Where to Buy Make It Or Break It Leotards

Hello again, it's been a long time. I was sort of kick started into writing this post because I got my first ever comment. Yay!! Seriously I'm more happy than that. Real people are out there, not just that one weirdo that searched 'Josie Loren hard nipples' and came here from searching that. Anyways the comment I recieved was about where to buy leotards from Make It Or Break It and they are all by GK Elite. You can buy them from the GK website but I imagine there are other companies that sell them for much less as they are high quality and cost a lot but it's awesome to have at least one really special leo.

So lets break it down by region:

If you are in Singapore, New Zealand or Australia (me!) you can find them here:

http://www.gkdgymnastics.com/

You can find them in the GK Section. Unfortunately they will not be under a MIOBI heading, but I've looked for some that I recognise.

http://www.gkdgymnastics.com/gymnastics-leotards/3487/

Swirly purple Payson leo

http://www.gkdgymnastics.com/gymnastics-leotards/3574-jeweled-purple-silver-tank-leo/

Shiny Purple Payson leo with White stripe

http://www.gkdgymnastics.com/gymnastics-leotards/3599-classic-jeweled-tank-leo/

Pink and White Kaylie leo

http://www.gkdgymnastics.com/gymnastics-leotards/3601-classic-cross-body-tank-leotard/

I am not 100% but I'm pretty sure Emily wore one of these once or twice

http://www.gkdgymnastics.com/gymnastics-leotards/3621-two-tone-flame-tank-leo/

Pink and Black Fire Kaylie leo

If you're unsure you can refer back to the blog or ask me and I'll let you know if it is from the series. Or if you want me to do a whole series identifying each one I'll darn well do it. Let me know what you'd like.

If you are in Europe you have three options, buy from GK US, GK UK or from Elite International UK

To be fair I love Elite International because they also sell Christian Moreau leotards which you can see on all the top European gymnasts and they are to die for. Gorgeous.

Again, you will not find them under the MIOBI heading, you'll have to look in the GK Section.

https://www.elitegymwear.co.uk/product.asp?cid=1&pid=10736

Black and Green Lauren leo

https://www.elitegymwear.co.uk/product.asp?cid=1&pid=10801

Red Swirly Lauren leo

https://www.elitegymwear.co.uk/product.asp?cid=1&pid=10226

Pink and Black Fire Kaylie leo - the very same as above

https://www.elitegymwear.co.uk/product.asp?cid=1&pid=10307

White Silver Pink and Black Kaylie leo - worn when her anorexia was noticeable

And finally if you're in the US you can buy directly from the GK Elite website. I haven't looked too thorougly but I'm sure there are other retailers that may offer GK leotards on sale.

GK used to recognise the popularity of MIOBI and had several leotards from the show under this heading but they have since removed it so you will have to dig through the tank and long-sleeved categories to find them. As I mentioned, you can ask me if they are from the show or if you'd like me to pick out all of them for you to peruse I am more than happy to write a specific post. Just tell me.

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-LongSleeveLeotards/5827ST

Purple Mystique leo from the Pinewood meet

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-LongSleeveLeotards/5822ST

Not in the same colours but worn in the Seasn One Nationals. If you'd like them in MIOBI colours you can order a custom leo in those colours.

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3635

Black and Green Lauren leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3599

Pink Kaylie leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3594

Blue Denver Elite leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3574

Purple Payson leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3487

Purple Payson leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3621

Pink and Black Kaylie Fire leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3634

Orange and Black Lauren leo

http://www.gkelite.com/Gymnastics-WomensINSTOCK-TankLeotards/3623

White Silver Pink Black Kaylie leo

I couldn't find too many more on the website. I apologise, they have since removed a lot of them. I'm sure if you request a catalogue from a few years back you may be able to order them from there. I have no idea why they'd remove some of their designs. I will say I was looking in their IN STOCK section so it may change, but I couldn't find them in any other areas. I don't really like how they organise them into sections like that. Why not by date and keep a record of all designs in case someone wanted one that wasn't there any more.

Anyways, that was what I could do. I hope you guys benefit from this post and if you need any more help I'm here. Thanks again to the person who commented. You made my day, yeah it was just a question but it was one I could answer and I'm happy you asked it.

