Who Wore It Best? Team USA 2016 or Olympians From Games Past?

Around one billion people will tune into watch the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics Friday evening. What will the American athletes be wearing? Here’s the “fresh and sporty, with classic elements” uniform:

Introducing the 2016 Opening Ceremony uniforms! #TeamUSA will be looking GOOD thanks to @RalphLauren! pic.twitter.com/rMnLIq87cH

— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) July 29, 2016

Ralph Lauren designed the uniforms this year. He also designed all the Olympic uniforms since 2008.

“It has always celebrated American iconography,” says David Lauren, EVP of global advertising, marketing, and corporate communications for Ralph Lauren, and the son of Ralph Lauren, who founded the company in 1967. “It has always been about patriotism.” The brand has embraced Americana both literally (sweaters emblazoned with the flag) and symbolically (cowboy boots). “The fact that we have the opportunity to work with the Olympics sets us apart in a way that reminds people about what Ralph Lauren is about,” Lauren says.

The look is clearly “American preppy” with white pants, blue blazer with the Lauren signature polo player, dock shoes and a striped shirt. “Our job is to make the moment memorable. So you’re looking at a sea of red, white, and blue, and you feel proud.” Not everyone felt pride when they looked at the uniforms. Critics of the uniforms promptly shared their opinions on social media. Many people pointed out the shirt looked like the Russian flag.

Seriously? THAT’S our Olympic opening ceremony outfit? Guess I missed the memo when we became Russian. https://t.co/PFIO54XO5l — Nas Ali (@MrsNasAli) July 29, 2016

So how does this years uniform stack up to former outfits? Let’s take a look at some of the historical and current Olympic uniforms.

The USA 2012 uniforms were scandalous. It was revealed the uniforms were made in China.

The uniforms were also designed by Ralph Lauren. The berets makes them look French, but it could be worse.

Image via Twitter

Y WERE THE TEAM USA 2012 OLYMPIC UNIFORMS SO HARD #ItsRalphTho pic.twitter.com/AVEAd3ISoA

— Chika (@yungcheeek) April 1, 2014

And this is what I mean by worse: Cowboy hats. Here are the opening ceremony uniforms from 1984 in Sarajevo. Giddyup!

Team USA uniforms, Sarajevo 1984 http://t.co/qLFPIxE1m2 (Photo: David Madison/Getty) pic.twitter.com/vCPdWwPhsr — Katie Rogers (@katierogers) January 24, 2014

  Who could forget the USA’s sad homage to the Christmas sweater in the 2014 Winter Olympics? Image: Ralph Lauren Here’s Australia’s uniform for 2016. A very pastel team you have there, Australia.

 

For the seventh time in their 102 year history Sportscraft has collaborated with the Australian Olympic Committee as the Official Supplier of the Opening Ceremony and formal uniforms to the Australian Olympic team 2016 #Australia #AustralianOlympicTeam #RioOlympics #olympicuniforms #rio #olympicgames #summergames

 

A photo posted by Wati Grossman (@watidesign) on Mar 30, 2016 at 8:00am PDT

Ooolala! Here are France’s uniforms, designed by Lacoste.

La collection France Olympique, sur une musique exclusive de @TheShoesMusic, chorégraphiée par ‘I Could Never Be a Dancer’. #SupportWithStyle A photo posted by Lacoste (@lacoste) on Apr 27, 2016 at 12:20pm PDT

Shoe designer extraordinaire Christian Louboutin designed Cuba’s 2016 uniforms. Do the athletic shoes have red soles?

 

“It’s that elegance and fluidity of movement of someone who is so in control of their body that fascinates me. At the Olympics, it feels like these athletes put on performance gear and simultaneously turn into these superheroes that defy gravity, that defy time, that defy all rules of physics. We designed the celebratory outfit for the moment they turn back into humans, still in that glory moment, still in their light but heading back to the real world. We really want them to continue feeling amazing in their skin while looking astonishing.” – Christian Louboutin #CLxSportyHenri

 

A photo posted by Christian Louboutin (@louboutinworld) on Jul 21, 2016 at 10:05am PDT

Designers DSquared created the Canadians’ uniforms. I think these look pretty sharp.

Brought home the first gold for Canada, the most stylish country!!!(link in bio) Dsquared2 Canada Olympic Collection available at thebay.com #rio2016 #TeamCanada #Dsquared2 #canada A photo posted by Dan and Dean Caten (@dsquared2) on Aug 2, 2016 at 4:44am PDT

So what do you think? Which uniform is your favorite?