Our pick of the best outfits at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics are underway in northern Italy and some team uniforms and kits have already achieved iconic status (in The Athletic’s humble opinion, of course).

For those of you who love sport and fashion, or just want to flick through some pictures, welcome to the house of winter wear, where we will slalom through some of the most eye-catching items on display on the snow and ice over the next few weeks.

Italy

It only feels fair to start with the hosts who have Emporio Armani to thank for sleek, simple designs.

Would I have liked some looks to have channelled Lady Gaga’s bold red ski suit in the movie House of Gucci? Yes. But this is Armani and they have a knack for making sportswear look beautifully tailored. The ‘Italia’ hat and scarf — red and green lines on an all-white canvas — is proving popular.

One item also worthy of attention are the sneakers that resemble Heelys’ flashing shoes with wheels. For better or worse, richer or poorer, these silver surfers do not have a wheel sticking out of the bottom but will light up on the snow, and in your bank statement. They cost around $245.

France 

The Olympic flame might be in Italy, but France made sure nobody was going to outshine them on the fashion front, arriving in Italy, wondering why everyone was calling Milan the fashion capital of the world. C’est Paris, oui?

In 1939, Le Coq Sportif, the renowned French sportswear brand, invented the first tracksuit. Naturally, they have used the past 86 years to perfect the look, and for these Games have gone to the 1970s for inspiration. It is a masterpiece of a collection. The light blue is so subdued it looks grey, but you still need sunglasses to protect your eyes from the shine. The blend of these soft tones is superbly done.

The staple coat looks like couture made for the runway or red carpet. And, yes, the pockets are not big enough to fit medals but, crucially, look snack-sized in case an athlete gets peckish in the cold. The rooster loudly squawks once again.

 

Mongolia

Having mentioned France, we all remember who ruled the runway at the Paris Olympics in 2024, right? Michel & Amazonka designed a look that helped Mongolia steal the sartorial scenes in the French capital. And just in time for awards season, Mongolia have done it again. High fashion meets high altitude with this latest instalment of traditional garments created by Goyol Cashmere, a Mongolian label.

The brand line is: “What We Carried Through Winter — We Carry to the World.” With a modern take on traditional Mongolian clothing, I get the feeling these jumpers, which are like works of art, will prove hugely popular.

 

Jamaica 

You can’t call this collection Cool Runnings because it is ice cold. With their black, green and yellow outfits Jamaica are making a strong claim for the best dressed in Milan Cortina.

The green and yellow merging together throughout these pieces by U.S. ski apparel brand Spyder are beautifully modelled below by Alpine skiers, Henniyah Rivers, Helaina Rivers and Henri Rivers IV, also known as the Rivers triplets who were born in Brooklyn, New York to a mother from Kingston, Jamaica.

Henniyah and Helaina sadly missed out on qualification but they will be able to watch their brother Henri compete. The Rivers triplets went on a photoshoot around New York to model the uniforms and the photographs by Joe Greer are outstanding.

And when it comes to affordability, the yellow Spyder-webbed hat is not just reversible but won’t hurt the bank balance. Though, for now, it is only available in the U.S.

Haiti

You will not see artwork like this anywhere else. These hand-painted items curated by Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean belong in a gallery or museum. Stella Jean was the creative responsible for Haiti’s outfits at Paris 2024, too.

Haiti have two athletes competing at these Games. What an entrance Richardson Viano and Stevenson Savart made in clothes inspired by the work of Haitian-American artist Edouard Duval-Carrié.

The cream duffle coat with toggle fastenings, worn for the opening ceremony, feels like a throwback to the 1980s, especially with that loud, detailed sweater tucked underneath. These outfits are as all-American as they come.

Canada 

With the fleece from the hit TV show Heated Rivalry set to be released to the public, Lululemon were up against it to capture the imagination of Canadians with their latest Olympic and Paralympic collection. To do so, they put the Canadian red by the fire and let it warm up to deliver a brown-maroon color for the opening ceremony outfits. They also brought a shiny pop of teal into play, which is a nice contrast against the red and brown.

The black maple leaf on the red hockey jerseys are bellissimo, a standout edition for Canadian fans, and the speed skaters have caught the eye too, the maple leaf again artistically popping on the sleeves and legs.

Great Britain 

Admittedly, some of the British team’s outfits suggest that they are going to want to talk talk about the weather. Britain’s celebrated Olympic diver, and keen knitter, Tom Daley was involved in creating the hats and scarves, along with Ben Sherman, for the opening and closing ceremony outfits — and on seeing them that is not hard to believe. 

While the United Kingdom doesn’t tend to have much snow in winter, people there do know a thing or two about dressing for the cold — even in summer.

Team GB’s collection also excels in one area in particular, the design on the all-in-one navy and red ski suits. They are great, Britain. And a doff of the hat to Andrew Musgrave for his attire during the men’s cross-country skiing: the headband, bib and the lycra really will be one of the memorable ensembles of these Games.

Colombia

What caught the eye from Colombia was the opening and closing ceremony coats, because it is reversible and the pattern is, well, fun. Colombia might only have one athlete competing in Italy – Fredrik Fodstad in the cross-country skiing – but that hasn’t stopped them from delivering an unforgettable piece of clothing.

Norway

As always, there is a strong sweater look at these Games. Norway, along with manufacturers Dale of Norway, have always led the way in this field, ever since they first collaborated at the 1956 Games. The geometric red and off-white was a huge win even before the Games had got underway. And, again, for sartorial inspiration look no further than the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium. The navy and white stripes running down the sleeve and legs are simple, clean and a little retro.

Eritrea

And finally, to Shannon Abeda of Eritrea. The Canadian-born 29-year-old is competing in what he says will be his last Winter Olympics. He appeared on the formidable Stelvio slope Saturday for the men’s super giant slalom in a beautiful ski suit designed in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital. It was only 10 months ago he changed his mind and decided he wanted to compete at a third Games, returning to training and qualifying for Milan Cortina.