Infiniti Leotards Part One

I know all the NCAA meets already took place but I'm a lazy bugger and I still haven't finished watching the second session of the Big Ten Championships and I haven't watched the Super Six...Been saving the best for last. Anyhow, in this edition we review some of the leotards produced by Infiniti.

 I hate to start on a bad note but I promise it definitely gets better. I appreciate the symmetry but in the world of garments you can't really do that so much. Bodies have shapes and it doesn't always work. The colour combination isn't bad, if you barrack for the Saints (Australian Football Team) that is. Honestly it's not the most unattractive leo we've come across, don't you agree? Stripes and the star aside it's not terrible.

I love love love this leo for the fact that it's simple, black and white is generally a great combination in leotards...Yet we don't see it often unless it's on Utah gymnasts. I wonder why that is? The stripes are in a not quite white not quite silver and it works. I don't know why you wouldn't like it. If you don't then post a comment, let us know why.

Just a side note, as I write I'm watching the second session of the Big Ten Championships 2013 and Jordyn Weiber doesn't have good prospects in terms of commentating in the future. Her tone is flat, she's stiff and her analysis is far too blah... I hate to compare gymnasts of different quads but Nastia is far better at public speaking, and even Shawn's commentating tops Jordyn's. I know, I know, she's still new at the public spotlight stuff but if you think about it not really. She's been around since..Well crap my gymnastics folder has killed itself and now I can't check videos but she's been around for a few years now. And ever since then she's been causing a stir, you'd think she's been interviewed enough to relax and be honest rather than being all stiff and giving robotic, scripted answers.
Come on Jordy, relax, let loose a little.

Ahem..Moving on.

 Yeah, the exact same leo as before but I love this one too. In fact I came across this one months ago and upon revisiting the website today I saw the black and white version. In white on black or black on white it's great. Albeit this version has a pink on white and it's terrible.

Yeah, the colours are questionable but what I love about Infiniti is their diverse range of back styles. They have so many different options. Well, not options per se but on other designs there are different backs and I'm sure if you asked they could create a different back. I like this one for the back and the simple, classic design. I like the conflicting shiny and lizard-like shiny fabrics. It was seen on the MIOBI worlds leotard and it's seen here. Take off the cuffs, change the colours and I'd buy it no problems.

More black and white you wonder. I said it before, I honestly believe it's a good combo of tones. The stripes are simple and not overbearing. This leo comes with the stripes in yellow and green but the best look is here I think. It's just subtle and nice.

And back to wacky. The colours are fine, my bone to pick is the gold shapes. They make no sense. It makes me think it's a tame acrobat's costume in the circus. Designs like this make a joke of the sport, and I don't mean to be harsh but it makes the common man think it's just cartwheeling and prancing around.

Black and white, not bad. Pattern, absolutely wrong. Why a 'H' shape? It makes the poor woman look pear shaped, big butt small boobs. From behind it's much better...Because you can't see what makes it awful



Now I've been rather cruel to Infiniti, I don't mean to at all. In fact I like a lot of their designs, which is why there is another part. I even like the designs that haven't been made. However I won't post those because it's one thing in design and quite another on a person.

Until next time munchkins.

Amco/Dreamlight Leotards

About bloody time, back to the leotards. I felt dead gymnastics wise, thankfully the American Cup, Supergirl Cup, SEC, Big Ten etc have revived me. When nothing goes on all I have to live on are crumbs from lurking on the international gymnastics forum and chalkbucket and reading what TCG posts.

This time it'll be Amco, under the sub-heading of Dreamlight studios. I'm not 100% but I'm pretty sure Dreamlight is the manufacturer and Amco happens to sell them. Either way I found them in the catalogue.

When I first saw this leo I though it'd be quite nice for China, but without the stupid superhero cuffs. Nowadays, I think this is still quite a lovely leo but China's current leos are gorgeous, no need to change any time soon. I hate seeing the seam between the body and sleeve but it's not as pronouced in the red. The mesh is dark enough for it to be overlooked. Personally I thought this would be a nice change from China's velvet crap and it would still be patriotic. What with the red and the stars. It's only natural.

