To date, the standout piece is an official track suit (in midnight blue) with an asymmetrical zipper jacket that has the words to the Italian national anthem screen-printed in gold on an inside breast pocket, where they'll rest symbolically over the heart. A track suit that stylish sets the bar, so expect the Italian athletes' opening-day outfits to be nothing less than the understated elegance Giorgio Armani has made his signature.
Jamaica
Bob Marley at the 2012 London Olympics? You can bet the late reggae superstar will be there in spirit.
That's the conclusion one might arrive at upon seeing the uniforms the Jamaican Olympic team will wear during the opening and closing ceremonies and on the podium at the upcoming Games. Unveiled this month in London at a ceremony that included three-time Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt and fashion designer Cedella Marley — Bob's eldest daughter — the collection riffs on the colors (green, gold and black) and designs of the country's flag, as well as imagery often associated with the legendary singer-songwriter who passed away in 1981.
The Cedella Marley for Puma collection will send the men on Jamaica's Olympic team into the opening ceremony clad in lightweight, short-sleeve button-front shirts in army green with black accents at the shoulder, black skinny ties and embroidered Jamaican flag patches on the right breast. Additionally, the men may opt to wear a military-style jacket or a sweater. The uniform's trousers will be either yellow (with a black tuxedo stripe down the outer leg) or black.
The women have a single option for the opening ceremony outfit, which consists of a knee-length black-and-yellow leaf-print skirt; a black, military-influenced jacket with a green contrast stripe running vertically down the button placket; a green belt at the waist and green accents.
Spain
In the run-up to the Olympics, no opening-ceremony uniforms have been the subject of as much criticism as Spain's — even though they have yet to be officially unveiled.
That's partly because the official outfitter of the 2012 Spanish Olympic team is Bosco Sport, in a sponsorship deal that saves Spain nearly $10 million, according to published reports. The Russian company is also slated to outfit the athletes from Russia and Ukraine.
It also has a lot to do with a photograph of three purported outfits from the collection — two men's looks and one women's — that has been circulating on the Internet for several weeks. One of the red and yellow men's uniforms looks like it was borrowed from a marching band and the other looks appropriate for a theater usher. The women's sweater, skirt and scarf ensemble looks like something that could have hopped out of a "Happy Days" sock hop. Public reaction was swift and unequivocally negative.
Spain's opening-ceremony uniforms won't be officially unveiled until Thursday, at a presentation where outfits to be worn by Russian and Ukrainian athletes also will be shown, according to a Bosco Sport representative.
The representative did provide a draft sketch of the opening ceremony garb for Team Spain that showed elements similar to some seen in the clothes in the photo circulating on the Web. The representative cautioned that, as of press time, the final look was still a work in progress.
Britain
There's been such a kerfuffle over the design of the Stella McCartney for Adidas performance wear and village wear (online comments have been critical that the blue-and-white designs don't include red — the third color on the country's flag), it's easy to overlook the fact that neither brand is actually responsible for outfitting the host country's athletes as they parade into the Olympic Stadium on July 27.
That honor goes to Next, a Leicester, England, firm designated as the official clothing (and housewares) supplier for the London 2012 games. As such, Next will be dressing Team GB for both the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as providing athletes with a range of formalwear.
The opening ceremony outfits are intended to be "top secret" until the team steps out July 27, according to a company representative.
Some clue to the sartorial DNA of the uniforms may be found in the not-secret formalwear collection the company unveiled in May. These clothes are intended for occasions that require something more upscale than track suits and performance gear (such as greeting members of the royal family, one assumes). Next has issued each athlete some seriously dressy threads in a palette of navy blue with gold accents.
The women's formalwear includes a jacket paired with a sleeveless cowl-neck dress with a Union Jack design laser-cut into the bodice decoration and emblazoned on a clutch purse.
