A leotard is a skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso and body but leaves the legs free. It was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1839–1870), about whom the song "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" was written. A skin-tight garment is a garment that is held to the skin by elastic tension. ... A one-piece garment is a garment that forms a complete outfit in one piece. ... The French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1839? - 1870), was the man who inspired the 1867 song The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (with lyrics by George Leybourne). ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, also known as The Man on the Flying Trapeze, is a very well-known 19th century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer. ...

Leotards are worn by acrobats, gymnasts, dancers and circus performers both as practice garments and performance costumes. They are often worn together with tights. There are sleeveless, short-sleeved and long-sleeved leotards. A variation is the unitard, which also covers the legs. High wire act Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. ... Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics or rhythmic gymnastics. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Three women wearing different styles of tights Tights are a type of leg coverings fabric extending from the waist to feet. ... An acrobat in bodystocking/unitard suspended below a balloon A unitard is a skin-tight one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves. ...

Leotards are entered through the neck. (Contrast with bodysuits, which generally have snaps at the crotch, allowing the garment to be pulled on over the head.) Scoop-necked leotards have wide neck openings and are held in place by the elasticity of the garment. Others are crew-necked or turtle-necked and close at the back of the neck with a zipper or snaps. A bodysuit is a leotard-like undergarment, sometimes used to provide support and shaping, sometimes simply as a top that cannot become untucked from ones trousers or skirt. ... Snap fastener (male and female discs) A snap fastener is a pair of interlocking discs commonly used in place of buttons to fasten clothing. ... An example of a classic polo neck. ... Zipper slider brings together the two sides A zipper (British English: zip fastener or zip) is a popular device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric. ...

History

An image of Jules Léotard in the garment that bears his name

The first known use of the name leotard came only in 1886, many years after Léotard's death. Léotard himself called the garment a maillot, which in French has now come to mean a swimsuit. In the early 20th century, leotards were mainly confined to circus and acrobatic shows, worn by the specialists who performed these acts. Image File history File links Jules_Léotard2. ... Image File history File links Jules_Léotard2. ... The French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1839? - 1870), was the man who inspired the 1867 song The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (with lyrics by George Leybourne). ... A swimsuit (also swimmers), bathing suit (also bathers), aqua jammies or swimming costume (sometimes shortened to cozzie) is an item of clothing designed to be worn for swimming. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts. ...

The 1920s and 1930s saw leotards influencing the style of bathing suits, with women's bathing suits today similar in appearance to leotards. Leotards were also worn by professional dancers such as the showgirls of Broadway. Stage use of the leotard typically coordinated the garmet with stockings or tights beginning the trend to wear legwear with a leotard. Womans bathing suit, 1920s, USA A swimsuit (also swimmers), bathing suit (also bathers) or swimming costume (sometimes shortened to cozzie) is an item of clothing designed to be worn for swimming. ... A Las Vegas showgirl, from the Folies Bergere. ... Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... A stocking is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg, but usually not intended to conceal the leg. ...

The 1950s saw leotards first used in public physical fitness, with the first "exercise leotards" typically uni-colored worn with thick tights. Between 1950 and 1970, leotards remained as such in appearance until a style change in the 70s resulted in more colorful leotards appearing on the scene, most often in ballet and exercise. Traditional leotard outfits continued to be worn by stage performers and circus actors. Physical fitness is an attribute required for service in virtually all military forces. ...

The 1980s saw an explosion of leotards with the fashion craze of aerobics. Between 1980 and 1988, thousands of women joined health clubs all sporting leotards and tights. The leotards of the time were a variety of nylon and spandex, mixed in with the more traditional cotton uni-colored leotards and tights, and frequently with a thong back. The major leotard company Danskin flourished during this period. Aerobics is an effective physical exercise which is often done to music. ... Modern indoor gymnasium with pull-down basketball hoops Gym is a shortened form of gymnasium referring to facilities intended for indoor sports or exercise. ... Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers first produced on February 28, 1935 by Gerard J. Berchet of Wallace Carothers research group at DuPont. ... Example of spandex Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity (stretchability). ...

