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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
Unitards are worn by
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
A leotard () is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, an ...
which does not have long legs. The leotard is also usually considered a more feminine clothing item, while the unitard is not. The garment can be thought of as a combination of a leotard and leggings
Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg warmers or tights ...
, and was historically called a "one-piece long legged leotard". The term ''unitard'' is mostly used in relation to sports, while it is usually referred to as a ''catsuit
A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex (after 1959), latex, or velour, but may use less elasti ...
'' in other contexts.
Usage in sports
Unitards are worn by acrobats
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acr ...
, gymnasts, dancers, equestrian vaulters, athletes
An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance.
Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-develo ...
, circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...
performers, as well as others who require overall body coverage without impeding flexibility. It is closely related to the wrestling singlet
A wrestling singlet (or simply singlet) is a one-piece, tight-fitting, uniform, usually made of spandex/lycra, or nylon, used in amateur wrestling. The uniform is tight-fitting so as not to get grasped accidentally by one's opponent, and allows ...
, which is basically a unitard with shorter legs.
In 1985, Anne White
Anne White (born September 28, 1961) is an American former professional tennis player from Charleston, West Virginia. She is most famous for wearing a white body suit at Wimbledon in 1985.
Early life
White attended John Adams Junior High School ...
's decision to wear a white unitard for the first two sets of a match in the Women's Singles Championship at Wimbledon was widely reported. Unitards remain an unusual sight in some sports such as tennis, although Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American inactive professional tennis player. Considered among the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) fo ...
wore one during a 2013 Wimbledon practice, and during the 2018 French Open
The 2018 French Open was a major tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from 27 May to 10 June and consisted of events for players in singles, doubles and mixed doubles play. J ...
(after which the garment type was banned there).It is called a "catsuit" in the article, but should more appropriately have been called a "unitard".
In the 90s, wearing unitards in figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
was "illegal in competition and discouraged in practice". And although modern rules allow them, they remain a rare sight in competitions, where dresses are seen as more appropriate by conservative judges
A judge is an official who presides over a court.
Judge or Judges may also refer to:
Roles
*Judge, an alternative name for an adjudicator in a competition in theatre, music, sport, etc.
*Judge, an alternative name/aviator call sign for a membe ...
.
The North Carolina State college men's basketball team wore a unitard designed by Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
shortly in 1989 under coach Jim Valvano
James Thomas Anthony Valvano (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster.
Valvano had a successful coaching career with multiple schools, most notably at North Caroli ...
"to address the issue of jerseys coming untucked", but they were retired after only two games.
Colourful unitards are the trademark of fitness coach Mr Motivator.
Usage elsewhere
Superheroes in comics, ads, TV shows and films are frequently depicted wearing costumes that resemble unitards, although they are rarely called that explicitly. The members of the rock bandQueen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
were known for wearing unitards during their concerts in the late 1970s. Some of the uniforms worn by female characters in the ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' franchise have been called unitards, and criticized for promoting sexiness.
See also
*Bodystocking
A bodystocking or body stocking is a one-piece skin-tight garment that covers the torso, legs and sometimes the arms of the wearer. It is a foundation garment or an article of lingerie usually made from a sheer fabric similar to that used for ...
* Bodysuit
A bodysuit is a one-piece form-fitting or skin-tight garment that covers the torso and the crotch, and sometimes the legs, hands, and feet, and cannot be used as a swimsuit. The style of a basic bodysuit is similar to a one-piece swimsui ...
* Jumpsuit
* Romper suit
A romper suit, usually shortened to romper, is a one-piece or two-piece combination of shorts and a shirt. It is also known as a playsuit. Its generally short sleeves and pant-legs contrast with the long ones of the adult jumpsuit.
History
...
* Swimsuit
A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, ...
* ''Yoga the Iyengar Way
''Yoga the Iyengar Way'' is a 1990 guide to Iyengar Yoga, a style of modern yoga as exercise, by the yoga teachers Silva Mehta and her children Mira Mehta and Shyam Mehta. They were among the first teachers to be trained by B. K. S. Iyengar outs ...
''
* Zentai
A ''zentai'' suit () is a skin-tight garment that covers the entire body. The word is a portmanteau of ''zenshin taitsu'' ( ja, 全身タイツ, , full-body tights). ''Zentai'' is most commonly made using nylon/spandex blends.
Use
The costum ...
Notes
References
{{Ballet Dancewear One-piece suits