The Olympics are officially here, as is the discourse about the Team USA Opening Ceremony outfits.
After a year-long delay, the Tokyo Olympics are finally here.
The Games have technically already started, with softball and soccer kicking things off back on Wednesday. But the official start of the Olympics was on Friday during the Opening Ceremony and the festivities around all of the countries making the storied walk around the Olympic Stadium.
As is the case any year the Olympics occur, the Team USA Opening Ceremony outfits were a talking point for better or for worse.
Ralph Lauren designed the Team USA Opening Ceremony outfits this year, which leaned into a vintage East Coast preppy look the evoked thoughts of the 1920s. The outfits featured a blazer with an embroidered USA patch, a nautical navy striped shirt and an American flag ascot.
The outfits also varied between those being worn by the flag bearers and those worn ny the athletes walking behind them.
Team USA Opening Ceremony outfits
Athletes and flag bearers were eager to show off their outfits as they arrived ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening in Tokyo.
Ralph Lauren’s outfits for Team USA at the Olympics ‘12, ‘16, and ‘20 #Tokyo2020 on 23th July 2021 pic.twitter.com/7JvzW8EZlF
— 48 (@SYJ48) July 19, 2021
https://twitter.com/usabaseball/status/1418524842056314883?s=21
Here we go! @Tokyo2020 @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/ud3WriFpIC
— Katie Ledecky (@katieledecky) July 23, 2021
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸Love it! Sam Mikulak gets flagbearer honors as the Women’s and Men’s gymnastics teams from the USA hold their own private Opening Ceremony, since they won’t be able to be in the Stadium tonight. #tokyo2020 #gymnastics #olympics
— Inside Gymnastics (@InsideGym) July 23, 2021
🎥 Lisa Spini pic.twitter.com/Auruiq67Tc
LET THE GAMES BEGIN ✨ pic.twitter.com/6jYpzT0min
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) July 23, 2021
The #OpeningCeremony brings an energy that never grows old.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 23, 2021
🇺🇸 @TeamUSA x #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/VaDVIrFUDJ
Team USA ladies in their ceremony outfits. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/y3qsQR25j0
— LaWanda (@lawanda50) July 21, 2021
Reactions to Team USA Opening Ceremony outfits were mixed
While the reaction to the outfits was mostly positive in the moment — as most of the trolling had occurred when the designs were initially revealed — there were still mixed feelings about the outfits.
Some reactions were not so glowing.
so many cool american designers that could create the team usa outfits for the opening ceremony and we’re still stuck with preppy ralph lauren blazers
— 𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕩 𝕡𝕠𝕡𝕤 (@snapcrackl_POPS) July 23, 2021
This is me asking for anyone besides @RalphLauren to design the @TeamUSA outfits for 2022. Thank You!
— Emma (@emmarazzi) July 23, 2021
The USA Olympic outfits always look like they were made by the costume designer for Paddington 2 pic.twitter.com/NNAB0baJSy
— Charlotte Wilder (@TheWilderThings) July 23, 2021
Others thought Team USA could have used more bolder designs as demonstrated by some other countries in the Opening Ceremony.
Team USA may want to consider adding more pizzaz to their outfits. https://t.co/OTbumReVLj
— Julie Jag (@julie_jag) July 23, 2021