Rhythmic Gymnastics Leotards

VINKOVA rhythmic gymnastics leotards follow the gymnast from her first training session to a championship final. Here you will find competition and training leotards, for girls and adults, in full size ranges and with the option to personalise. We design and manufacture in Pamplona: every model starts as our own sketch and is printed by sublimation, the technique behind the gradients and the colour intensity you see on the carpet.

Competition or training leotard: which one you need

They are not the same garment. The competition leotard is the one people see: worked design, rhinestones and finishes made to shine under the lights. It is kept for competitions and galas, and treated accordingly.

The training leotard is the everyday one: it takes frequent washing, hours on the carpet and the wear of repeating the same element a hundred times. It is plainer and carries no rhinestones — precisely so nothing comes loose or snags. The rule almost every coach follows: one to wear out, one to compete in. If your gymnast will only have one, make it the training leotard.

Fabrics: what sits underneath the design

This is the question we get most and the one shops explain least. A rhythmic leotard has to stretch in every direction, return to shape after each element and hold its colour through sweat.

• High-weight lycra: the base of the leotard body. Fabric weight matters more than the brand name — too thin and it goes see-through under stage lights and loses shape at the hips within weeks.
• Tulle and technical mesh: used on sleeves, necklines and backs to create continuity with the skin without losing hold. Their stretch differs from lycra, which is why heavily tulled models need a well-fitted size.
• Holographic fabrics: they return light from different angles as the body moves. They are what makes a leotard appear to change colour mid-pirouette.
• Sublimation printing: the colour enters the fibre instead of sitting on top of it. It does not crack, does not peel, and the gradient keeps its strength wash after wash. That is the real difference between a leotard that lasts one season and one that lasts three.

Leotards with and without flesh-tone panels

Many federations and school competitions limit sheer panels and flesh-coloured areas, and the criteria are not the same everywhere. If you compete where the rule is strict, a full-coverage design avoids surprises at the equipment check — and makes colours and crystals stand out far more. See our leotards without flesh-tone panels. Always check the current rules of your federation for your category and season.

Getting the size right

Leotard size is not chosen by age, it is chosen by measurements. What matters first is height, then chest and hip circumference and torso length (shoulder – crotch – shoulder). A tall, slim ten-year-old may need the same size as a twelve-year-old.

The full guide is in how to take your measurements. Two warnings that save returns:

• Fitted, not tight. If raising the arms pulls at the shoulder or the torso, the size is too small: in rhythmic gymnastics the arms are overhead for half the routine.
• Do not buy a size up «to grow into». A loose leotard wrinkles at the torso, bags at the back and works against the body line, which is part of the score.

Rhythmic gymnastics leotards for girls

Gymnasts starting out need something else: comfort, a design that excites them, and a price that allows changing size every season. See the dedicated girls' rhythmic gymnastics leotards and clothing, and the simple training models in Essential.

Custom and made-to-measure leotards

When a club wants a design nobody else will wear, or a gymnast wants her leotard to say what her music says, that is a made-to-measure leotard. We start from a sketch, adjust colours and crystal placement, and cut it to the gymnast's exact measurements. We also handle team orders for groups and clubs: one design, each gymnast's own measurements.

Caring for a leotard with crystals

Well cared for it lasts several seasons; badly cared for, one. Wash it by hand, in cold water with neutral soap, inside out and without rubbing the crystal areas. No tumble dryer, no iron, no bleach: heat loosens the crystal adhesive and ruins the elastane. Dry flat on a towel, never hanging — the weight of the water stretches the lycra — and store it flat or rolled, ideally inside a leotard cover, so the crystals do not catch on the rest of the kit bag.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a leotard, a maillot and a body?
None, fundamentally: they are different names for the same one-piece garment. English says leotard, Spanish maillot, French académique, Italian body. What changes is the country, not the product.

How many leotards does a gymnast need per season?
Usually one training leotard worn daily and one competition leotard kept aside. Gymnasts in higher categories often keep two competition leotards, so they never depend on one drying on the day of the event.

Can it have a skirt?
Yes, the skirt is optional and follows the character of the routine. Do check your federation's rules for your category, though: length and coverage criteria can vary.

How long does a made-to-measure leotard take?
It depends on the design and the point in the season. Write to us with your competition date and we will tell you whether we can make it: at the start of the season it pays to order early.

Complete the kit with rhythmic gymnastics apparatus —hoops, clubs, ribbons and ropes— and the everyday accessories: leg warmers, knee pads and toe shoes.