Unless there’s a Steven Bradbury situation, in which Australia’s opponents collapse before the opening ceremony, our chances of achieving fashion gold at Milano Cortina 2026 are lower than an athlete’s head in the skeleton.
Summer and spring are our style strengths, but other countries, where snow is more common than surf, have made this Winter Olympics a fashion moment to rival the Australian Open.
Here are the teams turning the San Siro Stadium into a runway worthy of Italian’s fashion capital.
1. Team Mongolia: Best national pride
Team Mongolia are yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, but their opening ceremony uniforms are pure gold and pure cashmere.
Following intense international interest in their ornate Paris Olympic uniforms, the Mongolian team will be dressed in layers of history.
“The designs preserve essential traditional elements such as a functional skirt slit that allows freedom of movement, a raised collar that protects against wind and cold, and a fully closed overlapping front symbolising warmth and unity,” says the release from Goyol Cashmere, a Mongolian business specialising in cashmere, yak and camel wool garments.
Casual alpine ski sweaters will look just as good for apres-ski activities.
2. Team Canada: Puff Daddy and mummy
While most of the Lululemon kit looks fit for a rave at Whistler for those who microdose, the statement convertible vest with a puffy maple leaf motif combines national pride with accessible and inclusive design.
“We’ve applied insights and learnings from our last two Games to create a kit with deeper focus on innovation and inclusion,” says Calvin McDonald, chief executive, Lululemon.
Inclusivity has been addressed with abrasion-resistant fabrics, and braille and magnetic zips, but really it’s all about those vests.
3. Team USA: Modern prep
Billionaire designer Ralph Lauren is living the American dream and knows how to dress it, with a sprinkling of ski motifs, preppy accessories and the Stars and Stripes front and centre on the uniforms for Team USA.
“We want to tell a story about optimism and hope,” says Ralph’s son David Lauren, chief branding officer, Ralph Lauren.
Beanies, mittens and wooden toggles nod to the past while a unisex approach to styling adds to the team spirit.
4. Team Italy: The white stuff
One of the last collections to feel the masterful hand of Giorgio Armani was the Winter Olympic Games uniforms for Team Italy.
Months before his death in September, Armani was on hand to reveal the sleek and understated white range, with red and green details, from his Emporio Armani label.
“Working for and with Italian athletes is always a pleasure and a source of great pride,” Armani said at the uniform unveiling in May. “I chose a single colour, white, to suggest harmony with the snow-capped peaks.”
The uniforms are an example of saying more with less.
5. Team Haiti: Revolutionary
There was a moment when Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean’s symbolic prints for Haiti’s first Winter Olympics team almost stayed in the closet. The IOC ruled that an image of former slave Toussaint Louverture, who led a revolution that created the world’s first black republic in 1804, violated rules barring political symbolism.
A swipe of the paintbrush, made sure that plenty of colourful cultural references remained for the two competing athletes.
Sorry, Australia…
We can no longer blame our national colours of green and gold for underwhelming uniforms.
Boxy white Sportscraft blazers with our national crest and hopeful gold buttons are more naff than nostalgic, despite the sentimental lining with the names of past Winter Olympic athletes and the Olympic oath.
Add ties, and they could be auditioning as extras for the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.
Cable-knit crew-neck jumpers feel more cricket than curling, adding to the confusion.
Green and gold sporting attire from Karbon and XTM is a surprising step up with decorative First Nations design elements.
The style stand-outs are Volley boots, lined with sheepskin and featuring a rubber toe cap. Perfect for going from snow to the sofa and a callback to our 1980 uniforms in Lake Placid, New York, by designer Prue Acton.
Sports reporter Billie Eder is on the snowy ground in Cortina.
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Billie Eder is a sports reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
