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Parting Paris Olympics in Style: Closing Ceremony Looks
(Photo credit: @olympics via Instagram)
As the curtain falls on the Paris Olympic Games, the closing ceremony promises to be a stylish farewell, with nations unveiling one last uniform to say goodbye in style.
The atmosphere at the finale was more relaxed, and the kits reflected that, as many teams showed up in dressed down versions of their opening ceremony uniforms. But a few designers created entirely new looks for each ceremony.
After all, why not? The Olympics only come around every four years, and collaborating with local designers is a perfect way to showcase the breadth of talent each nation has to offer.
The kits will become treasured mementos for the athletes, reminders of their Olympic journey. But let’s be honest, while some uniforms radiate national pride and glory, others might have you wondering if they were snagged from a discount bin at Aldi.
Too harsh? Decide for yourself while we go through some closing ceremony outfits, judge them and compare with their opening ceremony counterparts.
Team USA
Kicking things off with the most talked about uniform, Team USA underwent a dramatic transformation from their opening ceremony attire, and many would agree it's an upgrade.
Ralph Lauren’s initial ensemble of jeans, a striped shirt, and a navy blazer captured the brand's signature preppy vibe. However, their closing look packs a more powerful visual punch—a fitting choice for a team set to clinch overall gold.
Crafted from white denim, this trouser and racer-style jacket combo is adorned with badges, the star-spangled banner, and a bold "USA" emblazoned across the chest.
The athletes will stride onto the podium resembling a squad of off-duty astronauts—not racing to the moon this time, but aiming to top the Olympic gold medal tally yet again. The outfit screams "USA" from every angle, and strikes the balance between retro and youthful.
Team Great Britain
Team GB once again teamed up with heritage brand Ben Sherman, marking their third collaboration in a row.
For this Olympics, the team debuted a uniform that paid tribute to the four united nations of the UK by incorporating each nation's representative flower. The result was a floral motif featuring a rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock as the central design alongside the Union Jack.
Even though the opening ceremony look was a bit basic—a navy and white floral bomber jacket paired with a Union Jack V-neck tee—it pleasantly showed off the motif. Unfortunately, the closing ceremony look takes a nosedive.
While the four-nation floral symbol is charming in theory, Sherman transformed it into an all over, multi coloured pattern on a short-sleeved shirt, paired with baby blue shorts. The overall effect is more “generic summer catalogue for middle-aged men” than Olympic-worthy attire for the world’s top athletes.
Team Canada
Team Canada joined forces with Vancouver-based activewear brand Lululemon, a favourite among the “yummy mummy” crowd. But for this occasion, Lululemon left the yoga pants behind and focused on functionality and national pride.
The result was an all-red jacquard look for the opening ceremony and a pixelated red-and-white ensemble for the podium, both featuring convertible jackets and high-performance fabrics.
For the closing ceremony, Lululemon collaborated with Indigenous artist Mason Mashon of the Saddle Cree Nation. He designed a tie-dye-inspired print where shades of red blend with blue and purple on a black base, evoking the ethereal beauty of the aurora borealis.
The simple shirt and shorts combo is refreshingly understated, allowing the print to shine as a tasteful tribute to Canada’s natural splendour and cultural heritage.
Team France
Designed by Parisian brand Berluti, Team France’s closing ceremony outfit echoed Team GB’s opening look with a similar blue and white bomber jacket.
The ensemble features a sleek t-shirt and white trouser combo, topped off with a bomber jacket that subtly shows off the national flag colours with navy sleeves and three stripes on the cuffs collar and waist.
It’s a casual look, yet it manages to be elegant too. Berluti has surpassed their earlier looks, which leaned a bit too heavily into flight attendant territory.
Team Ireland
Lastly, Ireland’s ceremony looks were crafted by Manhattan-based Irish designer Laura Weber. She maintained the base from the opening ceremony—a combination of white tapered trousers and a double-breasted jacket made from sustainable ECO-Hybrid taffeta.
Weber blended formal tailoring with sportier elements, and each athlete sported a patch representing their county on the sleeve, adding a personalised touch.
The ensemble had a bit of a judo uniform vibe, but for the closing ceremony, the blazer was swapped for a forest green windbreaker. The colour is a classically patriotic choice and golden lines on the chest create a star-like shape - because all the athletes are stars! It's a clever final look, though perhaps the oversized fit paired with slim, cropped trousers creates a slightly mismatched look.
In a fashion landscape obsessed with gorpcore and performance wear, the Olympics offers a prime opportunity for the chosen brands to showcase their talent—a potential marketing goldmine.
This year, we saw a diverse range of approaches: some brands went all out, others kept it simple yet effective, and a few missed the mark.
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