Hot or Not: The Best and Worst Olympic Opening Ceremony Uniforms
Who's taking home the gold, and who's medal-less in the Fashion Olympics?
The Olympic opening ceremony has become a fundamental part of the games since the first-ever modern Olympics in Athens back in 1896. The ceremony has grown from a simple procession of all the athletes together, into a lavish spectacle wherein each individual country has their moment to shine and showcase their identity and culture.
The theatrics of each ceremony are not the only thing become more amplified. The uniforms each country brings to the table have gotten more creative over the years as well. It’s become generally more customary for athletes to be dressed in couture, cultural dress, or a combination of both.
The 2024 Olympics had a host of nations who absolutely nailed this sentiment — and others who didn’t. In classic y2k trashy fashion magazine fashion, I’ll break down what was Hot or Not from the latest opener.
Mongolia: Hot
Mongolia sweeps when it comes to their opening ceremony uniforms — the craftsmanship is nearly unbeatable, and the attention to detail is mesmerizing. In fact, it took designers around 20 hours to create one individual uniform.
The garment itself is called a deel, which has been worn for centuries by both men and women. The gold stitching on the uniform includes the Olympic torch, as well as other symbols rooted in and meaningful to Mongolian culture.
In the fashion Olympics, this wins a gold medal and is an absolute yes.
Ireland: Not
At first glance, one would think this is a lab coat. The fabric appears thin and cheaply made, and, besides the shamrock brooch, there’s nothing that remotely signifies anything culturally significant — Ireland could have done something very interesting and utilized traditional Celtic knot patterns or Irish tartan varieties in some way.
Instead, I felt like I was witnessing the live-action version of the Evil Scientist Convention from “Phineas and Ferb.” An astounding no from me.
Haiti: Hot
This uniform by Haitian-Italian fashion designer Stella Jean and painter Philippe Dodard has a level of artistry up there with that of Mongolia. This is easily the most fun and playful look of the opener, with bright and bold geometric designs by Dodard on the pleated skirt and bandana, along with a rendition of the Guayabera shirt traditional to the Caribbean. This is the perfect blend a modern twist on traditional garments, and utter artistry. No notes!
Great Britain: Not
The tight, cropped, tailored pants and polo give finance bro, and the half Union Jack pattern on the shirt itself is hardly distinguishable and seemingly serves no purpose.
There is some interest in the bomber jacket though, which features the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock — all symbols of unity between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. While the jacket somewhat saves the uniform from certain fashion death, it’s overall still a no from me.
Poland: Hot
Poland is perhaps the most elegantly dressed group of athletes from the opener. The designs, a collaboration between Polish fashion brand Bizuu and athletic giant Adidas, feature a range of pieces and styles to mix and match.
Having a variety of uniform options for the athletes to choose from is rare, but pays off in that it generates more intrigue visually and allows room for the athlete to express their identity and personal style.
The color palette is light, airy and extremely elevated. Though understated, the primary pattern design features floral and fauna native to Poland, as well as rosettes reminiscent of koniaków lace traditional to the country. Every piece culminates in a cohesive collection one would expect to see on a runway.
Canada: Not
YAWN. I’m bored. Lululemon’s red and white Canadian flag-themed getups were basic and predictable. Though I can appreciate a bright red getup, I can’t help but feel these lacked thought or innovation.
While the Olympics is, of course, an Athletic event, during the opening ceremony I don’t want to see hundreds of tracksuit and workout wear variations. I want something elevated, high fashion and maybe even a bit campy that puts each country on display in a loud way. This is a no from me and please save this stuff for medal ceremonies.
India: Hot
Tasva’s designs for India are another great example of centering cultural dress on the world’s stage. The Bundi jacket and saree are traditionally Indian garments, often made from silk, chiffon, organza or satin.
The looks by Tasva are fashioned in a cotton and viscose crepe for comfort and ease of movement for the athletes, and in the color palette of the Indian flag with added gold detailing. This blend of modernity and tradition makes for an exquisite look and is very much a yes.
France: Not
As both the 2024 Summer Olympic host country and global fashion capital, I was expecting to be blown away by France’s uniforms. However, I’ve unfortunately been severely let down by the opening ensemble.
The navy suit is dull and overused (see United States below), the sleeveless blazer is horrendous and ill-fitting, and the skirt appears as though the designers had to hem it just below the knee to meet Catholic school dress code requirements.
The athletes look like they’re about to try and run for office or ask if you’d like a beverage or snack on your flight. This is a no from me.
USA: Not… Then Hot
Personally, I’m a fan of Mr. Lauren — but I can’t defend this.
The opening ceremony uniform is tired. I’m not averse to a preppy look by any means — in fact the classic, “quiet luxury” Americana look a la ‘80s JFK Jr. could have been an interesting alternative route to explore. While that aesthetic is still in this same vein as what Lauren did here, it has a far more intrigue through invoking nostalgia or anemoia.
The blazers are akin to a certain all-boys show choir group from “Glee” and, combined with the jeans, it looks like a business casual Vineyard Vines campaign.
In recent years, Team USA’s opening uniforms have all had the same “New England Preppy” aesthetic — typically a fitted, navy blazer, light pants and maybe a golf cap thrown in there. While this style may be prominent in certain areas of the US where wealthy WASPS run rampant, it’s not representative of the country as a whole. The most intriguing part about American culture is all of the subcultures within it — and I’d love to see other looks displayed on the international stage that reflect that.
Though the brand redeems itself when it comes to the closing ceremony uniforms.
The white denim moto jacket and pants are spectacularly reminiscent of a NASCAR or F1 uniform with a vintage Americana spin to it. The jacket I could see a wider range of people wearing in their everyday life, and it could be styled numerous ways. So while the US was lackluster in the opening ceremony, I can conclude the closing uniforms are a win.