The Olympic Games are just a few days away, and the excitement and anticipation are palpable for both the competitors and their fans from around the world. While there’s a lot of buzz about the participating countries, the sports they’re competing in, and the athletes themselves, the spotlight isn’t really focused on what they’ll be wearing during the competitions.
It’s fitting that the year when the Olympics will be held in the City of Fashion—Paris—will witness fashionable displays in the form of athlete uniforms from global competitors. The 2024 Olympic Games, which begins on Friday, July 26, will showcase competitors in their finest athletic gear on the sports runway.
The History of Olympic Fashion
Fashion as we’ve all come to know is constantly evolving. Unlike what we see nowadays, Olympic athletes didn’t always dress fashionably. However, one can point back to when individualism in the Olympic Games athlete attire began.
In 1896, the first modern International Summer Olympics were held in Athens, Greece and the attending athletes wore business-like attire that consisted of single-button blazers with tailored pants for males, and skirts for the females.
In the 1919 Olympic Games, French tennis player, Suzanne Lenglen turned up to her set attired in a controversial outfit of a calf-length, pleated white skirt and a short-sleeved shirt with no corset —the controversy here was that she flaunted her ankles.
In 1977, Lisa Lindahl invented the world’s first sports bra, completely transforming comfort and style for the Olympic female athletes of that era e.g. tennis star Billie Jean King and field icon Wilma Rudolph.
At present, Olympic fashion is not only restricted to being comfortable but also stylish. Popular sports brands like Nike, Adidas and Speedo (to name a few) have uniquely invented fabrics, outfits and differ technologies to help with aerodynamics and sweat-wicking.
Designers and the Olympic Sportswear
Up until 1992, designers at notable fashion houses didn’t have much interest in sportswear until Issey Miyake designed the opening ceremony uniforms for the debuting Team Lithuania. Those outfits were afterwards, praised for blending Lithuania’s cultural elements together with innovative fabrics, showing how sportswear could be a form of creative expression.
Afterwards, major sportswear brands and fashion houses developed more interest in designing the uniforms for the Olympic Games.
From a vantage standpoint, designing Olympic uniforms affords brands (big or small) a very significant visibility on an international scale. This often leads to increased sales for the brands involved. The competing athletes themselves get to wear the high-performance outfits that also promotes their cultural heritage, making it a win-win for both parties.
In 2024, top fashion houses including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Berluti are very involved with the Paris Games — a remarkable feat that is all thanks to Miyake.
The Teams and their Opening Ceremony Uniform
Team Haiti
Well-known Haitian-Italian designer, Stella Jean was charged with creating the uniforms for Team Haiti and she partnered with Philippe Dodard, a Haitian painter to bring the ethereal vision to life. Dodard referenced his artwork, “Passage” in the designs.
The female uniform consists of a full skirt that features Dodard’s artwork, paired with a blue chambray shirt and a sleeveless blazer crafted from recycled fabric.
The male uniform meanwhile, comprises a striped shirt, pants with Dodard’s motif, a field jacket inspired by the Haitian Guayabera shirt and a printed scarf.
Team USA
The prominent Ralph Lauren took on the responsibility of outfitting the athletes from the United States, once again this year making it his ninth time doing so.
This year, the uniforms will be the preppy American look — casual blue jeans, Oxford shirts and navy blazers with red and white trimmings . The blazers feature the U.S. Olympic team logo on the right side and the Ralph Lauren logo on the left. The uniforms were made using recycled polyester and Responsible Standard’s wool.
Team Mongolia
This team’s uniforms would have carried away the gown medals if there was a category for ‘Best Opening Ceremony Uniforms 2024’. Michel & Amazonka really outdid themselves with these designs that have taken social media by storm.
The uniforms are made up of embroidered caftans and vests very similar to the Mongolian traditional dress. The designers came up with your looks for the occasion; two for males and two for females. The flag bearers at the opening ceremony have their own special uniform.
Team Nigeria
Actively Black, a small Los Angeles-based label founded by Lanny Smith has made a name for itself with its unique design created for Team Nigeria.
The opening ceremony outfits featured block prints in the color of the Nigerian flag. The male athletes will don a long vest over fitted track pants. The females on the other hand will wear a style inspired by the Nigerian buba dress. Both genders will accessorize with gels and fila hats.
The looks were designed with Jordan Jackson and Danielle McCoy of the Amen, Amen brand.
Team France
As the team of the host country, Team France wouldn’t want to look drab in the midst of the visiting competitors trooping in from around the globe. Berluti was assigned with the task of helping the French athletes look their best.
The male and female athletes will wear midnight-blue wool tuxedos with lapels in blue and red colors –the key colors from the French flag to the opening ceremony. The white shirts they will wear underneath are reportedly made from cotton silk for the added comfort.
Team Canada
Lululemon will be collaborating with Team Canada for the second time in outfitting the athletes, although it’ll be their first time for the Summer Olympics.
The athletes will don a jacquard bomber jacket embellished with customized prints created to honor Canadian architecture, art and nature for the opening ceremony.
Team Japan
ASICS was recently unveiled as the official designer brand for Team Japan and it was revealed that the 2024 uniforms were inspired by the sunrise – an echo of Japan’s national flag colors.
The athletes will wear white tops paired with red shoes for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
Team Great Britain
Unsurprisingly, Ben Sherman was given the grand honors of dressing the Great Britain team –he has done this for 20 years, with his first collaboration being in 2004 at the Athens Olympics.
The ceremonial wear consists of a bomber-like jacket with a four-nation floral design on its back, a knitted open-neck polo made from cotton (organic blend) and Oxford pants with a Union Flag tape waistband.
The outfits are said to be inspired from the four nations’ cultural heritage in the United Kingdom.
Team Australia
Team Australia will be attired by Sportscraft for this year’s Olympic Games. The inspiration for this year’s uniform was gotten from the Australian national color.
The male athletes will wear a cotton T-shirt with a green and gold ribbing, under a single-breasted blazer. This was paired with knee-length beige chino shorts.
The female athletes however, would don a double-breasted blazer with either a pleated skirt or beige shorts. Native artwork by Olympic boxer, Paul Fleming and a Torres StraitIsland artist were featured on the scarves that accessorised the outfit.
Team Brazil
Teams Brazil’s 2024 uniform design was overseen by Riachuelo and it was inspired by Brazil’s biodiversity heritage.
The female uniform comprised of a yellow-striped T-shirt, a white skirt that fell below-the-knee and a denim jacket embellished with Brazilian animals on the back.
The male uniform however, consisted of a green-stripes t-shirt, white pants and denim jacket with the same design as the female’s.
