From chic athletic gears to interesting, creative and non-conventional accessories, some sportsmen and women are winning in style as well as sporting-stakes. While the athletes compete on the field, in water or the ring, fashion designers who dress the sportsmen and women are also out to make their mark. AMINA ALHASSAN looks at some unique styles that stood out and made heads turn, not just for their sporting skills.
Designers’ time to shine
We all remember Olympic greats like the late Florence Griffith Joyner “Flo-Jo” who became a popular figure in international track and field not only because of her record-setting performances but for her flashy personal style. And while Olympians like Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill are already household names, a new generation of social media savvy athletes is being tapped as valuable marketing tools for lifestyle and sporting brands, indicating an industry-wide shift towards authentic spokespeople with more than just good looks. Here are some of the spotlights that stood out.
Who wouldn’t want to be dressed by American designer, Ralph Lauren? Team USA made their glorious entrance outfitted in striped red, white and blue shirts over a pair of white jeans, covered by a classic Ralph Lauren navy blazer and casual boat shoes.
The French team who were dressed by French designer Lacoste looked ‘Tres chic’ in white in Polos, white pants and zip-up track sweaters.
Team Sweden showed off fashionable looks by iconic Swedish retailer H&M, looking comfortable and cute in their yellow and blue attire, while the Brits kept it very British as they arrived in Stella McCartney apparel.
Are we noticing a pattern here? A lot of fashion brands are responsible for the design of the official Olympic team of their countries, such as Lacoste for France, Stella McCartney for UK and Ralph Lauren for the USA. Hermès is the official sponsor of the Brazilian equestrian team, while Team Italy kept it slick, sophisticated, and very Euro in their sporty Giorgio Armani black tracksuits with white detailing.
The more sparkle, the better
US Gymnast, Simone Biles went for the win, taking away a gold medal in American flag-inspired, sparkling red, white and blue, eyeliner.
Leotards worn by the gymnasts have evolved over the years from plain colours to designed spandex and then well-embellished with eye-catching colours and stones. This year, The New York Times reported that the leotards worn by the U.S. women’s gymnastics ‘Final Five’ team have 5,000 Swarovski crystals each. That’s more than four times as many crystals as the 2012 leotards that had 1,188, and more than 27 times as many as the leotards in 2008.
All those crystals aren’t cheap. Each gymnast gets 20 leotards — eight for competition and 12 for training. If the competition leotards were on the rack at your local clothing store, they would cost about $1,200 each according to The Times.
Although part of the sparkle is for fashion, it is believed that it might serve a competitive function as well, where all the bling “helps highlight and distinguish each girl” during competition.
Modesty and strength meet style
Volleyball is known as a fast and furious sport played under the sun and famed for its revealing attire – bikinis for women and board shorts for men. However, Nada Meawad and Doaa Elghobashy, two female players from Egypt were proof that one can be covered up in spite of the heat, play a good game, and look good doing it. Their outfits, long sleeves and leggings and hair covered with a hijab, was in stark contrast to their German rivals Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst who stuck to the sport’s traditional two-piece outfit for the clash.
Ibtihaj Muhammad has made history as the first American Olympian to compete in a hijab. She looked like any other Fencer when she stepped on the piste, save for the nondescript black scarf covering her head.
“I think anyone who listens to the news reports at all would realise the importance of having a Muslim woman on Team USA,” she said in an interview. “It’s not just any team, it’s the United States of America. And in light of what’s going on in our country, the political thoughts that we hear about — all these things — I feel kind of circle back to my presence on Team USA and, again, just challenging those misconceptions that people have about who the Muslim woman is,” she says.
Unlike the predictable, one-dimensional ways used to describe athletes in the past, this year, Olympic athletes have come a long way being talked about in inspiring as well as stylish terms.