A Visual History of Olympic Uniforms
As the 2022 Beijing Olympics draws closer, here's a look back at some of Team USA's best uniforms in Olympics history.
Today, the Beijing Olympics begin not long after Team USA dominated the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer. While people around the world tune in to see their countries’ best athletes compete to take home the gold, at every ceremony and event, competitors will be outfitted in nation-specific designs created by a number of recognizable designers. In recent years, Ralph Lauren has been the primary mind behind Team USA’s Olympic apparel, however, past ceremonies have seen our country’s representatives clad in red, white, and blue garbs courtesy of two other notable names.
While America’s participation in the Olympics began well into the 19th century, designer uniforms didn't really emerge until 1976 when famed American fashion designer Halston—the subject of a recent Netflix miniseries—brought his celebrity style à la Studio 54 to the summer and winter Olympics (both events were held in the same year until 1992). Winter athletes attended the Opening Ceremony dressed in hooded navy jackets and khaki slacks while the summer games' attendees sported white zip-up jackets with navy trousers and chic neck scarves. Unfortunately, some were not thrilled with the look as Halston's sleek and understated approach highly diverted from the brazen patriotic uniforms of old. As a result, four years later, denim icon Levi Strauss & Co. took over the job.
At the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, NY, the U.S. team members arrived in cowboy hats and tan shearling jackets inspired by the "Great Out West." While the U.S. did not attend that year's summer Olympics (the country boycotted the games due to political tension with the event's host country, Russia), the brand returned in 1984 with red, white, and blue jackets and baseball caps to capture the essence of American pride and sportsmanship.
Throughout the 1990s, several brands took on the role of designing the Team USA uniforms, however, in 2008, American fashion mogul Ralph Lauren partnered with the United States Olympic Committee, forging a longstanding relationship that continues to this day. Many of Lauren's designs have favored navy blazers and khaki trousers, winter iterations of the games have seen sporty puffer jackets and even a set of cardigans boasting the stars and stripes. During the 2016 games, the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team wore leotards embued with over 5,000 Swavorski crystals.
In celebration of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, L'OFFICIEL looks back at some of Team USA's best uniform moments over the last century.
