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.

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

Good afternoon dear jellybeans, I know I'm late writing a new entry, I've been dealing with uni stuff and it's been hectic. That and I just didn't feel like writing, I apologise, that sounds like I don't care enough about my readers to provide consistent updates. Ahh well, it's only a day or two late and we're back on track. This particular edition will be in two parts because there's about 25 selections in my folder and I refuse to cut down. On a side note I hope Vika gets the rest she needs, poor bugger was being worn out from carrying the Russian team while Musty was getting back on her feet and the new seniors were getting their toes wet. I look forward to seeing her back and more determined to win gold than ever!

It's a poor shot, I'll admit it, angles are just silly. But I think you get the idea on how...Interesting these two are. Lets start with Payson, Velvet, we went there last time so that's strike one, second strike would be the poor pattern cut over her boobs, it makes them look small and we know that girl has a chest. That and the rhinestones accentuate the silly line that chops her boobs in half. I think we get the picture there.

Onto Lauren, alright its even harder to see what she's wearing but from memory there's a white stripe on the other side from shoulder to hip. I'm not overly wowed but it's not a terrible shade of blue either. Perhaps if the lighting didn't make it look so shiny I'd be more inclined to liking it. I dunno, ths one's in between.

At first I wasn't crazy on this one, but now that I look at it nearly a year later, I like it. It's kinda crazy looking with the different coloured swirlies but it works because of the black background. Something about the swirlies and the pastel colours make me think some sort of alternate form of this would work on the Australian team. Or maybe I'm thinking of rhythmic gymnast Jenine Murray and her crazy ass leotards from London. Although I did like her routines, AIS really seems to like wolf turns. Ok that went a little off track but overall I like this one, it's nice and simple and not too whacky.

Shiny silver fabric, it's not the terrible light silver, more of a grey but still an abhorrent colour. And then it had to be mixed with the purple in a completely unflattering way. The pattern is silly and the black outlining it makes it even more unflattering. If the grey fabric were black it'd be more appealing. On an unrelevant note don't you just love Jordan's expression? It's like she's saying "Bitch, please"

It's too much, clearly but I like it. I normally hate the v-cut neck but it's not too bad. The deep blue is super flattering with Jordan's skin tone. I could love this leo more if there were no rhinestones on the neckline, sleeves, or at all I suppose. Okay, I'll let the rhinestones stay around the star in the middle but that's it!

The one decent leotard Chelsea Hobbs gets to wear and it's not even great. White is a tough colour to wear in the gymnastics world, it's hard to make it work. I think it looks nice on Chelsea, but the shiny flames reaching toward her crotch are just weird. I can't tell if the cut of the legs is too tight but it's not making her body look as good as it is. If you look to where the leotard ends and the leg begins you notice her body seems to be trying to escape, "Help me, I'm being crushed by a small garment". I'm sure it looks like that on a lot of people, hell when I try on the one leotard I own I get balloon thighs. I just wonder why it looks like that because if you look over at Josie, she has no ballonage whatsoever. I'm just gonna take a guess and say her genes are better than the rest of us. Lucky girl.

As for Josie's leotard, I quite like it. The black is shiny, almost leathery but it's quite nice. The childish pink is minimal and the stripes across her torso are nice and thin, perfectly flattering. It's a nice mature look and I'm very much a fan. How about you guys?

Perhaps I spoke too soon. It's a strange shade of pink, close to red in the dark and almost fluorescent magenta in the light. Not to mention the awkward swirlies across her chest. It's not a horrible leotard, but I think it'd suit a younger gymnast much more. If they'd be willing to swallow the pricetag that is.

Kelly Parker, bitchy rival turned friend. I wish she hadn't been cut, she was really turning into a fan favourite. Her hairstyle I wont miss however, something about tight buns on top of someone's head always gets to me, especially the ridiculous ones of Dance Moms Miami, it's like the got a golf ball and wrapped the kid's hair around it. Anywho, onto the leotard. It's a rehash of the leos used in the first season when we briefly see the Denver Elite gym. I like this leo, I love the blue and the white and red stripes aren't hideous. However I wouldn't choose this leo for this actress. I dunno if it's the lighting but it makes the poor girl look bigger than she is, in casual clothes she looks smaller than this.

Shiny silver fabric, check. Distracting v-cut neckline, check. Baby pink, check. All in all, not one of the design choices make the leo look good.

As for KP's leo, I like it. It's a simple, classic design we see all the time and it works. The red is nice and refreshing, the silver, if used appropriately (see here) can add to the overall aesthetic and the black ensures it doesn't go overboard. I'd take it with every colour possible where the red it.

