Leotardia: January 2015

Yumiko Takeshima

Yumiko Dancewear was created in 2002 by Yumiko Takeshima, a former principal dancer and costume designer with Dresden's SemperOper Ballett.

Some Yumikos

Yumiko leotards can be identified by their simple, clean lines. They look a lot like swimsuits—the practical kind used for actual swimming not lying around on the beach. Other brands have leos that look a lot like Yumikos, but you can always tell a Yumiko by the tag stitched into the side seam.

Yumiko Tag

Of the two major made-to-order leotard companies, I prefer Elevé because they offer a wider range of looks and their leos look better on my not-a-pro-dancer's body. Yumikos—or “Yumis” if you prefer (I don’t)—seem to be more popular than Elevés, though this may be because Yumiko has been around longer.

Website Photos of the "Alicia"

Styles

Yumiko currently offers 33 different leotard styles that you can order on their website. On the website, the models show each style from the front and the back.

Website Fabric Descriptions

Fabrics and Colors

Yumiko has four different fabrics for leotards: nylon, microfiber, velvet, and techni. The website description of the difference between the fabrics is pretty thin, so I emailed the help desk for a more detailed explanation. Here’s what they told me:

The nylon is thin and shiny, and slick to touch.
Techni feels like the nylon, but it is a flat fabric, and it is a slightly tighter knit for a more "held in" sensation. Sweat resistant!
Our microfiber is soft, almost plush to touch. It is also matte like the techni, without any sheen to it.
The fabric breakdown for all three is 87% polyester and 13% elastim.

Model in nylon "Sofiane"

Model in techni "Anna"

I currently have Yumikos in microfiber and nylon. The nylon is shiny and thin and shows sweat easily. The shiny fabric highlights bumps and curves, so it tends to be less flattering to those of us who are shaped more like regular people and less like ballerinas. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this fact until I started photographing myself in my leotards for this blog, so now I own several nylon Yumikos that aren’t that flattering. Live and learn.

I also have one Yumiko in microfiber. It’s a strange fabric. “Plush” is a good way to describe it, but it’s not thick. Like the nylon, it shows all bumps and curves. It doesn't show sweat that easily, though. Yumiko's website seems to use this fabric primarily for their "tops and bottoms" (workout gear), not for leotards.

Currently, Yumiko stocks nylon in 39 colors, microfiber in 14 colors, velvet in 7 colors, and techni in 23 colors. The colors change, though—every now and then colors disappear and new ones are added. In January 2015, the company introduced something like 18 new colors (and surreptitiously dropped a few). For $25 plus shipping, you can order Yumiko’s color chart, which has small samples of each fabric and color currently available. Here are the colors as updated in January 2015:

The new "Megan" Style with Mesh Back

Most styles give you the option of choosing more than one fabric, so you can mix and match if you’d like. Not all combinations are available, though. There are tons of Pinterest sites collecting Yumikos in various colors and sizes if you ever need inspiration.

Yumiko doesn’t offer patterned fabrics or mesh online, although they recently introduced the "Megan" style with a mesh back, only available in the store or through a Yumigirl.

Sleeve Options for the "Marieke"

Other Options

All styles allow you to add
a liner (bust or full front). All styles give length options (leotard, high cut leg, semi-unitard, unitard), though not all lengths are available for all styles. Many styles also offer sleeve options, from cap to long, although, again, not all options are available for all leotards.

Prices

How a "Jessica" with a $71 base price gets to $140

The leos range from $58 to $74 for nylon or techni. Micro-fiber adds around $8; Velvet adds around $14 to the base price. A bust or full front liner costs an additional $10. When sleeve options are available, you’ll pay $7 for cap or short sleeves, $10 for 3/4 or half sleeves, and $12 for long sleeves. A high-cut leg adds another $22 (not sure why less fabric costs $22 more), and choosing the semi-unitard option will cost you $15. A unitard will add $26 to the base price. I did the math and figured out that it’s actually possible to more than double the price of the basic leo by choosing options.

Timing

According to the website, orders take 6 to 8 weeks. My orders have arrived on the later side of this range. (But see below for some pro tips on getting Yumikos faster from other sources.)

Sizing

Yumiko makes XS through XL. I recommend ordering up a size. The size chart puts me on the cusp between two sizes, but when I emailed the New York store, I was told to order an additional size up for a "Denise" because it “tends to run small.” The leo I got fit perfectly. If you’re not sure, email or call a store—they’re extremely helpful. I’ve ordered up almost every leo since, and it’s worked out fine.

Yumiko Women's Size Chart

Other Sources for Yumikos

Because Yumiko has been around for a while and is fairly well known, there is a brisk business in Yumiko resale. I’ve found several leotards on Ebay that have never been worn. People generally explain that they tried the leos on and they didn’t fit (another indication that Yumikos run small). You can also buy Yumikos from the retail stores, which carry a small supply of premade leos. Many of these are simple black (presumably for uniforms), but they also carry some nice color combos. Email or call to see what they have in stock. Both eBay and the retail stores are satisfying because you can get a new or nearly new Yumiko in about a week instead of the usual 6 to 8 weeks.

Yumiko "Becky" Resold on Ebay

Some Yumiko Tops and Bottoms

Yumiko also offers orders through “Yumigirls,” a network of people who order in bulk, which saves you 5% off the online price and you don’t pay shipping. The website offers to help you find a Yumigirl near you, but I haven’t had any luck with this. The website tells me that there are several Yumigirls near me, but I can’t get contact information for them. Yumigirls are another source of resold Yumikos on Ebay—they sometimes sell leos someone ordered but didn’t pay for. I did find a Yumigirl online (via Pinterest) who isn't local but will send my Yumikos to me when they arrive.

Other Products

In addition to women's leotards, Yumiko sells women's “tops and bottoms” (yogawear), skirts, men’s dancewear, and kids dancewear.

My Yumikos

I have a Denise and a Becky from the Yumiko New York store; a Jaione, an Alex, an Alicia, and a Daniela from Ebay; and a Heather from the Yumiko online store. I've recently ordered a few styles in techni--I'll post when I get them.