These Olympics Fashion Collabs Are Going for Style Gold
New collections from J.Crew, Skims, and more come with athletes' stamps of approval.
Most years, hardly a week passes without a celebrity releasing a new collaboration. 2024 isn't like most years—it's an Olympics year. With the Games beginning Friday, July 26, in Paris there's a conveyor belt of athlete-fronted Olympic fashion collabs pushing out new red, white, and blue collections faster than the 200-meter dash record holder running to swipe the last candle at a Diptyque sample sale. That is, brands are moving fast to stake their claim on the Olympics merch market.
2024 was always going to be a sporty year for fashion with the Paris Olympics on the calendar. As if in anticipation of the upcoming Games, street style has embraced a rising athletic shorts trend—where running shorts are styled up with going-out tops and blazers—as well as the chic-ification of overalls (which are rooted in skateboarding culture and appear in Team USA's skateboarding uniforms).
Now that Games are finally here, the references to courts, tracks, fields, and Olympic-sized pools are coming in quickly. More often than not, these Olympics fashion collabs come with campaigns populated by—who else?—various members of Team USA. Official outfitter for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Ralph Lauren, is letting fans match star athletes in warm-up jackets and flag-embroidered sweaters. Meanwhile, J.Crew teamed up with USA Swimming to shop out bikinis and one-pieces for churning out laps in your nearest pool.
Not every capsule is designed for getting into sport mode. LoveShackFancy's flag-inspired dresses come with flounces and ruffles more suited to a skip through the park. (Those are modeled by gymnastics gold medalist and returning Team USA member Suni Lee.) Skims has Olympians outfitted for medaling in Netflix marathons and poolside lounging, with comfort-first swimsuits, bras, underwear, and PJs on deck—and coated in the Olympic rings. Kith gave the famed five-ring logo a streetwear update in a series of oversize vintage-inspired T-shirts; so did Abercrombie Fitch.
As the athletes hit the track, mat, and field in their best Olympic nail art and tricked-out uniforms, fans at home are invited to manifest a gold medal by matching with them. Without further ado, read on for the most shop-worthy Olympic fashion collaborations so far.
Abercrombie Fitch
Let's start with a collection that'll make you nostalgic for the first Olympic Games you ever watched. Vintage prints and logos from competitions in the '80s and '90s are all over Abercrombie Fitch's summer Olympics lineup. They're also cleverly pre-faded like an authentic thrift store find.
J.Crew
J.Crew and USA Swimming joined forces on a collection that laps the swimwear competition.
I certainly can't swim 50 or 100 meters as fast as a member of Team USA. I can at least look the podium part by hitting the pool (or beach, or Central Park tanning towel) in J.Crew's collaboration with USA Swimming. The collection includes a mix of high-performance swimsuits and throwback apparel, from a navy barn jacket to a nautical striped sweater. Layer it all at once to look like a medley relay winner circa 1995—like many of J.Crew's recent collections, the best pieces have slight call-backs to the brand's archives.
Lacoste
Lacoste's Olympics collab looks ahead to the Games by looking back at the last Paris installment, held in 1924.
The 2024 Olympics aren't the first-ever to be held in Paris: The City of Lights last hosted the Games one hundred years ago. In a fun nod to the past and the present, Lacoste designed a "Paris 1924" collection that's available online now. This is the Olympics tie-in for the fan whose style leans vintage, but in a way that conveys strolling through the Marais or collecting vintage brooches. (That is, it's more Team Eurostar than Team USA.) Each piece has "Jeux Olympiques" written in a font echoing the more baroque entrances to the Paris Metro, and the palette mostly sticks to a dusty blue and rich cream. Unisex styles in the collection include artful graphic T-shirts and hoodies, striped tank tops, and a duffle bag perfectly proportioned for an overnight trip. (To catch last-minute tickets to the Games, maybe?)
LoveShackFancy
Suni Lee fronts LoveShackFancy's whimsical campaign for red, white, and blue sundresses (and matching sets).
The right summer dress has always made me want to do cartwheels. LoveShackFancy's Olympics-coded collection makes me want to do a round-off-back-handspring-back-tuck. (Note: I lack the physical ability to do so.) The collection, in partnership with Cotton, takes all of LSF's signature ruffles, flounces, and embroidered florals and paints them in American flag shades. Each one is made from light, breathable fabrications—ideal for frolicking outside during the height of July—and each one is modeled by gold medal gymnast Suni Lee. She proves in the campaign that these dresses and matching sets move with your body through all sorts of acrobatic feats. They're just as cute for keeping your feet planted on the ground, too.
Kith
Kith, the end-all, be-all destination for streetwear and exclusive designer collaborations, has dozens of Olympic "heritage" pieces for commemorating this year's games. Lounge in a T-shirt with signage from the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics or bundle up in an aviator jacket embroidered with logos from several major Olympiads—or both.
Nike x Jacquemus
It sneaker factory Nike and French designer Jacquemus have been collaborating on sporty-chic collections since 2022. The duo's Olympics rendition is their most podium-worthy yet. There are white tracksuits lined in red, extra oversize T-shirts, and tricked-out Air Max sneakers. And for those who consider "Just do it" to be their personal motto, the pair designed a novelty shoulder bag in the shape of Nike's iconic swoosh.
Oakley
Oakley's collaboration with Team USA surfing will level up your beachwear.
ICYMI, surfing is returning to the 2024 Olympics after its grand debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. But don't expect to see anyone shredding "waves" on the Seine: the competition is actually taking place in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. Still, you can show your support for the faraway athletes—and get ready for an active summer—with Oakley's Team USA collaboration. Online, shop the exact tinted lenses built for blocking out the harsh summer sun; in select retail locations, nab the functional-yet-fashionable gear the athletes will wear to compete offshore.
Ralph Lauren
Volleyball player Chiaka Ogbogu shares a look at Ralph Lauren's Americana-infused "Villagewear" collection.
Ralph Lauren has outfitted Team USA for the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the past eight Olympic Games. As I reported last month, the brand is back for a ninth time with uniforms featuring even more Americana references, plus some nods to this summer's biggest trends sprinkled in.
Athletes will enter the games in stately navy blazers and jeans; they'll exit in white racing jackets Rosalía might approve. In between, they'll be outfitted in all sorts of patriotically-coded polos, rugby shirts, and matching sets designed by the brand. All Ralph Lauren's pieces created for the athletes are available to shop whether you're competing on the world stage or watching from home. Personally, I'm eyeing the lightweight cotton riff on RL's iconic flag sweater for some casual layering over the Fourth of July.
Skims
Gabby Thomas, a member of the US Track and Field Team, was one of several Olympians tapped to model for SKIMS.
Returning for its third partnership with Team USA since 2020, Skims is focused on the gear athletes (and their fans) will wear after the competitions. Rest and relaxation energy abounds throughout the soft tank tops, lounge pants, and innerwear lineup—all coated in Olympic logos and red, white, and blue colorways.
With Kim Kardashian's rolodex, Skims has the access to cast just about anyone remotely buzzy in its campaigns. (Recently, the roster has included Nicola Coughlan for Bridgerton to Sabrina Carpenter at the peak of "Espresso.") Naturally, the visuals for this collection are also stacked with medalists and soon-to-be champions. Among the athletes wearing their "Fits Everybody" best in the corresponding campaign are rising track and field star Gabby Thomas and gymnast Suni Lee.
Skims x Team USA is also one of the few collaborations listed here that anyone can wear. In addition to the women's lineup, the brand also designed adaptive, men's, and kids pieces. Sizes run up to 4x.