I wasn't a fan of Lauren's leo but now I am. The shade of blue is lovely and the black doesn't override it, the pattern isn't weird and wacky, the rhinestones are used minimally to accentuate it. In fact I love it.

Oh Kaylie, shiny pink/gold fabric, just don't do it, I'll be too distracted staring at your leo too watch your gymnastics. The pattern is just strange and it looks like those funky scissors that put a wavy pattern into your paper.

Instant fan here. I love deep royal blue, it's a great shade. The white is a perfect compliment to break up the space and the rhinestones add a little sparkle to the garment. I'm not sure if I'd pick this colour on KP because although it goes quite well with her skin it doesn't show off her curves, rather it makes her look like a blocky blob. I'd be interested in seeing what Chelsea Hobbs looks like in this one though, I imagine it'd be stunning.

Disaster, complete and utter disaster. The green was a bad choice from the start, another difficult colour to work on anyone. In fact it's rare that jungle green works on any gymnast. I'm not even sure what colour the shiny swirls are, it looks like a purple/blue. Not to mention the mesh sleeves. I'm not sure I'll ever be a fan of them because all I stare at is the seam where the sleeve meets the rest of the leo. It drives me nuts.

I can see why Kaylie didn't want to wear the match to KP's strange choice. I agree with Kaylie in disliking 3/4 sleeves. It makes me feel like the manufacturer ran out of fabric and said *bleep* it, just fold the fabric and make a seam. I'm not a fan of the pink and white together on the same garment, it just looks odd, not to mention the pattern is strange. Perhaps some sort of analogy to Kaylie and KP's situation? KP the pink blob trying to get into Kaylie's inner circle and befriend her for real and Kaylie the white blob repelling KP's advances. I know, I'm just making crap up now. But it's a nice thought.

In the beginning I liked what Kaylie is wearing, the more I look at it the less I like it. The black and silver swirls/hands/peace symbols? whatever they are look like they were just put there to fill space. I totally get it, I used to do that to handouts in class and see how much of the page I could fill before the teacher stopped talking. Many times I'd end up with colourful swirly papers. It made studying fun but in this case nope. I do however like the little cutout over the chest and the subtle rhinestoning. It's a nice pattern but I think it'd be ten times better if the main fabric was either plain or had a nicer print on it.

Hello, did we not just see Kaylie in an exact repeat of what Lauren is currently wearing? Except in differing colours. I still hate the funky scissor pattern but I like the two colours together. Sort of. Perhaps not on a leotard. I used to like it, now...Not so much.

Kaylie, what is it with you and pink and gold? I'd be more inclined to like the combination if the pink was just pink and not pink and gold. I actually like the sort of feathery/winged shape across the front, it's something I haven't seen before and with the two colours together it's quite nice.

Somehow my picture uploaded itself smaller than I wanted. Ahh well, we can all still see. Unless you're viewing on a tablet or iPhone, in which case I wish you luck. Off to the left side we have an extra, likely a legit gymnast who I'm too ignorant to know. Do not like her leo, the shark pattern and the colours. It looks like it would be fresh and new in the early 2000s but not now.

Lauren, I never really paid attention to her leotard because of the focus on her mother in the story but now that I see it as just a leotard. Dear god. Shiny pink on its own isn't a crime but mixing pink and white together should be. At least bright pink and white. Not to mention her heart is being burned away by pink fire.

Emily, your other fancy leotard. And it's terrible. Shiny silver, shiny grey. To me it's the same, a big fat to don't. Or rather, if in doubt, do not. And then we have the random crossing over with black velvet. If you read the last post I do believe you all know my stance on velvet in gymnastics. To mix the two worst fabrics together is just demonic. Why would you do that?

We can't really see the girl in the black and white in the background so she's off the hook but the girl in the purple/blue. I see you, hard not to with that fabric so shiny it makes polished chrome jealous. I love people wearing different leotards for the sake of wearing something different and pretty but when it's so shiny that it distracts half the audience into staring at the flipping tinfoil and not the gymnastics it's kinda time to step away. We can see you in that arena, you don't need to make yourself a lighthouse beacon.

It's taken me a long time to write this entry, in fact I've been struggling with it for about two hours. My internet wouldn't save so I'd have to go and do something else, I'd stop writing to admire the sex god that it Niko Pepaj on Bunheads. Or watch the amazing dancing of his character's sister. Then running around trying to find food and some sort of drink that isn't coke.

