Into the 20 th century, those involved in acrobatics and in the circus almost exclusively wore leotards. By the early 1900s, the one-piece swimsuit for women evolved from the leotard; one-pieces still resemble leotards to this day. As we discussed earlier, ballet is the primary type of dance in which leotards are favored, but it’s not the only one. The leotard is named after Jules Leotard, who was born in 1838 and died in 1870. Leotard himself was an acrobatic dancer from France who sported the original dancing garment named in his honor. Figure skating had banned unitards in the 1990s, calling them illegal to wear when competing. Those rules have since changed and unitards are allowed again. The Leotard and Unitard Today

What we can say for sure is that at the start of the 1900s, dancers and models wore unitards that were flesh-colored to mimic nudity.

Inseam: Have a friend take a flexible measuring tape, start it at the crotch, and then stop measuring at your bottom. The number on the measuring tape is the inseam length. Round it up to a half-inch if needed. If you ever hear another dancer talk about leotards or unitards with shorts, they’re referring to biketards. Another unofficial name for these garments is bootietards since they do showcase one’s rear. How to Choose the Right Size Leotard or Unitard Anne White, a professional tennis player, wore a white unitard in 1985 to the Women’s Singles Championships game, which made a lot of headlines in the day. In 2018, the French Open banned unitards after Serena Williams wore one to a tennis game. Waist: Find the place where your waist indents and have your buddy place the flexible measuring tape there. Place one finger on your belly underneath the tape and measure. You don’t only see leotards associated with sports though, and that’s been the case since the 1970s. Leotards have crossed over into streetwear and are still worn for fashion purposes to this day. When Should Dancers Use a Leotard? What About a Unitard?

Bust/Chest: To measure your bust, the measuring tape should go over the fullest area of your chest. Keep your arms at your sides and stand in a relaxed stance. Both unitards and leotards are often sleeveless. You might see some leotards with short sleeves, but this is uncommon.The design of a biketard reduces exposure of one’s legs so that when a cyclist is using the bike seat, they have less pain, chafing, and discomfort when on long bike rides. Biketards have shorter legs than a unitard and longer legs than a leotard, so they truly fit in between both garments. What Is a Unitard or Leotard with Shorts Called?