Feb 07, 2026
3 min read
A feat of strength... and fit.
Is fashion the point of the Olympics, a culture-defining global athletic tournament that dates back to the Panhellenic era? No, but during the opening ceremony of the Parade of Nations in Milan's Cortina - where 2,900 athletes representing 92 national Olympic committees entered the San Siro stadium, led by models, wearing puffy silver dresses and sunglasses so ridiculously large they felt they wereMaybe draw attention to the world of sports.(Credit to Giorgio Armani and moments from Vittoria Caretti's catwalk also contributed.)
But do both teams have the potential to claim the cursed medal with both strength and fitness?Below are our best-dressed Olympic countries
Brazil may have never won an Olympic medal at the Winter Games, but their opening ceremony appears to have struck gold on Vanity Fair's very first list of this very specific list.(Must be worth something, right?)
Designed by Moncler and Brazilian creative director Oscar Metzwat, it included not only puffer jackets, but also puffer skirts, capes, Bermuda shorts and flat-brimmed hats.Some of the jackets even had the Brazilian flag on them.Additionally, one person did their own backflip, which made them extremely cooler than everyone else - as in spontaneous backflips.
Hey Czech Republic!We see you in Saved By the Bell sweaters!Although a quick Google shows that it's a board with a higher spirit than Kelly Kapuski and Screech: this Alpine design is inspired by the fashion of the Winter Olympics, which were already held in Cortina in 1956.
At the time of publication, the temperature was -20F in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and 46F in Milan.So it's basically spring break for Mongolian athletes - no puffer required.
Instead they wore clothes designed by Goyol Cashmere, inspired by the dress of the Great Mongol Empire from the 13th century (when it was ruled by Genghis Khan) to the 15th century.According to the brand's Instagram post, their clothes are made from Mongolian cashmere and finished with silk.They are then decorated with traditional designs of horns.
Now, in keeping with Olympic tradition, Ralph Lauren has designed Team USA's opening ceremony uniforms (the label first dressed the team in 2008).Shorts, wool pants, and American flag intarsia wool sweaters with Olympic logos are the brand's most recognizable designs.
The host country of the Olympics, Italy, chose a black jacket and matching trousers - with a patch of the Italian flag - from EA7 Emporio Armani.It was a poignant choice: Giorgio Armani, the founder of the Italian house, died last September at the age of 91.
