The U.S. Women’s gymnastics team has won a team medals almost at every competition, but also if there were an award for looking hot as hell, they definitely would have been at the top of the podium. But the U.S. women’s routines aren’t the only thing burning up at the competitions: Their glittering leotards are pure fire.
The women’s leotards cost more than 10 times as much as the men’s competition shirts. At first glance, these leotards might seem like standard dancewear. But just one U.S. gymnastics Olympic leotard can cost up to $1,200, depending on how many crystals are used, whereas the men’s competition shirts usually cost less than $100. Each guy receives six competition shirts and an assortment of matching pants and shorts for the Olympics.
What’s more, a female gymnast’s Olympic wardrobe contains 12 practice leotards and 8 competition leotards, and all those custom-made leotards add up to a competition collection that costs as much as $12,000.
As a point of reference to how rapidly the number of crystals sewn onto the leotards has recently grown, consider that when Gabby Douglas won gold in London in 2012, she was adorned in 1,188 of the gems. Nastia Liukin wore only 184 in 2008.