Modern usage

A child ballet dancer wearing a modern design of leotard

Leotards as an exercise fashion took a downfall in the 1990s, being replaced by more comfortable exercise garments such as biking shorts and crop tops. Today the use of leotards and tights in fitness and exercise has all but vanished but the garment can still be found in traditional ballet, on the stages of musical productions, and in gymnastics. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Crop tops (also cropped tops) are T-shirts or blouses that are cut off, resulting in the exposure of some of the wearers abdomen, worn by both men and women. ...

Leotards and tights are often worn by young children in such activities as dance, exercise, and ballet. They are commonly worn in the sport of gymnastics, usually a sleeveless leotard in practice and a long sleeved one in competitions. Leotards can also be worn as lingerie and are eroticised by some people, often as part of a wider spandex fetishism. Assorted lingerie styles. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

Media

Leotards were made famous in media by Jane Fonda, who produced several exercise shows in the 1980s which became known worldwide. Body Electric was another exercise program which began in the 1980s, sporting women in leotards and tights, and continues to run in production to this day. On the music videos and live performances to promote her Confessions on a Dance Floor album, Madonna appeared in a pink leotard and caused commotion worldwide. Jane Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. ... Body Electric is a term which may refer to one of the following: A type of massage Body Electric, a music album An aerobics program starring Margaret Richards A populary song entitled I Sing the Body Electric! The book The Body Electric by Robert Becker and Gary Selden. ... Confessions on a Dance Floor is the Grammy Award-winning tenth studio album (eighteenth overall) released by singer Madonna. ... Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as simply Madonna, is a six-time Grammy[1] and one-time Golden Globe award winning American pop singer, songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. ...

Other media appearances of leotards include:

• The movie The Bad News Bears finds Tatum O'Neal in a white leotard and black tights as she performs with the girls in her ballet class.
• The finale of A Chorus Line displays the female cast members in gold-foil leotards; this sequence was spoofed for the opening credits of Family Guy.
• A Clockwork Orange: Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his fellow "droogs" (all clad in white tuxedos with black hats, protective padding and steel-toed army boots) break into the cat-infested house of an older woman in a green leotard, disrupting her aerobic workout and ultimately killing her with a lewd-looking sculpture.
• Flashdance: Several female cast members, particularly Jennifer Beals and the late Sunny Johnson, wear leotards when dancing and (respectively) skating.
• Heavenly Bodies: A Canadian film regarding the establishment of a health club by three women.
• Josie and the Pussycats: Every episode of the TV series (and most issues of the comic book) find Josie, Melody and Valerie in long-sleeved cheetah-print leotards (usually reserved for musical performances).
• Killer Workout: A slasher film of the 1980s depicted a health club full of women in leotards and tights killed by a mysterious murderer.
• Little Girls In Pretty Boxes: Based on the best-selling non-fiction book, this movie shows various young girls in assorted long-sleeved leotards...including an unbilled Vanessa Atler.
• Masters Of the Universe: Many female characters--including Teela and Princess Adora--wear leotards of various colors and sleeve-lengths.
• Perfect Body: Starring Amy Jo Johnson (of Felicity and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fame) and an unbilled Kristie Phillips, this film displays a lot of girls wearing long-sleeved competition leotards.
• Saved by the Bell: The New Class: One episode, "Fear Of Falling" shows numerous teenage girls (including Samantha Becker, Natalia Cigliuti, and Sarah Lancaster) in long-sleeved competition-leotards.
• Slice Commercial: One of their (understandably) more-popular TV spots finds two female gymnasts getting soaked as they perform various routines (alternately floor and uneven parallel bars) in long-sleeve leotards (gold for the brunette, green for the blonde).
• Spitfire: This James Bond 007 spoof, similar to Gymkata, stars real-life gymnastics legend Kristie Phillips as budding second-generation superspy Charlie Case. The film, laced with stunts and martial arts, follows Charlie's action-packed exploits as she gears up to take on the Russian World Champions in an overseas competition. That is, when she's not ducking an obnoxious sports reporter (Tim Thomerson)...or battling to protect a computer-program disk--which her father (Lance Henriksen), a world-class secret agent, gave her surreptitously--from a relentless enemy agent (Sarah Douglas). Charlie, her teammates and their rivals all dress abundantly in long-sleeved competition leotards.
• Staying Alive: A famous John Travolta film featuring dancers throughout the movie in leotards and tights.
• Stick It: A movie about a trouble teen rejoining the world of elite gymnasts.
• Thundarr the Barbarian: Princess Ariel always wears a sleveless, low-backed blue leotard with gold trim and gold boots.
• WarGames: Ally Sheedy appears in a leotard and tights.
• Angels in the Infield: in which a not very good baseball player's daughter is in ballet wearing a leotard.

