Olympic Fashion at Opening Ceremony – NBC Chicago
Some patriots hoist their flags, others carry them. The athletes of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing showed their national pride at the opening ceremony on February 4 by wearing subtle accessories, full outfits and everything in between.
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Natasha Pisarenko/AP The whole world is a stage for Italy at the Winter Games as their athletes wear their pride on their sleeves – literally! Athletes wore hooded capes in the colors of the national flag during the Parade of Nations in Beijing.
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David J. Phillip/AP Not to be outdone by Italy, French athletes sported winter jackets designed to resemble the French flag during the Parade of Nations.
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David J. Phillip/AP Athletes from Team Great Britain opted for a bit more subtlety, instead wearing the Union Jack as their sweater.
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Jae C. Hong/AP Enkhtuul Ariunsanaa and Achbadrakh Batmunkh from Mongolia wore deels – traditional Mongolian tunics – to represent their country in the Parade of Nations.
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Petr David Josek/AP Team Columbia, including flag bearers Laura Gomez and Carlos Andres Quintana, chose to wear the Andean ruana during the Parade of Nations as a symbol of their national costume. If they look familiar, they should – modern designers have adapted the ruana into four-cornered shawls seen on fashionistas and office workers during fall and winter.
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Jae C. Hong/AP New Zealand flag bearers Finn Bilous and Alice Robinson wore traditional Maori coats as they entered the Parade of Nations in a nod to the country’s indigenous origins.
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Ashley Landis/AP Who wore it better? After Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua announced his absence from this year’s Olympics, luger Nathan Crumpton decided to follow tradition with his own lavalava – a Polynesian staple – representing American Samoa in Beijing.
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Bernat Armangue/AP Athletes from Team Mexico paid a modern tribute to their home country, wearing jackets themed around calaveras – sugar skulls. Sugar skulls are often seen during Day of the Dead festivities.
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David J. Phillip/AP Denmark opted for the subtle twist: Danish athletes flew the national flag as a mask for the parade of nations instead of becoming walking flags themselves. Convenient!
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Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Team USA’s turn at the Opening Ceremony might be one of the subtlest yet: Athletes in the Opening Ceremony Nations Parade wore uniforms designed by American designer Ralph Lauren in the colors country officials. The design was inspired by NASA themes.