Leotards were originally known as maillots. They got the name leotard years after the death of the famous French acrobat, Jules Léotard, who made them really famous. These are worn by gymnasts, acrobats, circus performers, figure skaters, dancers, and athletes. It is a skin-tight garment, which is an important dance costume that covers the upper torso but doesn't cover the legs. This very feature of the garment allows you to do free movements, which is required for activities, like exercising and dancing. These are usually teamed up with tights. There is another popular version of the leotard, which is known as unitard. Unlike a leotard, a unitard covers the entire body, including the legs. Some women also prefer to wear leotards as a casual clothing. Wearing Leotards • Leotards don't come with snaps, and hence, they are worn by entering into them through the neck. • Most of them have wide neck openings, which makes it easy for you to wear them. However, other variants, such as polo or crew necked do come with snaps or zippers in the back, hence they can be worn in a regular manner. • You can purchase exercise or dance leotards for those who indulge in yoga, modern dance, figure skating, gymnastics, ballet, etc. These activities require costumes that provide free and brisk body movements. • Leotards are available in sleeveless, short sleeved, and long sleeved forms. • Since most of the leotards are cut really high above the legs, you need to wear special kind of undergarments that won't show up through the leotard you are wearing. • Sometimes, a few dance studios may also restrict you from wearing undergarments, because their exposure can deduct points of the performer. Where to Find Reasonably Priced Leotards • In case you are in search of dance, exercise, or gymnastics leotards, there are a few options that you may like to try. First of all, you can look for them at the local gymnastics club. • Most of the gymnastics clubs have a store in their premises that provides all the essential equipment and apparel. The best thing about such shops is that you or your kid can try the clothes and check for the fitting. • You also get to avoid paying the shipping cost, which becomes mandatory with online shopping. However, even with the shipping cost, online clothing stores are preferred by most of the people, since these offer a great variety at subsidized prices. • You can also get some good deals at the local dance costume shops. Some popular brands of leotards are: GK Elite, Rebecca's Mom, Gym Brats, Gym Diva, etc. Some More Information • Nowadays, you can find leotards for children as well, which come in bright and fresh colors, like orange, bright royal blue, turquoise, bright yellow, red, pink, black, etc. • You can also choose them with frills, laces, beads, stones, and other such embellishments to make it more appealing and unique. However, if you are looking for a ballet costume, then you need to choose the color and style in accordance with your instructor's requirements. • Leotards with attached skirts look really good on girls. You can opt for strapped, sleeved, or strapless versions. • Leotards with attractive designs, graphic prints, and abstract patterns are also available, which you can choose over plain unicolor or multicolor ones, as per your liking. • A wide range of fabric, such as cotton, lycra, spandex, nylon, velvet, and many other materials are used for making this garment. Apart from wearing them as a dance costume, leotards meant for girls can also be teamed with T-shirts, various types of tights, and/or crop tops to get a funky and casual look!