The Bad News Bears is a 1976 film directed by Michael Ritchie. ... Tatum Beatrice ONeal (born November 5, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an Academy Award-winning American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. ... A Chorus Line is a Broadway musical that opened at the Shubert Theatre on July 25, 1975 and closed on April 28, 1990 after 6,137 performances. ... Family Guy is an American animated television series about a nuclear family in the suburb of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1943) is an English actor. ... Flashdance is a musical and romance film released in April 1983. ... Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former teen model and American film actress who is best known for her role as Alexandra Alex Owens in the 1983 movie Flashdance and as Bette on the lesbian themed drama series The L Word Beals was born to... The Heavenly Bodies, was a former pro-wrestling tag team duo from the late 80s and early 90s. ... This article is about the Josie and the Pussycats Saturday morning cartoon. ... A self propelled Case Windrower. ... Vanessa Marie Atler (Born February 17, 1982 in Valencia, California) is an American gymnast. ... Teela is a fictional character from the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. ... She-Ra She-Ra was the heroic lead in a series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. ... Amy Jo Johnson (born October 6, 1970 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts) is an American actress and singer. ... For other uses, see Felicity (disambiguation). ... Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (MMPR) was an American live-action television series, created for the American market based on the sixteenth installment of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger. ... Kristie was born on March 23, 1973 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ... Natalia Cigliuti (born September 6, 1978) is an American actress of Uruguayan descent. ... Sarah Beth Lancaster (born February 12, 1980 in Overland Park, Kansas) is an American actress. ... Slice is a soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. ... The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is a artistic gymnastics apparatus. ... Brunette is the feminine of French brunet, which is a diminutive of brun, brune, meaning brown or dark-haired, ultimately from Latin BRVNVS (brown). ... One of the worlds most famous blondes Marilyn Monroe, who was in fact a natural brunette Blond (feminine, blonde) is a hair colour found in certain mammals characterised by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin and higher levels of the pale pigment phæomelanin, in common with red... Spitfire may refer to: Supermarine Spitfire, a single-seat fighter plane used in World War II Triumph Spitfire, a small two-seat British sports car from Triumph Motor Company Spitfire, a slang term for a highly-excitable or passionate person, especially a woman. ... The James Bond 007 gun logo James Bond, also known as 007 (pronounced double-oh seven), is a sophisticated fictional character and British spy created by writer Ian Fleming. ... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Kristie was born on March 23, 1973 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ... The genre of spy fiction — sometimes called political thriller or spy thriller or sometimes shortened simply to Spy-fi — arose before World War I at about the same time that the first modern intelligence agencies were formed. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... Tim Thomerson (born April 8, 1946) is an actor who was born in Coronado, California and was raised in Hawaii and San Diego. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Secret Agent is a 1936 British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham. ... Sarah Douglas (born December 12, 1952) is an English actress, most notable for playing strong villainessess in 1980s science fiction movies. ... Staying Alive is a 1983 film sequel to Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta as the same character, Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso, and dancers Viktor Manoel, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow and Nanette Tarpey. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, singer, entertainer and airplane pilot. ... Stick It is a teen comedy film starring Jeff Bridges, Missy Peregrym, and Vanessa Lengies. ... Thundarr the Barbarian was a Saturday morning animated cartoon show, produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. ... This article is about the 1983 US movie. ... Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (born June 13, 1962) is an American screen and stage actress, possibly best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. ... Angels in the Infield is a Walt Disney Movie. ...

See also

• Bodystocking
• Catsuit

An acrobat in bodystocking/unitard suspended below a balloon Yoga exercise A bodystocking is an article of lingerie, similar to a leotard or a catsuit. ... A woman in a red catsuit and black boots A catsuit is a skin-tight one-piece garment with sleeves and long legs, and sometimes with feet or gloves, sometimes with a hood (the combination of which turns it into a zentai suit). ...

External links

• Pictures of Leotards
• Camisole Leotard
• Single-strand camisole leotard