The Birth of the Leotard
A leotard is a piece of clothing usually worn by acrobats, gymnasts, athletes and dancers. It is made to give the performers the ability to move their legs freely, without any difficulties. Leotards are often worn in combination with tights and are very elastic, having a very tight fit to the body. Although originally invented for men, today you can find either a womens or a mens leotard used in any sport or activity, or even as casual wear.
The first appearance of the leotard was around the 19th century under the name maillot, a French word for a tight-fitting shirt. Its creator was Jules Leotard, a French acrobatic performer, for whom the leotard was named later. He created this tight fitting one-piece garment to use in his acrobatic acts. What started as one man's circus performance apparel became more popular over time, being used worldwide.
Over time the leotard started seeing usage in more places than simply on the circus stage, with professional dancers and gymnasts adapting them for their craft as well, as time went on. Variations of leotards were made as bathing suits as well as simple exercise garments for school students and fitness training. Some have even used the leotard as an additional clothing layer for warmth as a piece of casual wear. From originally being used only in variations of black, and in combination with tights, a fashion and style change in the late 20th century created a plethora of different colorful variations of the leotard, especially for ballet and exercise. Additional variations of this versatile garment were made for sports such as cycling, rowing, wrestling and many more, adjusting to the individual needs of each sport.
Leotards are available with different sleeve lengths or even sleeveless, depending on the type of activity and its requirements. Longer sleeves are typically used in figure skating, while gymnasts tend to use shorter variations or no sleeves. Leg wise, leotards are extremely short, being able to expose any underwear worn by the performers – hence they are frequently worn without undergarments. Mens leotards are a little longer and also have a lower cut front, which is important for decency and modesty. They fit snugly to the body, making sure the body cant catch on anything, and eliminating one factor which could cause injury to the performer. The tight fit is also critical in dancing and skating, where it is very important to show the body posture in the best and most attractive way possible.
Once additions to a circus act,, nowadays leotards are an essential part of any dancing or skating performance, as well as various sports featured in the Olympic Games. Other than that, its not uncommon to see leotards worn as everyday apparel by women, in combination with t-shirts or tights. A mens leotard, on the other hand, is rarely worn for fashion, only seeing usage while dancing or sports.
The first appearance of the leotard was around the 19th century under the name maillot, a French word for a tight-fitting shirt. Its creator was Jules Leotard, a French acrobatic performer, for whom the leotard was named later. He created this tight fitting one-piece garment to use in his acrobatic acts. What started as one man's circus performance apparel became more popular over time, being used worldwide.
Over time the leotard started seeing usage in more places than simply on the circus stage, with professional dancers and gymnasts adapting them for their craft as well, as time went on. Variations of leotards were made as bathing suits as well as simple exercise garments for school students and fitness training. Some have even used the leotard as an additional clothing layer for warmth as a piece of casual wear. From originally being used only in variations of black, and in combination with tights, a fashion and style change in the late 20th century created a plethora of different colorful variations of the leotard, especially for ballet and exercise. Additional variations of this versatile garment were made for sports such as cycling, rowing, wrestling and many more, adjusting to the individual needs of each sport.
Leotards are available with different sleeve lengths or even sleeveless, depending on the type of activity and its requirements. Longer sleeves are typically used in figure skating, while gymnasts tend to use shorter variations or no sleeves. Leg wise, leotards are extremely short, being able to expose any underwear worn by the performers – hence they are frequently worn without undergarments. Mens leotards are a little longer and also have a lower cut front, which is important for decency and modesty. They fit snugly to the body, making sure the body cant catch on anything, and eliminating one factor which could cause injury to the performer. The tight fit is also critical in dancing and skating, where it is very important to show the body posture in the best and most attractive way possible.
Once additions to a circus act,, nowadays leotards are an essential part of any dancing or skating performance, as well as various sports featured in the Olympic Games. Other than that, its not uncommon to see leotards worn as everyday apparel by women, in combination with t-shirts or tights. A mens leotard, on the other hand, is rarely worn for fashion, only seeing usage while dancing or sports.
