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 22, 2021 10:00 AMTags

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.

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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
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View More Photos From Team USA's Uniforms Over the Years
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