Anon Bra Question

[Anonymous Post]

Keeping this anon because it would embarrass my gymnast. Our new comp leos are low back mesh, so sports bras are basically out. This was not an issue last year, but she recently developed. A lot. I had a breast reduction at 20 and gymnastics didn't save her from genetics. My kiddo needs support or she's going to take her eye out. She just moved to a C cup and is still growing. What does she do? This isn't vanity, this is seriously an issue. The GK clear back reportedly gives 0 support over a small B cup. I suggested we could tape them, but how? She can't be the first well endowed gymnast out there! I swam all through college before and after surgery. I wore 2 sports bras under my swim suit, but gymnastics doesn't allow for that option.

 

[Anonymous (f474)]

My dd had the clear back gk bra and it is definitely very unsupportive but worked for her at the time. I wish I had a good answer for you. Maybe someone else does. If not, I'd get a sports bra that works well for her needs and is as close to her skin color as you can. Hopefully the judges will not deduct from her score.

 

[Anonymous (cc62)]

This is ridiculous and I'm sorry your daughter is in this position. It's a sports garment - it should be functional first and glamorous as an optional extra.

I would speak with a local seamstress who may be able to cut a supportive body suit to fit under the leo and provide more support.

 

[Anonymous (bb62)]

Dance stores typically have bras that could work

 

[Anonymous (bb62)]

Dance stores might have something

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I do not wish to discourage this discussion at all, but a general reminder to keep in the back of your mind: threads like this get a lot of non-member traffic.

Discuss with caution.

 

[Anonymous (f613)]

Thank you for the thoughtful replies. We have a local dance store and I will try there. She has a report with a few college gymnasts, and thought about asking them... it's just a hard subject to bring up . We might try some taping strategies once the leo comes in too.
Thank you for the gentle warning. Yet another good reason to keep this anon. Hopefully, we can keep the weirdos at bay.

 

[Anonymous (7317)]

Fwiw I saw some undergarment tape last night at target while DD and I were hunting for something to wear under a dress with an open back. Ive got no idea how you would go about taping but Id bet they have instructions?

 

[Anonymous (d8a2)]

Could a seamstress line the mesh portion with flesh tone fabric which could conceal bra lines?

 

[Anonymous (6eb8)]

What’s the rule on a bodyliner under the Leo with the sports bra or something higher-support under that? I can’t figure it out from DP rules but maybe that would work. I’m specifically looking at the Ozone one, but it only comes in one shade so it might not work for all skin tones.

Low-backed leos seem unnecessary and distracting to athletes.

 

[Anonymous (346a)]

My DD was able to use the GK high performance one (not the backless one with clear back straps).

 

[Anonymous (f613)]

Unfortunately, the GK high-performance bra will come up too high in the back. The style is quite low back even though it's covered in mesh. You can see right through it. I like the idea of lining the mesh portion with skin colored fabric to hide it. I know a really good seamstress that could probably do this. That's brilliant! I share the frustration about the design of some of these leos, and the prohibition of sports bras showing. I'm trying to handle it very delicately since I remember absolutely hating my body at that age because of the size of my chest. Thank you all so much for your suggestions! Keep them coming, we're going to find a solution here. I don't know what the rule is on a body liner, but if it was close to skin color how could you tell that it's a liner and not just her skin? I'm feeling that could be a secondary solution. Because then we could put a real sports bra under it. We already sized her Leo down to hopefully help pull the girls in. Frustrating that other sports don't have to deal with this mess.

 

[Anonymous (6eb8)]

I found the USAG guidelines but I don’t know if it’s very helpful- what “deliberately exposed” means seems dangerously and deliberately vague. Are there any judges able to weigh in?

“ Presentherselfintheproperattire.
a. Allowable apparel for competition in both Women’s programs (Development (Dev) and Xcel):
1) Sleeveless leotards
2) Unitards with ankle length legs
3) Ankle length tights: may be worn under OR over the leotard (that match the leotard or are skin tone).
4) Gymnastics footwear
• Tennis shoes (athletic sneakers) are NOT considered gymnastics footwear.
5) Shorts: must be solid black (small manufacturer’s branding allowed) with no embellishments.
Shorts must be worn over a leotard and the length must be above the knee or shorter.
b. After an initial warning, a 0.20 deduction for “inappropriate” attire will be applied for any infraction.
1) Backless leotards: Unless the open area is filled with mesh or flesh-colored fabric, a leotard is considered backless when the open area visually extends:
• lower than 2 inches (approximately) below the bottom of the scapula (shoulder blade)
• wider than the vertical midpoint of the scapula.
2) Racerback leotards (see above backless definition)
3) Leotards with "spaghetti" straps
4) Bare midriffs.
5) T-shirts
6) Boxer shorts
7) Tennis shoes
c. No underwear (including sport bras) should be deliberately exposed.
• A clear bra strap is acceptable.
d. The leg opening on competitive leotards must NOT be cut or rolled above the gymnast's hipbone.
e. Leotard and/or warm-up uniforms should be worn for march-in and award ceremonies.
f. Gymnasts must change clothes in the designated changing area or restroom. They may not appear
in underwear on the competition floor or warm-up area before, during or after the competition.”

Link is here, page 17:

https://static.usagym.org/PDFs/Women/Rules/Rules%20and%20Policies/2022/2022_2023_w_rulespolicies.pdf

 

[Anonymous (f474)]

My dd wore the gk tank liner leotard under her tight white comp leo. She did not really like it and said it was too hot but she didn't like how you could see the undergarment lines if she wore separate pieces. The tank liner provided little to no support. I think that the rule for the liner showing would be the same as a skin color sports bra showing. It's cut lower in the back than the comp leos so it would not hide the bra.
Is this a gk leo? My dd's last year had mesh sleeves and some mesh parts on the front and back. The sleeves were not lined but the mesh on the stomach, sides and back was lined with a skin color fabric so it was not see through.

 

[Anonymous (2235)]

I would recommend trying a skin-colored "under leotard" - rhythmic gymnasts frequently use them under their leotards. They don't provide support and are meant to simply cover up under any transparent parts of the actual leotard, but she could most likely wear a supportive sports bra underneath. There are plenty of options on Amazon in a variety of shades. If she finds the two layers to be too much, you could always just cut out the back of it and use it to fill in the back. Good luck!

 

[Anonymous (2235)]

I would recommend trying a skin-colored "under leotard" - rhythmic gymnasts frequently use them under their leotards. They don't provide support and are meant to simply cover up under any transparent parts of the actual leotard, but she could most likely wear a supportive sports bra underneath. There are plenty of options on Amazon in a variety of shades. If she finds the two layers to be too much, you could always just cut out the back of it and use it to fill in the back. Good luck!