Stylish Olympic Games?

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have almost finished. Athleticism and fashion are decidedly unrelated since the first require practical clothing and the second one is more artistic. However, some countries showed a really fashionable side.

Greece ushered in the first of many dubious ensembles when they stepped out in awkwardly tailored white & black suits. Japan sported jaunty separates that mirrored school uniforms. Meanwhile, Chinese athletes flashed patriotically coordinated outfits that naysayers claim resembled “tomato-and-scrambled-egg uniforms”; the look has proven to be unpopular with the host country’s public. The Ukraine’s eye-wateringly turquoise and yellow color story faced similar complaints.

A few countries managed to dress to impress. Tricolor nations inadvertently captured fashion’s zeitgeist and used colorblocking to decent effect. Team USA’s Ralph Lauren-sponsored look sharply toed the line between trend-hawking and tradition, with quintessential navy and white contrast idealized as polo attire, flat caps included. Italy and the UK also successfully uniformed their athletes in reverent-yet-relevant dressy sportswear, while France’s smart adaptation of red, white, and blue combined the predictable berets with the adventurous.

But, by far, the best dressed team was the Netherlands, whose clothing rejected the obvious. Their wisely selected palette of slate grey, white, and marigold was strikingly modern and unexpected, and impeccable white piping and French cuffs perfected the most visually intriguing look of the evening.