Haha, speaking of China. This is so similar to I can't remember whose leotard. It was exactly like this except the swirls were rainbow and didn't extend to the sleeves. I don't mind the swirl on the left but the one on the right is crossing the borderline of becoming a cuff. Gymnasts are not comic book heroes, they do not need arm guards. Instead they have panda paws and grips.

It's such a mishmash of stuff I think it's quite obvious why it made it on this blog. But if it isn't, it's because it's a disaster. I appreciate innovation and trying new things but this is when you make the leotard, photograph it on a person and say, let's put it away in the does not look good closet. Unfortunately the company decided lets put it up for sale, maybe some person will want it. Really? It's just too much.

Despite the fact that I have my doubts about Aly Raisman making a successful comeback due to the masses of talented juniors and new seniors coming out of the wings I think when she tries she should wear this. When I first saw it I immediately thought of her. It's sporty, it's girly and it would suit her to a T. I dislike 3/4 sleeves but I think if the leo was fully sleeved the stripes would either be going too far or the rest of the sleeve would look empty.

Speaking of previous Olympians, who do we think would wear this. I put my money on Maroney. It's girly, it's swirly and it's not ridiculous like certain black rainbow swirlies that she's worn before. The neck is something new, and it's nice. The swirlies do make a cuff but I think this leo can get away with it. You could make this leo in just about any variation of colours and it'd work. Somebody, make her wear it!!

Continuing on the Olympian theme...Methinks Italian gymnast would wear this. In fact it's rather reminiscent of previous leos that the Italians have worn. Ferrari would wear this with bells on I reckon. The mesh, the potential for disaster. It's the kind of leo that could be not bad but teeters on the edge of being silly.

Last one for this round, and it's bloody creepy how the model doesn't look human. And at the same time it looks like they've tried to photoshop her to look like Maroney. Egh, why? She probably had a normal face to begin with. First off I hate the cuffs, I hate the neckline edge, I hate the sharp sharky bits and I hate the colour. Suffice to say, I think we understand that it is peach, too peachy and I would not be peachy wearing this peach.

Until next time leotard loonies, when we see what Infiniti has to offer in two parts.

Update

Just a miniature post, mainly letting you guys know (if you guys even exist) whats going on. As you may or may not know, I've recently started college and it's been pretty hectic getting into the groove of things. It's been great fun, making new friends, going to parties, having hangovers and having to stay awake on the train to avoid being robbed. It's week five and I should be settled in by now but last week I was set back by a rather mysterious illness. Bedridden, feeling like shit, had to catch the train home to rest for the week. All better now. I think with all the things I have to do I'll have to cut posts to every two weeks as well. I know, first it was cut down to pint-size posts, now it's pint-sized posts every two weeks. If you actually follow this blog it may or may not kill you. But it makes life easier because I don't have as much time to dedicate to this blog as I used to. In my course I have to keep on top of assignments, spend time in the library researching all sorts of different artists and movements, and keep adding to an A4 visual diary which I must fill by the end of the semester, in fact I have to complete two of these. One for my major, multi-dimensional and then one of my minors, drawing. And then in my spare time I must visit different art galleries which is hard considering I spend most of my time in Ballarat which only has one decent art gallery and we're only allowed to use two exhibitions from this gallery for the semester. I have to spend my weekends in art galleries in the city, that's taking away from my only two days at home. So not fair! Of course I must also come in to the MD studio to add to works that I should be finishing in class time. Funnily enough seven hours a week isn't quite enough to get shit done. And in any other time I must undertake self-initiated works which I must show to my teachers at the mid-semester reviews which are in about three weeks. Shit! I've barely done stuff in my journal as it is and as I sit here I have an assignment due tomorrow, research to do before I go home for two weeks and and acting students are creating an unending amount of ruckus. They're great people but god damn they're loud. Slam, bash, crash, stomp. It's unbelieveable how much noise a small group of people can make, particularly in a stairwell with signs that ask for quiet.

In a nutshell, that's whats going on at the moment. It's been fun letting a group of strangers know what's going on at Uni. Perhaps I'll start another blog, one that is basically the goings on of Uni life. I hardly expect anyone to read it but it'll be fun just to write and look back on some day, assuming google doesn't delete it.

I'm not sure when I'll get time to update, leotard-wise, so bye bye for now guys. I've got shit to do.

