My daughter is into gymnastics, but the leotards she tried on are either itchy, scratchy, tight, or stiff. Any good companies I should know about?
My daughter was a competitive gymnast. I learned early on to buy good quality leos second hand off of ebay, usually GK Elite. Cheaper is definitely less comfortable and a poorer fit. And good quality leos are actually softer from wash and wear, but still not worn out.
Good luck, gymnastics is a ridiculously expensive sport.
Why not try some with different fabric? (We found ones that felt like lycra.)
Tight - just go up a size.
Never heard of a stiff leotard.
Usually dance/gymnastic wear shops carry different brands/fabrics/styles to choose from.
Well for tightness, go up a size.
Ask other moms at the gym where they buy them. Wash it before you use if to hopefully remove any itchy or scratchy residue from manufacturing.
They are everywhere to be found in all different price ranges and quality. Experiment until you find "the brand" for you.
We have gotten good stuff from discount dance. My daughter was a dance major in college so we have lots of stuff around.Check around the little mom and pop stores and ask at the school.We found the nicest store to buy shoes from, incredibly helpful
My son does completion Trampoline and Tumbling so I understand what you are talking about. He does not like the boys line of GK he says they are very itchy and uncomfortable. Plus those are pretty pricy. One of his team mates mom's orderd her daughter some leos from Plum and she loves them and they were not as pricy as some others. There is also another company I have seen mom's talk about on FB which is Snowflake. Not sure those prices but they love the leos.
Try going to local apparel shops with your daughter. they carry different brands and mfg. Find one or two that she really likes and then order from them online moving forward. I have found some diff shops I found through the studio.
I agree to get a size larger if they are tight. Usually the cheaper fabrics are itchier, so that's odd you're seeing it in things more expensive than what you'd like to spend. Stiff fabrics may just need to be washed BUT I'd hand wash in cold water and line dry or dry flat on a towel or a sweater dryer (mesh on a stand so air circulates below as well as above). My experience with cheaper fabrics is that they don't hold up and the elastic stretches out, so at least you can extend the life of what you do buy. If there's a dance school near you, see if they have options too, or suggestions about fabric.
