I love gymnastics. And I love SEC Gymnastics. But besides what happens on the mat, one thing that makes the conference stand out is killer leotards every week. Swarovski crystals, intricate details, and ever-changing lineups make them special. 2021 is my first season not covering gymnastics on the floor in a few years, so to maintain some relevance I'll be ranking the leotards week in and week out. Week 1 saw gymnasts back after some 315 days and the energy was palpable. (All photos c/o the respective schools' Athletic Department)
1. LSU (W, 196.550-196.350 vs Arkansas)
These are CLASSIC LSU leotards to start the season. Simple, but enough purple and gold to stand out with all kinds of bling. May or may not have helped Kiya Johnson score her first 10.0 on floor.
2. Arkansas (L, 196.350-196.550 at LSU)
I'm a sucker for red, and these were red hot. The open back and high neck is so flattering and the geometric pattern on the sleeves is such a cool detail. Very similar to Georgia's, but ranked higher for wow factor.
3. Auburn (L, 195.725-197.500 at Florida)
These are details done RIGHT. Such a fun intricate pattern with the right amount of sparkle. Navy and orange are some tricky colors to work with for creating a leotard - with football you just alternate the two colors - and Auburn has done it so well by using mainly white in these. Hope for some more solid navy moments later this season.
4. Florida (W, 197.500-195.725 vs Auburn) Gators proving that simplicity works whether you're No. 1 or unranked. I really like when Florida uses their beautiful blue in their leotards and it translated to mesh well. The black body with rhinestone gradient is beautiful, but I didn't love the orange stoned FLORIDA down the back.
5. Georgia (W, 196.150-194.250 vs Missouri)
From the front, absolute chef's kiss. I love how Georgia emphasizes the black over the red and the criss-cross insert was great. The single G logo has just never done it for me ESPECIALLY in solid rhinestone. A more open back would have been perfect in my opinion.
6. Alabama (W, 196.850-195.825 vs Kentucky)
At first glance, I absolutely loved these. Super blingy and classic Alabama, but the ombre houndstooth sleeve detail and ROLL TIDE on the back lost me. Lose those details and these would easily be top three.
7. Kentucky (L, 195.825-196.850 at Alabama) Similarly to Alabama these were so striking at first, with sapphire blue details on the front. But the ombre mesh and Wildcat logo on the back took away from the elegance of all the crystals. The Cats were FIRE in Tuscaloosa, and the leotards that have been previewed on their Instagram is even more reason to follow this season. 8. Missouri (L, 194.250-196.150 at Georgia) Unless you're going true metallic gold, these colors are hard. I've seen some strong combos from Mizzou but this wasn't it, with white-yellow ombre on the sides. You'll just have to trust me though because there is not a single picture of them online
Comentários