Gymnastics Wear For Women

The usual gymnastics wear for women during competition is the leotard. It is a skin-tight, one-piece garment that covers the upper body but leaves the legs free, made famous by Jules Leotard, a French acrobatic artist.By tradition, leotards worn during competitions have long sleeves. Some changes have recently taken place where half-length sleeved and sleeveless versions have been worn by competitors.The Code of Points already permits this type of wear to be worn by teams at the World Gymnastics Championships and other major meets. During practice, gymnasts usually wear sleeveless styles.Individual gymnasts and teams may be penalized for some faults in the way they wear their competition attire. The correct way of wearing the leotards is that it must neither ride too high nor be out too low on the hip.The materials used have also changed over time. Polyester and related fabrics were very typical in the 1970s. Lycra and spandex became popular since the 1980s.More sophisticated fabrics have been made since the 1990s. Velvet, velour, mesh, metallic fabrics, foils and sparkling "hologram" fabric have also revolutionized gymnastics wear.There are styles that are adorned with rhinestones and metallic jewels. These are set on the fabric using heat so that they do not fall off when washed.Gymnasts may wear any hair style and hair length, but should always keep long hair tied back into a ponytail, bun or braid. To make them look tidier, hair ties that match their competition leotards are given to gymnasts.Any type of leotard could be worn by gymnasts during trainings and practice. The usual attires worn by women during physical exercises in combination with their sleeveless leotards are leggings, shorts, bicycle shorts or tank tops. However, as part of their gymnastics wear, they must always see to it that their hair is tied.