On Friday, the world’s best athletes will gather in Paris, along a 6km stretch of the Seine, for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Teams from around the world will wear official clothing designed by some of the biggest names in fashion, including Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren, for the three-hour event to mark the official opening of Paris 2024.
However, initial revelations of the country’s chosen designs reveal that there are both gold medal-winning ensembles and questionable examples among them.
Of course, many have played it safe and limited themselves to the colours of a country’s flag and strictly muted designs.
Below we list some of the Olympic ceremonial outfits that have generated the most comments so far…
THE CZECH REPUBLIC’S SPLATTERED PLASTIC TRENCHCOAT
Czech climber Adam Ondra models the eye-catching plastic raincoat that athletes will wear in Paris
Czech Olympic Committee President Jiří Kejval recently told the newspaper Prague morning that he was delighted with his country’s striking designs, and said: ‘Even in the crowd, no one will miss us. That is what we want to achieve in the heart of Paris, the capital of fashion.’
And that certainly applies to the striking blue and white plastic trench coat, which is inspired by a traditional Czech ‘baloňák’ coat.
It is hoped the design will be well received in a country that has long had a passion for the Mac.
The Czech trench coats are the brainchild of Alpine Pro and local designer Jan Černý
The ceremonial clothing is a collaboration between the Czech Olympic team, ALPINE PRO, and designer Jan Černý, but their ideas have not been to everyone’s taste.
When a photo of Olympic climber Adam Ondra wearing the jacket appeared on the country’s official Instagram account, people dared to say what they thought.
One wrote: ‘Man. You can’t wear that,’ while another added: ‘Some designers are gonna get fired this year.’
Another joked: ‘Looks like the Czech team is going to France to do some seduction.’
FRANCE: OWN GOAL IN THE FASHION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD?
Sturdy shoes and a striking jacket… France has opted for the atmosphere of the cabin crew with its official Olympic outfit, with the colours of the tricolour incorporated into the lapels of the jackets.
As host nation – and one of the most stylish countries in the world – all eyes will be on the French team on Friday night.
The country’s sports stars wear clothes designed by former Vogue France editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld, who works with LVMH. However, their designs, which play it safe and are essentially navy suits with the colours of the French flag on the lapel, have caused mixed reactions to the clothes.
Some found the suits ‘magnifique!’, but others were less enthusiastic. One of them found them ‘inelegant’ and resembled the uniform of cabin crew or the RATP (RATP is the city’s public transport system).
Another added: ‘Those outfits are so ugly! Such a shame.’
And one disappointed fan wrote: ‘Our champions are beautiful but I still can’t manage the outfits… it looks like a graduation project for fashion school.’
TEAM GB’S LOUD JERSEY – FEATURING FOUR NATIONAL PLANTS
Team GB via Hawaii! The floral motif athletes will wear during the opening and closing ceremonies of this month’s Olympic Games in Paris
Fashion brand Ben Sherman has designed a range of items including a bomber jacket with a rose, thistle, daffodil and four-leaf clover embroidered on the back and a polo shirt
Team GB have released their ‘ceremonial kit’ for the Olympic Games, which will be worn at the opening and closing ceremonies in Paris this summer
During the closing ceremony on August 11, Team GB athletes will wear a Hawaiian shirt, decorated with the four national plants of Great Britain.
Fashion brand Ben Sherman has designed a range of items, including a bomber jacket with a rose, thistle, daffodil and four-leaf clover embroidered on the back and a polo shirt with a Union Jack design.
“It’s not just about creating a uniform; it’s about capturing the essence of British heritage and contemporary style and embodying the pride and unity of Team GB,” Ben Sherman’s creative director Mark Williams told the Evening standardlast month.
But the designs haven’t been to everyone’s taste. ‘The Team GB 2024 Olympic kits are a disappointment compared to previous series, particularly Tokyo, which were excellent. The Paris kits are the definition of unadventurous,’ wrote one person on X, formerly Twitter.
HAITIS GO BIG OR GO HOME PUNK PERIOD DRAMA CLOTHING
Hit or miss? Haiti has opted for bold prints and punk in historical drama style with its Olympic ceremonial clothing
Haiti’s Olympic attire has a 21st-century Bridgerton vibe, with cinched waistbands, gothic boots and formal jackets.
The country’s design team added striking prints to the pleated skirts and trousers and light blue cotton to the shirts.
The collection was designed by Stella Jean and created in collaboration with Haitian artist Philippe Dodard, who also designed the print used.
The reactions were mostly positive and people applauded their courage.
Someone wrote: ‘Honestly, those are great. I’ve seen the French ones. They should take notes.’
TEAM USA: PRIVATE SCHOOL UNIFORM WITH A DENIM TWIST
Team USA’s Olympic uniform is the work of Ralph Lauren: athletes wear a navy blue jacket with white and red piping
The designer’s signature preppy look is paired with a more casual stonewashed jeans
The U.S. Olympic team will look to impress again this summer in Paris, with the dominant nation expected to challenge China in the medal count.
The team, led by basketball legend Lebron James, arrives in style in the French capital, after once again teaming up with international fashion brand Ralph Lauren to dress the 592 athletes competing in Paris for the opening ceremony.
Team USA will be sailing on the Seine River in boats prior to the opening ceremony. They will be wearing a navy jacket with red and white piping, a striped Oxford shirt, a navy tie, light jeans and white brogues.
Some compare the look to a school uniform, as RL’s preppy style isn’t to everyone’s taste.
Someone wrote on X: ‘When does RL’s contract expire? His designs are pretty much the same every summer Olympics.’
MONGOLIAN DRAMA: STYLE FANS SWIM OVER TRADITIONAL OUTFITS
Mongolia’s stylish Olympic robes have drawn praise from fans who say the designs ‘won the Olympics before they even started’
The stylish clothing, from design house Michel & Amazonka, uses traditional symbols from Mongolian culture and the colours of the country’s flag.
Munkhjargal Choigaalaa, one of the designers at Michel & Amazonka, the brand behind Mongolia’s Olympic ceremonial uniforms, says she is amazed by the response to the brand’s designs on social media.
The traditional clothing is based on the red, blue and gold colours of the Mongolian flag and also includes symbols representing longevity.
The white and cream robes are inspired by Naadam, a Mongolian Olympic-style festival.
One fan said enthusiastically: ‘With this we won the Olympics before they even started.’
Another wrote: ‘They look amazing. Very stylish.’