From bold textures to retro revivals, the 2025 leotard landscape was anything but boring. Every season brings a new wave of experimentation, and this year delivered everything from delicate florals and ribbed fabrics to nostalgic callbacks and daring color combos. In this roundtable, our editors look back at the standout designs, debate the best (and worst) trends, and predict what’s coming next in NCAA leotard fashion.
What was your favorite leotard of the 2025 season?
Elizabeth: I gave Michigan State’s national semifinal design a perfect 10 in leotard rankings, so I feel like I’m obligated to put that one. The Spartans’ design from March 2 is a close second for me, though.
KT: I really loved UCLA’s Blue Diamond. Blue is my favorite color, so a blue leotard automatically has a head start, but I just loved how clean it looked. You could really look at this leotard as an art piece; it blends futurist geometry, and modernist chromatic theory with a nod to art deco. The gradients between light and dark blues evoke the illusion of dimensionality and motion!
Savanna: I love a sentimental leotard and UW-Whitewater’s in memory of Kara Welsh was simple, but one of my favorites from this season.
Katherine: With the usual disclaimer of me being a Florida State Seminole…