Sylvia P Designs Part Two

Almost a month to the day since the last post. Yeah, I know you all thought, "FFS, not another dead blog". I apologise, life has been fairly busy. One week I went away with my friends to the beach, got sunburnt, had my first hangover, life was good. The next week I had orientation for Uni, then the next week was my first week at Uni and last week I honestly couldn't be bothered, and I had some work to do.

On a positive note, international gymnastics is back! (At least as far as gymnastics that I can watch as opposed to World Cup Events, Gymnix etc which I cannot watch). I've finally got around to finding less than legit copies of the American Cup and the Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup. I know, NLSC isn't exactly an international event but it is televised and it shows a lot of major talent in upcoming gymnasts. It's also a great event to give the world a look at gymnasts they'll see in the future, either in the elite scene or the NCAA scene. I watch events like the Top Ten and the Super Six and think, "I know this girl, she was from (insert meet)" and it's great, you can really see these girls grow with time.
As for the American Cup it's one of the first major international meets. I'm not that technical with rules so I don't know how the girls were selected this year, but I do know how they are normally selected. I'm just guessing a lot of other gymnasts that you'd expect to see are injured, resting or moving on to other things *cough* enjoying their newfound celebrity *cough*. Not that there's anything wrong with that but I do believe that being out of the gym for too long will decrease your chances of being in any future teams.
For example you can look to Nastia and Shawn, both successful at the '08 Olympics and they earned their success, no doubts about it. But they both accepted endorsements and became celebrities going on to do other things. That's all great but when you consider coming back you have to think long term, "If I expect to come back by X Olympics I should start training at this time so I need to plan ahead" as opposed to leaving it to the last minute like both women did. Shawn couldn't come back because of her knee and Nastia was great but left it too long to come back, especially regarding bars. But I think that Nastia knew that the US had a plethora of young, talented women who could bring home the gold so there wasn't as much pressure for her to come back, as well as her choice to attend University in New York.
And then on the other hand you have girls like Jana Bieger and Bridget Sloan and they continued to train and compete and in Bridget's case she earned the All Around title at Worlds in '09. And now both at successful NCAA gymnasts, earning college educations and competing in an environment with less pressure than the elite scene. Of course I understand that the circumstances were different and Bridget and Jana didn't have the same opportunities and fame but Nastia and Shawn could have gone on to NCAA and that would be amazing. I often look at elites and think, once they're done here they'd be great at college gymnastics. It truly is a different world and I think it'd be great for a lot of gymnasts.

Alright, rant over. Time for actual leotard reviews.

I just looked through the folder, this week will be nice for the most part. And here's a lovely example of well thought out design. I love the peachy colour with the white and black detail, you could order this leo in any combination of colours, at least at long as the detail stayed black. I even love the little cutout in the back. It's a nice innovative feature that I haven't seen before. The one thing that I dislike is the 3/4 sleeves. I've said it before, I think they ran out of fabric.

I think this was meant for competitive aerobics but 1) This is Leotards and Rhinestones and 2) Who cares, it's normal enough to be used in artistic gymnastics. Others, you have to see to believe. I like the colour combination, it's nice. But I dislike the swirls, they're so not well placed. I think the leo could even do without the gold, but it'd be nice to find a way to incorporate it in without being gaudy. Beyond that it's not bad but not excellent. Nice

When people say Australia this is what I think of, the Southern Cross. I think take away the weird blue bits at the end of the sleeves, change the back into something else and we're good. It's not over the top and you could use it in international competition for the Australian team as opposed to the club that uses it. It's simple and you can see that it's clearly Australia without being like the the British and placing a giant Union Jack on every leotard.

I like this for the most part. The colour is a little light and girly, and the detail on the sleeves, god damn. it looks like someone spilled the rhinestones and dropped a leotard covered in glue on it.

Haha! Here we go. Change the shiny fabric to ordinary stuff and we have something that belongs in the '80s and '90s. I appreciate the interesting design and the daring that it takes to go there and make something like this. I really think it doesn't work. On the back the 'V' shape looks lopsided and wrong, not to mention it seems to make the mannequin's butt look longer than it is. On the front the 'V' shape looks like it's cutting off the boobs on the mannequin. It could possibly work on a prepubescent gymnast so that it doesn't looks like the 'V' shape is in the wrong position.

