There’s been plenty of controversy already this year about what our sports teams will be wearing this summer. But Team GB is in safe hands for the Olympics opening night, with some chic new outfits.
Their ceremonial kit — which will be worn by competitors during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games’ opening and closing ceremonies, on July 26 and August 11 — has today been revealed by fashion brand Ben Sherman, marking their third consecutive Games as the Official Supplier.
“It’s not just about creating a uniform; it’s about capturing the essence of British heritage and contemporary style, and embodying the pride and unity of Team GB,” says Mark Williams, Ben Sherman’s creative director. This year, for the opening ceremony, that means a specially designed four-nation floral motif, complete with a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock (“a central aspect of our creative expression which pays homage to the identities of the four nations,” Williams explains) embroidered in colour on the back of white bomber jackets with navy sleeves.
For the opening ceremony, these will be worn with new, knitted polo shirts featuring an updated union jack print which sees the flag split in two in blue and red iterations. The outfits will be finished with sky blue chinos, navy, suede loafers and a new collaboration with Happy Socks, which also feature the updated union flag. For the closing event, Olympians will wear a Hawaiian-esque shirt with the four-nation floral print with Oxford shorts. A capsule collection similar to the outfits, as well as the sock collaboration, is on sale from today.
As for the process, “that begins well in advance of the Games”, Williams says. “We start by conducting research, drawing inspiration from British heritage, cultural motifs, and contemporary fashion trends.” So far, Team GB seems happy. Swimmer Jacob Peters, 23, says he loves it, branding it “smart but unique” and hopes “when all of Team GB wear it together in unity, it will be a powerful sight that inspires the nation”. It’s important because, he says, “it provides us with a sense of pride that we are part of a bigger team, one that extends further than just being individual athletes at a competition”. Sprinter Desirèe Henry is similarly excited. “First impressions always matter, and I think what Ben Sherman has created is a bold, sophisticated, and stylish first impression.”
The release comes after various controversies regarding sporting uniforms, including Nike’s Euro 2024 England football kit, which saw the St George’s cross updated and later heckled as “woke” in March, as well as a backlash against the US women’s Olympic kit which included high crotch-cut lycra, also by Nike, which US long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall called out writing “my hoo haa is gonna be out” in April
Ben Sherman, the British brand founded in 1963 which made its name thanks to its mod-style and short-sleeved button downs, will hope to avoid any such reaction, and declined to comment on fear of a wokeness backlash to their new designs. “This thoughtful process involves multiple rounds of feedback and adjustments,” says Williams. “We ensure that every detail is perfect.”
