You don’t only see leotards associated with sports though, and that’s been the case since the 1970s. Leotards have crossed over into streetwear and are still worn for fashion purposes to this day. When Should Dancers Use a Leotard? What About a Unitard? A biketard is a leotard with shorts. The shorts length might be quite short for women and longer for men. How do you select the correctly sized leotard or unitard for you? You need to take some measurements. Let’s discuss them now.

Do you still have questions about leotards, unitards, and related garments like then? This section will shed plenty of light! What Is the Difference Between a Unitard and a Bodysuit or a Jumpsuit? As we discussed earlier, ballet is the primary type of dance in which leotards are favored, but it’s not the only one.

Unfortunately, Leotard was not alive to see it. It was in 1886 that the leotard was named that, as Leotard himself preferred the name maillot instead. That’s a French word that refers to a very tight-fitting sports shirt. While wearing a jumpsuit may make coordinating an outfit a much simpler task than most other garments, it still requires a bit of thought. Yes, you can just wear one item of clothing, but you still need to think about how you will accessorize it. Choose the wrong accessories, and the whole look can become sloppy and unstylish. To keep things chic, plan out your outfit, paying particular attention to your shoes, jewelry, and a belt. After all, this statement style demands accessories that help it shine, so choose ones that match well. The goal is to find accessories with the dual ability to highlight your jumpsuit while breaking up its monotony at the same time. Figure skating had banned unitards in the 1990s, calling them illegal to wear when competing. Those rules have since changed and unitards are allowed again. The Leotard and Unitard Today Some styles of dance favor either the leotard over the unitard or vice-versa. For example, in ballet, it’s standard to wear leotards and tutus. Leotards allow the legs optimal freedom and therefore are the preferred choice for ballet dancers. Unitards, although still an uncommon sight in many physical activities, are the preferred garment when doing circus performing as well as equestrian vaulting, dancing, gymnastics, acrobatics, and other forms of physical activity.

This didn’t last forever, though. By the 1990s, gym fanatics and exercisers largely moved away from the leotard. Women began wearing sports shorts and sports bras instead. History of the Unitard Looking for a stylish and trendy jumpsuit that’s adorable and also super comfy? Daughters of Culture features lightweight, printed jumpsuits with the harem pant and strappy top design like the Shades of Celtic Jumpsuit. A great jumpsuit to wear out with friends or to a gentle Yin Yoga class. If you ever hear another dancer talk about leotards or unitards with shorts, they’re referring to biketards. Another unofficial name for these garments is bootietards since they do showcase one’s rear. How to Choose the Right Size Leotard or Unitard By the 1950s, leotards were still the favored garment by circus performers but soon bled into gyms and exercise facilities as well. A jumpsuit is a full-body garment that is again usually a women’s fashion item but can be worn by both genders if used occupationally (such as a hazmat jumpsuit).

It’s a little more common for unitards to have short sleeves, and some even feature long sleeves for cool-weather wear. By comparison, leotards rarely if ever have long sleeves. Gender of Wearer Let’s begin by expanding on the differences between unitards and leotards that we laid out in the intro. Pants Length Unitards and leotards are both dance uniforms but differ in some pretty key ways. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should choose one garment over the other, as both have their place in the annals of dance history!

Bust/Chest: To measure your bust, the measuring tape should go over the fullest area of your chest. Keep your arms at your sides and stand in a relaxed stance. A belt is a vital accessory to pulling off a jumpsuit, particularly if you’re still unsure about the style. By adding a belt to your jumpsuit, you’ll help define your waist in a highly flattering way. Even if the style is already fitted at the waist, a belt will help you appear slimmer and turn a column silhouette into an hourglass. For those who are still new to jumpsuits, we recommend trying a belt in a contrasting color to that of your jumpsuit. Doing so will add a new dimension to the outfit and break up the straight line of your jumpsuit, which can otherwise seem overwhelming. Try matching the color of your belt with your shoes for a well-put-together outfit.Unitards are not exclusively long pants, but that’s usually what this dancing and athletic garment is known for. If not long pants, then a unitard may feature ankle-length leg protection or shorts. Leotards vary in quite different ways from both bodysuits and jumpsuits. Let’s take a closer look now. In dance, while your skills and talents matter the most, we would be remiss to ignore the fact that one’s looks do play a role as well. That’s why dancers put so much time into their hair and makeup and buy the nicest-looking dance outfits. The design of a biketard reduces exposure of one’s legs so that when a cyclist is using the bike seat, they have less pain, chafing, and discomfort when on long bike rides.