When sports and style collide
Our columnist rounds up the memorable fashion moments of this year’s Olympics.
WITH the 2016 Summer Olympics in its final week, let’s recap its fashion winners ( and losers).
From an attention- grabbing supermodel to er, man buns, there have been many memorable moments.
Best catwalk:
At the opening ceremony, Brazil’s Gisele Bundchen rocked a glittery dress by Alexandre Herchcovitch that featured a high slit to show off her famous legs. She strutted to a live rendition of The Girl From Ipanema and proved why she’s the world’s highest paid supermodel.
Best uniform:
Team Canada’s uniform – designed by Dan and Dean Caten, the Canadian duo behind Dsquared2 – was easily the most striking. Stylish, athletic shapes are crafted around Canada’s most distinct motif: the maple leaf.
Worst uniform:
Most boring was Team Italy, who wore baggy unisex track suits in dark blue. Even more baffling was the fact that they were designed by none other than fashion legend Giorgio Armani.
Most eco- friendly
For their uniforms, Team Sweden collaborated with H& M. The resulting collection is based on the colours of the Swedish flag – yellow and blue – and created with a modern twist, focusing on high technical performance combining fashion and function. Some of the garments are sustainable and made of recycled polyester, which is created from PET bottles. Also used were old pieces from H& M’s garment collecting boxes, where customers are encouraged to hand in their unwanted items to be given new life.
Best tattoo
German gymnast Marcel Nguyen has endured plenty of pain in his training. None came close to matching the 20 hours’ worth from a tattoo artist. But the result – covering the entirety of his left arm – is magnificent. The Olympicthemed tattoo includes the Olympic rings, an Olympic medal, an Olympic torch, Nike the Greek Goddess of Victory and the Acropolis in Athens ( site of the first modern Games in 1896). Nguyen would have thrown in the kitchen sink but there was no space left.
Best hairstyle ( men)
My vote goes to British gymnast Louis Smith’s man bun. “I was growing it and I hadn’t put any hair spray in it for training so it was flopping around everywhere. I went to one of the girls in training and asked for a hairband and I just tied it up,” said the 2012 winner of television show Strictly Come Dancing. But when his team finished a disappointing fourth in the men’s gymnastics on day three, Twitter users blamed Smith’s choice of hairdo. One tweet read: “Can’t help but feel Louis Smith would have done better if he didn’t have that daft manbun throwing off his centre of gravity.”
Best hairstyle ( women)
Flag bearer for Jamaica, ShellyAnn Fraser- Pryce grabbed attention with her bright yellow and green hairdo. The hair of the track and field star matched her country’s team colours and outfit.
Best footwear
When he’s not making a splash in the pool, Michael Phelps did his training in Under Armour shoes. In addition to state- of- the- art technology and custom colour design, the footwear features a personal touch; his son Boomer’s footprint is printed on the insole of the shoe. It’s an intimate reminder that Boomer is with the American champ every stroke of the way.
Most stylish baby
Speaking of Boomer, who has become a fixture at the Games, he earns major style nods for his patriotic noise- cancelling headphones and matching star- printed baby carrier. Not only that, the infant has his own Instagram account which has accumulated 140,000 followers. And he’s just three months old!
Best abs:
When Pita Taufatofua, the flag bearer for Tonga, made his appearance, Twitter users around the world had a collective meltdown. It helped that Pita wore only a ta’ovala ( a Tongan mat), wrapped around his waist and copious amounts of oil on his torso, which provided a very glossy shine. Pita’s smile and ( greasy) six pack went viral, making him Insta- famous on social media.