That's about all for now. What is the next competition? Visa's? Then Pac Rim? Is there even a Pac Rim this year? I don't bloody know, my competitions folder is limited to whatever competitions I can get and not everything that goes on in the year. If that's the case it'll be a damn long wait till - Oh I forgot, the Covergirl Classic. I'm not sure about Top Ten and Super Six, when I got those it was months after the actual competition. Ahh well, I suppose I'll just keep checking TCG's blog to find out. It's so informative!

Sylvia P Designs Part One

Yeah, I said I was reviewing Amco but there was nothing much there worth reviewing and what I did have in my Amco folder was actually a subcategory on the website titled Dreamlight Studios so that will be in place instead of Amco. Instead of doing that this week, we'll just focus on Sylvia P because I was crawling through the website and I found a few gems I may not have noticed before.

 Hello, blue velvet. I will say though it's a lovely shade of blue and it's not as offensive as other velvets. The white is a nice complement but the shape over the bust, dear god. I'm expecting a floor routine about a shark. Ok, one bad comment for one good one. I really like the detail with the straps on the back, it's nice and unique.

Here we go. I get the feeling this was meant to go in the Sport Acrobatics category. Short sleeves in artistic gymnastics, I appreciate the innovation. But it doesn't work this time around. Then there's the design on the torso. That red and blue, really doesn't work together, the colours are too strong to work together. Then there's the fact that the shape looks like a warped superman logo. It's a hot mess.

Black and white, it's always a nice combination. I like how the fabric is a little shiny but not too shiny. My problem is with the swirly black hole forming on the chest and fanning out across the sleeves. What is that meant to be? I don't know. The gym that wears these must be the Milky Ways, of the Solar Systems right? Wrong, the Zeles Club. I have no idea whether that's a town name or a gym name, either way it matches their leos. Kudos for that

The first thing I thought when I saw this was, "looks like Chuso would wear it". I suppose it's the whacky shapes and colours that makes me think that because it looks like something you'd see her team wearing in the 80s. Just, wrong for everything.

Oh dear god thank you. A lot of people would say it's ridiculous. I could agree but I've seen enough disasters to consider anything not terrible to be great. That and I appreciate the white and blue combination. They work together. It's simple and it's nice. The team that walks out in this has to stand out, for all the right reasons.

Rhinestones on the shoulder, just yuck. It's like someone tipped over the container and glued them down where they landed. It's rather nonsensical. The black and white is a nice combination as I've said time and time again but this time it's rather ruined by the pattern in white. The stripe across the upper torso is unflattering and the lower stripe is equally bad. However I do like the little curved ends on the back. It's something new.

I'm not sure that words are needed but lets have a crack at it. If anyone is familiar with the episode of the IT Crowd when Jen is on her period and turned into that monster with red hair and crazy makeup then you'll instantly see the resemblance. Red and black, although a nice combination doesn't work in this case. The way the red is placed looks like is was places over the top rather than incorporated into the fabric. Then there's the rhinestones which make everything worse and the background fabric which is meant to imitate skin and looks awful.

I'll be honest with you guys. I'm running out of resources and in light of that I think I'll cut this episode into two parts. Also because it's rather a lot to read and take in once a week.

Until next time we'll finish off Sylvia P Designs and see whats new in the gym world.

Snowflake Designs and Alpha Factor

I'm on time for once, how on earth did that come to be? Still fairly quiet on the Elite scene. Gah, I feel like a cop on a stakeout and I've been waiting around for weeks...Oh wait, I have been waiting for weeks. We all have. How I wish I had NBC or Universal on the tv, then we'd be in business.

At the very least this blog will provide some form of entertainment until it all gets going again. So this week we'll begin reviewing leotards from specific companies and eventually when I get my tush into gear we'll review some from competitions.

So this one is Alpha Factor. Its quite nice, the navy is just an elegant colour. The shiny stones on the other hand. From far away it's tolerable but up close it becomes a bit too much. A nice choice to start with.

