What is the best fabric for leotards?
When you have clear what kind of leotard you want, you should look at the material. The most common fabrics are nylon with lycra, lycra and cotton. Lycra and nylon leotards have a bit of brightness and many color options. They are perfect to combine with other types of dance clothes to perfect your design.
In the 1970s, leotards were typically made from polyester and related fabrics. Since the 1980s, however, they have been made from lycra or spandex.
The best, high quality leotards will fit like a second skin. There shouldn't be any loose fabric or bunching across your shoulders, stomach, hips or bottom. Likewise, it shouldn't be so tight that you feel constricted. Straps shouldn't be loose and falling down, nor should they be digging into your skin.
A unitard is a skintight, one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves, usually stopping at the wrists and ankles. It differs from a leotard which does not have long legs. The leotard is also usually considered a more feminine clothing item, while the unitard is not.
Spandex is a very stretchy knit fabric (sometimes sold under the trade name Lycra) that works perfectly for swimsuits and leotards.
Tricot is the most common fabric found in dance costumes because of the wide range of colors available, as well as it's superior stretch properties!
Making a Leotard: Part 1 - YouTube
The leotard (or maillot as it was first known) was actually named after a 19th century French acrobat named Jules Léotard, who was renowned for pushing the boundaries of trapeze performance.
Nylon lycra, also known as Spandex, is a modern synthetic fabric that was developed in 1959. Today, it is commonly used in active wear, particularly in leotards. The development of the material has had a surprising impact on performance, supporting gymnasts in particular.
The leotard should be snug, fitting like a second skin with no excess material. Ensure the leotard has been pulled up properly onto the hip bones. The leotard should not be digging into your child's shoulders. If the seams are stretched, try the next size up.
How do I choose a leotard?
A leotard that has cotton- lycra mix should help you with your objective of ensuring that the leotard can highlight your posture and ballet stance. While choosing the color of a leotard, choose one that will complement your skin and hair color. Also, remember that darker colored leotards hide sweat spots.
Sewing Elastic to Legs of a Leotard Using a Sewing Machine - YouTube
Although the fabrics used for both are similar, leotards are not designed for use in water. Leotards may become discolored, and the stitching could dissolve in chlorinated water. Swimsuits are designed to keep water off the body as much as possible.
The leotard and the bodysuit faded out of fashion in the late 1990s when the style mantra became the baggier the better.
A leotard should fit kinda like a glove… close to your body, but not too tight or too loose.
Lycra is very popular because it's stretchy and can be trusted to stay in place. It is also comfortable and almost never scratches the skin. However, if the gymnast is participating in a competition, a Lycra leotard is never as eye-catching as the embellished and glittering leotards that some gymnasts favor.
Stretchable fabrics such as jersey, silk, chiffon, Georgette, and Lycra are commonly used because they don't restrict movement. Natural materials such as Cotton or silk are typically used when the costume is to be dyed because they absorb dye well.
synthetic fibre known generically as spandex is composed of at least 85 percent polyurethane by weight. Such fibres are generally used for their highly elastic properties. Trademarked fibres in this group are Lycra, Numa, Spandelle, and Vyrene.
LYCRA® fiber is the trademarked brand name of a class of synthetic elastic fibers known as spandex in the U.S, and elastane in the rest of the world. Spandex and elastane are interchangeable terms that mean the same thing, but only The LYCRA Company, produces authentic LYCRA® brand spandex fibers.
