Drip or Drown?: Who won Gold in Fashion at The Summer Olympics

A Deep dive into Olympic Fashion During Paris’ Opening Ceremonies

The Olympics has always been a celebration of athleticism, competitiveness, diversity, and perhaps an excessive amount of patriotism for your favorite country. However, the Olympics isn’t like it was all the way back in Athens where athletes competed nude, free from the burdens of elaborate attire and dress. In this contemporary age, where fashion is becoming more and more accessible, top athletes have to not only perform at the highest level of competition, but also to dress to impress. 

Perhaps the nation that catalyzed the entire discussion of Olympic fashion in Paris this year was the Mongolian team. Their awe-inspiring clothing spread like wildfire across social media, particularly  TikTok, for its traditional feel that fit perfectly in the modern and contemporary setting of Paris’ new athletic facilities. The white flowing robes, embossed with sigils reflecting the colors of the Mongolian national flag, reflect the nation’s beautiful history in the steppes while also adopting the modern flag of Mongolia. While Mongolia may not have been an athletic powerhouse, sporting only a single silver medalist in Judo, the nation certainly made its mark on cultural fashion and the general esteem of the public. 

Contarily, the United States performed at the top of their class at the Olympic games, winning 126 total medals and tying China in their sum of gold medals. However, their ceremonial outfits were not as lauded as Mongolia’s, but rather heavily scorned and criticized. While U.S. athletes happily wore their blazers, with Lebron James leading the way with an American flag, fashion critics admonished the jackets’ design. Ralph Lauren, considered by many to be emblematic of American fashion, has provided American Olympians with their ceremonial garbs for almost two decades now. Yet year after year, the design ends up being the same concept: a blazer stylized with blue, white, and red; these beautiful patriotic colors simply do not make up for the unimaginative, overused design. While Ralph Lauren’s pieces are timeless, the suit and tie every four years is frankly boring; furthermore, in the light of the new “old money” trend exploding on social media, “preppy” styles are now becoming increasingly redundant and contrived. Nonetheless, no matter the ever-hurtful claims of Vogue or GQ, the United States still dominated the finish line. 

Thus far, the clothing mentioned of both Mongolia and the US have only been ceremonial. As athletes don their athletic wear, the fashion game seems to change entirely. While some nations–such as the Uniqlo-sponsored Sweden–can rock cohesive and beautiful athletic wear, most athletes now lean towards favoring personally sponsored brand names, and practical, aerodynamic suits. Kim Ye-ji, however, managed to pull off a Fila bodysuit while earning a silver at the shooting range. Kim was also lauded for her technologically incomprehensible glasses, which while practical, looked like they came straight out of a science fiction movie. Her overall meticulous style, combined with her shooting stance, gained her fame across social media. 

Overall, whether it be Noah Lyles whipping out a Yugioh card as an accessory or from Snoop Dogg in his extravagant fit for equestrian riding, the world came together this Paris Olympics to show off talent in both sports as well as style. We live in an age dictated by one axiom: drip or drown. 

Ethan Yuan