One step forward two steps back. I'm not dismayed by the pink because its a damn popular colour, and I love it, not too much in clothing though. The cutout on the chest is just silly, what is this, the leotard was too tight across the chest and tore during a sheep jump. Also, the spots across the torso don't make too much sense.

Another step back. It's like Iron Man's daughter got into gymnastics and Stark Industries decided to move into the leotard business. Yeah I know Iron Man is gold and red but I think even Stark Industries realize that's just too much. Shiny silver, NO. The deep red is nice, almost Crimson Tide red. The shapes made by the shiny silver are so unflattering. We know gymnasts are fit, we know they have more definition than the rest of us.

There was a nice one next in the lineup but I decided to review this one instead so we can end on a good note. And we're back to velvet. It's not even good looking velvet, let alone the colour looks like puke. The kind that looks like carrots and you didn't even eat any. Then there's the bust line and it's rather pointy and overly embellished. It's something you'd expect to see in the nineties. Someone, anyone? What decade is this? It's the flippin 2010s.

Thank god, something logical. Blue and green, a good combination if done correctly. The white star, shape thing is fine, it's not silly. I'm rather brain-blocked on this one. I just like it, you can see why right? If not go ahead and comment, send an email and give your opinion.

Onto Snowflake Designs.

White, it's hard to pull off in leotard land. This shot works, no idea how it'd work in real life. The two-toned blue ribbons are quite nice, it's not too much and the rhinestones make it nice. Maybe it's because I'm Australian and it reminds me of eucalyptus leaves. I'm expecting a koala to jump down and eat them. Yummy!

And here is what would have worked with the US Women's Olympic Team. Personally I didn't like the sheer mesh and here is a nice way that it could have been handled. Personally I don't like the strange cut in the chest and the rhinestones accentuating it. That's just me, it looks weird. I don't like the band on the end of the sleeves either, it's so unnecessary.

Personally I like this leotard. I like the red, the yellow and the swirly ribbons on the chest but going down the sleeves it gets too much and starts to make less sense. I think take away the rhinestones on the chest, they aren't needed at all and it'll be nice. The only problem is that this leotard is the reason why when some people say gymnastics they assume they do beam and ribbon. No, two completely different disciplines. Rhythmic is the more artistic one, and artistic is the more strength and power one. Of course the worlds collide, it's not hard and fast but that's generally where it's heading. Darn you FIG for transforming Artistic gymnastics for women into men's.

Is it me or is this Shawn Johnson a la 2009 Covergirl Classic and Visa's? I think so, the gold and the black and the ribbons wrapping around the arms. Personally when Shawn wore her version I didn't like it, just icky. I appreciate the idea of breaking new ground and trying new things but it didn't work in her case. This leotard however, is a nice alternative. The shiny black is very sleek and lean and the ribbons are nicely structured. It's just nice, make it in any colour and it's a winner. Well perhaps not orange. Shawn's orange version was probably the worst.

It's patriotic, it may be too much for some but I love it. That's probably all I can say. I just like it, it's nice. Whatever happened to patriotic leotards at the Olympics, needs more. Embrace your symbols guys, Great Britain does. Sure we get bored of the Union Jack but they like it.

For all the time I've been trawling through the internet for leotards I've never seen anything like it. Alright, I haven't been doing it for long but still. This is unique. I think it only works because it's black and white. I think it's unique and I think Utah should jump on a whacky NCAA version of this. Perhaps the only thing is to get rid of the strange little bits down the torso.

Be ready... It's going to end badly.

It's a childrens leotard. And it's horrible. The shiny sleeves are fine, if the rest of the leo was plain and normal. But it isn't. The black on the torso is a bit much for a little girl, it's a bit too dark. The chest panel is just silly and then the bust line. Wait...Bust line, on a little girl. That's fine if you do it tastefully but it's too low and outlining a poor cut with rhinestones that are just too large is ridiculous. Whoever designed this is a Khorky fan. As I recall she wore something similar, at least in terms of a dark leo with a bad sweetheart neckline.


There we go. That's this week's batch of leos. We've seen some nice, not so nice and some in the middle. I'm being driven buts with the lack of gymnastics. Next week we'll review Sylvia P and Amco leotards. Ohoho, both Aussie manufacturers.

