You Won't Believe How Team USA's Olympic Uniforms Have Evolved Over the Years

From Western outfits (before it was a red carpet trend) to Christmas-inspired ugly sweaters, Team USA's uniforms throughout the years prove that fashion is just as exciting as the Olympics itself.

By Alyssa Morin Jul 13, 2021 1:24 AM
| Updated Jul 20, 2021 2:24 AM
Tags

When fashion and sports go hand-in-hand.

It's hard to believe but in just one day, the highly anticipated 2020 Tokyo Olympics will officially commence on July 23. Taking American style to the next level during the Summer Olympic Games? Ralph Lauren, who will once again design a collection of uniforms for Team USA. (It's a tradition the brand has upheld since 2008!)

As if that weren't exciting enough, another American icon will get to create USA-themed loungewear for athletes: Kim Kardashian.

But before the former E! star and Ralph Lauren were enlisted as the official designers of the U.S. Olympic team's uniforms, Halston, Levi Strauss & Co. and many other fashion powerhouses crafted unforgettable looks for that nation's finest competitors.

Long before Diplo and Lil Nas X made Western fashion trendy, Olympians wore a rancher's shearling jacket, plaid shirts, cowboy boots and hats during the '80s. Moreover, Florence Griffith Joyner dazzled crowds with both her lightning speed on the track field and her one-of-a-kind outfits.

photos
Unforgettable Fashion Statements at the Olympics

Because while Team USA's uniforms have most certainly evolved over the years, there's one thing that remains the same—style. If anything, American athletes continue to prove that their patriotic fashion is just as worthy of a gold medal.

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, check out all of the fabulous looks from the 1920s up until now in our gallery below!

© Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images/Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

1920

1932

1932

1932

1952

1956

1960

1960

1964

1968

1968

1968

1972

1976

1980, Levi Strauss & Co.

1984, Speedo

1984

1984

1988, Speedo

1988

1992, Reebok

1992, Vera Wang

1996, GK Elite

2000, Roots

2002, Vera Wang

2002, Spyder

2004

2006, Roots

2006, Spyder

2008, Speedo

photos
View More Photos From Team USA's Uniforms Over the Years
Catch up on the biggest 2024 Paris Olympics highlights on Peacock any time.