Until next time chikadees

Make It Or Break It: Payson Edition

Please please please let the accessible gymnastics season begin...Or just put all my favourite tv shows back on air. Waiting until April for GoT is diabolical, waiting every week for Bunheads, Dance Moms and Criminal Minds is irritating. Or maybe I really need something to do, if tomorrow's news is what I'd like to hear I shall have a place in my course of choice. Then I want a job....Epica in April as well as Supanova.

Sorry, I'm dying out here with nothing new to watch. Onto Payson and her small array of leotards. This edition will be somewhat short if it goes to plan because Payson's character doesn't go through a huge range of leotards, likely because her character is lower middle class and can't afford as many fancy new leotards, at least until her Grrl Bar deal.

The first one is a doozy.

 Just look at the poor girl's expression, she knows what she's wearing. Purple velvet, ew. I don't mind the patterns and the subtle rhinestones but the shiny purple velvet is just disgusting, it belongs on little girls, or the Chinese. Well especially the Chinese because they are little, but then again red velvet doesn't look to bad and we've come to expect that from them. Nevertheless London was a lovely change. I don't know, that particular shade just doesn't work for me, it just isn't appealing. Blegh!

A much nicer shade of purple, but dark and light of practically the same shade. Not to mention the piping on the outline, personally it never works because it just looks out of place. It's a bit athletic but I suppose it works on Payson because she's the strong powerful one. I could be totally wrong about this one, I'm personally more inclined into girly pretty leos.

The shiny fabric on the bottom, love. The shape above the breast, love. The purple velvet, terrible. Honestly I thought purple velvet left when the 90's did. Not to mention it's not particularly flattering. If it were regular leo fabric, the non-shiny plain stuff, and perhaps in a more contrasting colour I'd be totally onboard. In fact it'd be shot to my top Payson list.

I look at that stripe and I instantly thought, "baby sling". She means to carry a baby, perhaps she should have given this one to Emily, then she could look after her kid and go to the Olympics. The shiny purple on the other hand I'm enjoying, its a nice girly shade and I like it. If they took away the white stripe completely and just left it as plain purple I'd still put it here because despite being plain is beautiful.

In the beginning I thought this leo was gorgeous, but now I look at it and I think Payson time-warped into the 90's, stole a truckload of colourful velvet and came back to make this based on a drawing from when she was 5. Kinda nasty but it's just way too much. I keep saying it but colourful velvet is terrible, it was only every acceptable on the Chinese because their gymnastics is so damn good and still it was only when the velvet was red as opposed to orange. Rhinestones on already shiny fabric is another to don't and mesh sleeves only work once in a blue moon (pun unintended).

Another butchy leotard, and bland I might add. I'll give her a free pass just because Sascha is gone and she's attempting to be in charge, and you hardly ever get attractive gym teachers. I'm not sure how I feel about the gray, again with the piping and the stripes are just pointless. I don't think words are necessary, we can see this leo for what it is.

Hallelujah. I love this one, the shade of purple is right, the swirls aren't unflattering and the piping works because it is incorporated into spaghetti straps. I think we can all agree on this one and how nice it is. I do admit that's a little hard because the picture isn't great but it was a little hard, the rest were far blurrier.

One word, albeit repeated: Shiny, shiny, shiny, shiny, shiny, shiny... Just unflattering and a huge distraction

First, or was it second episode of the last season. I like this one, just not on Payson. Jungle green is not her colour but on someone else it could be a hit.

On it's own I like the shade of shiny purple, but on Payson I think not. Poor girl looks a little larger than she is. The swirls are just unflattering and a distraction. The sweetheart is unecessary, we all know Payson has boobs, no need to highlight the assets she clearly has.

I like the colour and the stripes but not as a whole. I don't know, I can't really say too much about this one, it's just wacky and I think I'll leave the decision up you guys. If you have anything to say send a message, comment whatever.

Lucky last, literally the last gymnastics leotard Payson will ever wear. Red is a nice colour on her though, it's bright and is a nice nod to her fiery attitude and her perseverance. The rhinestones are nice and subtle. The fabric is velvet, red velvet. I think the fact that it isn't shiny saves it. The neckline, is just odd to me. The leo is nice but the hair and the new routine for Payson made me see her as an old lady. Like Emmett's old lady ice-skating outfit from Project Runway Season Two. Not to mention the routine was just cheesy, repetitive and boring. The character frustrated me, who cares if you don't anchor the competition, you just got told you were practically guaranteed onto the Olympic team, no small feat considering that only five girls achieve this every four years.

Payson, a rather lackluster wardrobe. Next time, Wendy, Jordan and some background characters as well as a few group shots.

Then after that the rest of the group shots, theres a fair few to be seen.

That's all for this week. Comments, requests and all the rest are all welcome. Till Tuesday!