Miss Teen USA Will Ditch Swimsuits For This

It may have taken 33 years, but it was announced last month that Miss Teen USA pageant's swimsuit portion would no longer exist—and thank god for it, it's 2016 after all. The Miss Teen USA's swimsuit replacement was announced, but it was only on Friday that we got to see the first peek: sports bras and leggings that are customized for each states made by Miss Teen USA's official fitness wear partner, Tapout.

In only six days, we're going to see the Miss Teen USA contestants compete in Las Vegas. And while we got a little peek of the sports bra and leggings combo that would be taking over the swimsuit category, I'm looking forward to see which each state's looks like. According to the Miss Teen USA website, Tapout and designer Goldsheep worked together to make these looks come to life.

First seen are Kansas and California. Kansas' look is a black sports bra and leggings base, with sunflowers sprinkled throughout. And of course, both pieces read "Kansas." California's gorgeous beaches and palm trees are printed on their top and legging combo, showing off the gorgeous orange and purple sunsets we often see in the sunny state.

Tapout is also the company that dresses the WWE, and watching Total Divas and loving all the cool, edgy looks, I know Miss Teen USA is in good hands. And another surprising announcement? According to E! News, Eva Marie from the WWE (and star of Total Divas) will be judging the competition. Pretty cool, right?

Love all the colors! USA Today reports that Tapout and Goldsheep created eight regional-themed designs made specifically for the preliminary competition. The finalists also will be able to wear the custom looks for each of their home state.

So dope. This change to eliminate the swimsuit competition entirely is a huge step forward—why did there need to be one in the first place? In the press release, the Miss Teen USA organization said, this decision reflects an important cultural shift we’re all celebrating that empowers women who lead active, purposeful lives and encourage those in their communities to do the same. Our hope is that this decision will help all of Miss Teen USA's fans recognize these young women for the strong, inspiring individuals they are."

Boom. One small step—but it's in the right direction.

Of course, to see the rest of the new looks, tune in to the Miss Teen USA pageant happening on Saturday, July 30, at 8 p.m. (ET).