Make It Or Break It: Groups and Everything Else Part Two

It's that time of the week again. Okay, it's a day past that time of the week but yesterday I had a blood test for the first time in ages and I needed moral support, vomited, and then spent the day at a friend's boyfriend's house being chatted up and checked out by his housemate while playing D & D style boardgames. It was a good day, minus the vomit. Today, I was in the city celebrating a friend's coming of age, feasting, gambling and bowling. Not really, I joined the casino club and they gave me a $5 voucher to gamble with, lost it, and won $10 on the slots. Huzzah! I paid for bowling with that. Enough of that, now for gymnastics.

Alicia Sacramone has retired, I'm sad. I read TCG's initial farewell article and came close to tearing up. I haven't been a mega gym fan for long but I'll miss AS's absolute determination, overcoming injuries, fighting the stigma that only young gymnasts are successful and watching her cheer on every gymnast in the arena. Every competition she attends you can hear her shouting the loudest "Come On! Up! There you go!" that you can hear. She's a hurricane and I may just give some respect if she pushes the terrible trio out of the NBC studios. I swear the only decent words spoken are the fun trivia facts you learn about gymnasts.

On to the leotards. The last MIOBI leotard review before we move on to other stuff.

Lauren's choice, it's nice for a start. I like the shiny blue that looks like the ocean when she moves, I don't mind the black stripes across the torso or the black strap. It may not be a winner but it's definitely not the most offensive leotard you could wear. It's rather pretty.

Black and a strong shade of girly pink, I like it. The shade of pink isn't too bright or to nauseatingly light and the black gives off the impression that the gymnast wearing it is to be taken more seriously than the gymnast wearing neon or deep magenta. It's nice and isn't shiny and just a nice sleek design.

I just realised, we've already done Payson's monstrosity. For anyone who doesn't recall, purple and velvet are words that should not be in the same sentence along with the word leotard. It just doesn't work.

Kelly Parker, a nice shade of blue, as most shades of blue are. Mind you I'm not sure about the skinny lines crossing her chest like they were added without checking to see if they were in the right place. Not to mention that the line that finishes on the left is lower on the breast than the line that finishes on the right. It's lopsided. Not sure if this is a manufacturing defect, stupid design or just a bad angle. Probably just crappy design. I get the feeling that some leotard designers come up with designs that look pretty on paper but don't take into consideration how they will look on human bodies.

We'll start with Lauren because her leo is rather easy to critique. I very much dislike silver or grey on leotards, let alone shiny grey or silver but this case isn't the worst we've seen. There is always Payson's tin-foil tard from her copycat Lauren routine. No Payson, I have not forgotten. It may not be an offensive colour but the weird rhinestone pattern is just silly. You can hardly see them at all so why bother? I think my theory is gaining ground. Designers assume their pictures will translate into pretty garments but don't actually think about how it will come out.

Payson, I sort of liked this one to begin with. Now I'm not sure. The shades of blue and the white details make me think of this leotard as a swimming costume. Yes, I'm aware there is a difference but couldn't you see this exact design in a one piece? I damn well could, I can even envision the Speedo logo on it by the thigh.

Do we need to speak about Payson's leo? You know what, on second glance I don't hate it as much as I used to. It may be shiny tinfoil, but the stripes kind of neutralize the overbearing element that all shiny leo's have. I'm rather conflicted about this one so I'll leave it up to you guys. Post a comment or send an email with your opinions on this one.

Oh Lauren. You may have a heart condition but that hardly excuses your wardrobe choice. Ok, the wardrobe people's choice. The major issue of this leotard is the psychadelic fire that makes no sense whatsoever. It's just trying to invade and just looks so wrong. Not to mention that Lauren is extra orange in this particular shot...Or maybe it's the black leotard making her look darker.

First off, I love this pic for the pose. It's beautiful. It may be a shot from the side but you can see the general idea from here. It may be green but it's a shade that works somehow. It's a nice simple design, as opposed as some members of the gym community are to sleeveless leos in competition I like this one just because on beam you can get excellent shots that show the definition of the gymnast's arms. Well, it also helps that the sleeveless design isn't terrible. However I would not wear this to a national or international competition. For a club meet, I think it's perfectly fine.

