half-assed crystal stars.

The neckline on the fireworks one Jordan is wearing looks uncomfortable. It looks like it's pushing on her throat. Then there's the mortar blast to the shoulder.

The red one on Jade looks better from far away, when you can't see the stretched out stars all over it. Hezly's is also better from far away, so you can't see the grid pattern. Is the theme homework? Why does this leo look like a math copybook?

The TF leo is trying to send a message in morse code.

The blurry dots on Suni's leo makes it look like there was a laundry mishap and now her nice black leo has soap residue left all over it.

The other two are typical GK.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

Now that I think about it, the red and blue ombre one looks like something Romania would wear, but more expensive-looking and without the yellow.

Maybe these leotards will look better from far away?