Although similar to the previous leotard, this green is just hideous. It's the kind of green that only works on walls in kooky rooms and stationary. Not to mention the white sleeves and the pointless bits of black. The design team must have thought, "How can I make this less appealing?". And then there's the silver stars down the arms, what are they there for? They look silly. The current trend may be to add as much crazy shit to your garments but that doesn't mean you have to get sucked in and follow. More is less people.

At the very beginning, I liked these "leotards". I say leotards in quotation marks but the truth is no respectable gymnast would be caught dead in them. Except the stunt doubles, but you can't see their faces and there are so many doubles you can hardly tell who they are. So they're safe. As for the actual garments, they're way too loose at the crotch as evidenced by the episode, the fishnet rights just look stupid and I get the feeling they'd rip when you do bars. Also, they're probably made with pleather which just looks awkward when creased. The only positive thing I can say about this selection is that I like the overall design of Kaylie's leotard but perhaps in a much more normal leo.

Oh dear Kaylie, are we attempting to repeat your World's Team Trials leotard in some strange way? I don't mind the shiny black fabric, it's rather nice. The deal breaker is in the random green stripes and the random pink triangles. It looks like it should be either black and pink or black and green. Personally I'm sick of black and pink on Kaylie so black and green would be a nice change. And perhaps with some new shapes or designs that make sense.

Wendy we can sort of see in an aqua and orange selection. It's a colour combination I wouldn't have though of but it works quite well. In fact it's one of my favourites in the shot. It's pretty and simple, no unnecessary elements.

I actually like Lauren's leotard. Orange isn't a colour you see every day in gymnastics, and black and orange are always a great combination. It's a little cliche with the whole tiger stripe deal but I like it. Just not on Lauren. Orange skin and orange leo are like wearing a purple skirt and a purple shirt. Too much purple. Contrast is good, clashing is bad. Get it?

We can't see Kelly Parker's leo but I assure you you're not missing anything. Black leotard with a little but of red. Rather sporty and if I recall correctly has a v-cut neck with red outlining it.

Payson, nice colour on its own but the shiny fabric is just too shiny. It's distracting. I also dislike the black stripes down the side and over the straps. I get it that the designers were going for the sporty look but it's Payson here. She used to be the sporty one, now she's the pretty one. At least thats what we're supposed to believe. Her leotards are rather contradictory. Perhaps it's not the leotard, it's who's wearing it. I could probably handle anyone other than the central characters wearing this.

Background extras, most likely legit gymnasts. The one in the back is wearing something I can only describe as a purple mountain with a very sharply defined snowcap. The three colours together are just odd. Either combination of white and blue or white and purple and you're good. When you go to mixing the blue and purple, not great. At least not these two hues. It's a design I'd expect from the 90s.

Other background gymnast. I rather like her leo, it's a unique design. Theres very likely people who dislike it and I totally understand that, it is one step above bugly. It could however do with either less rhinestones or just get rid of them and stick with the other shade of gold. It's nice.

Ahh Wendy. The last three selections are of Wendy. I like this leotard probably because it's not on Kaylie. Also, I like the immersion of the black into the pink. You can't see it from this picture but it's sort of a spotted, chequered pattern where the two colours meet and it's rather nice. The shade of pink is right, the pattern is right and it's just nice and simple.

I used to hate this one for obvious reasons but I take it all back. It's completely whacky but I love it. It's so tropical and fresh. Or at least it feels that way. As much as I hate mesh sleeves because you can see the seams, it's harder to spot and your eyes aren't drawn to that area because there is so much more to look at. I agree the rhinestones on the sleeves are unnecessary but the fabric isn't too shiny, the stripes aren't senseless and the strap across the shoulder adds something to the whole look. In fact I think Kytra Hunter should have worn this instead at the 09' nationals. It's the same colours minus the black and there isn't green fire running up your armpit.

I don't mind the velvet this time around. Rhinestones around the collar and sleeves, a nice touch. The star, I don't mind. The rest of it, unnecessary. I can understand the desire to make all leotards even and add the red but it makes little sense.

An interesting array of leotards this week. Some good, some bad. It's only been a month. I'm going nuts for any gymnastics. Anyone else feel the same? Comments, suggestions, anything goes guys.

Coming up next week is a selection from Alpha Factor and Snowflake Designs.