The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1908

The winner of the Ladies' National Round Archery at the London Olympic Games, Miss Queenie Newall. Yass queen! Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1936

Jesse Owens, an American track and field athlete who walked away from the Summer Olympics in Berlin with four gold medals. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1996

Team USA swimmers celebrating a gold medal win in Atlanta, Georgia. Speedo introduces a fabric made from chlorine-resistant polyester/spandex this year. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2000

Dot Richardson of the U.S. celebrates during a preliminary match against Japan at the Sydney Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2000

The Cuban team in the women's beach volleyball final of the games in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1996

The U.S. women's soccer team rocking tie-dye jerseys while they celebrate a win over China at the games in Georgia. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1908

Danish gymnasts practicing for the London Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1960

The medal winners for light heavyweight boxing competition in Rome, including Cassius Clay front-and-center (now known as Muhammad Ali). Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1988

U.S. vs. Brazil basketball game in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1956

Danish equestrian Lis Hartel with her horse Jubilee at the Equestrian Olympic Games in Stockholm. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1908

A Danish gymnast flying off the pommel horse during practice in London. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1932

American athlete Babe Zaharias holding a javelin and wearing her Olympic uniform. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1949

British Olympic canoeist Joyce Web taking her canoe out to train on the Thames River at Richmond. She's seen as one of Britain's best hopes for winning the kayak racing events at the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1948

1948 Athletes pass the torch at the Opening Ceremony in London. After WWII, stretch fabrics in sportswear become more common, since they're less restricting on the form during exercise. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1948

British Olympic women's fencing team having lunch on the lawn prior to the opening ceremony of the 1948 London Olympics. The A-line skirt becomes popular for women's female uniforms. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1896

Greek shepherd Spyridon Louis is the winner of the 40 km marathon at the first modern Olympics games held in Athens in 1986. Women are not formally invited to the event, though they're not explicitly barred. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1956

Wrestler V. Maneev of Russia at the games in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1988

U.S. track star Florence Griffith Joyner with the national team in 1988. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1960

U.S. athletes at the Summer Olympics in 1960. The '60s sees the rise of coordinated tracksuits for men and women. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1992

American tennis player Jennifer Capriati celebrates a win against German player Steffi Graf in the women's final at the Olympics in Barcelona. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1992

U.S. heptathlon athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee is all smiles when she celebrates her gold medal at the Barcelona games. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1984

American cyclist and gold-medalist Connie Carpenter-Phinney at the games in L.A. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1956

Great Britain's gold medal-winning fencer Gillian Sheen in Melbourne. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1972

Australian Bronze medalist Shane Gould after setting a new world record in the 100 meter freestyle race. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1956

USA's Milton Campbell throwing a discus in the men's decathlon. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2004

Lauren Jackson of the Australian women's basketball team at the games in Athens, Greece. Branding becomes more and more important at the beginning of the millennium, with sportswear logos and patriotic color schemes at the fore, and more streamlined fabrics cropping up with every game. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2008

The U.S. women's gymnastics team after their silver medal win at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Nike and Adidas are the biggest sponsors this year, duking it out for supremacy of the games. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1900

Helen Provost won the silver medal at the tennis women's singles in Paris, and in a full-length skirt, no less. Females taking part had no choice but to play in ankle-length dresses with the long sleeves and high necks of the time period, plus shoes with a heel. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1980

The outfit designed by jean maker Levi Strauss to be worn during the opening ceremonies for the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics. Shiny stretch fabrics and high-waisted shorts for men become a trend in the '80s. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1936

Jesse Owens and Helen Stephens, another American runner who won two gold medals that year, at the stadium in Berlin. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1928

U.S. swimmer Jane Fauntz ready to plunge into the pool in Chicago, 1928. At this time, women's swimsuits are becoming more streamlined for water sports, and females are no longer prohibited from the sport for showing their legs (like they were in the 1908 Stockholm Olympics). Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1952

American swimmer Ronald Gora shaking hands with his Japanese opponent, Toru Gotu, in Helsinki following a race. In the '50s, we see the rise of functional synthetic fabrics like Spandex and Lycra that are stretchy and often used to make swimwear. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

Zhang Jike of China celebrates a win in the table tennis fourth round match in London. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas competing on the balance beam in London. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

China goes head to head against Russia in the women's volleyball tournament in London. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

Alexander Massialias of the United States vs. Sebastian Bachmann of Germany in fencing. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan competing in the triple jump final in London. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

U.S. wrestler Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling celebrates her bronze medal for women's freestyle wrestling at the London Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

Janine Murray of Australia performing during the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the London Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

A Canadian swimmer competing in the synchronized swimming competition final in London. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2012

American sprinter Sonya Richards-Ross celebrating a win at the 4x400 meter relay final in London. Companies are still promoting the latest in aerodynamic technology, while designers are pushing to collaborate with sportswear brands on fashionable and practical gear. The London Games stoke a reputation for being "The Fashion Games". Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1924

Mexican athletes before boarding a ship to the Olympic games in Paris. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1984

The women's 800-meter race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The '84 Olympics are the first to be entirely funded through private sponsorship, ushering in an age of athletic sponsorships with big sports companies such as Nike, Puma, Adidas, etc. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1936

On your mark, get set, go: The 100 meters sprint race at the game in Athens. Comfortable sportswear is now de rigueur for both female and male track and field athletes, seen here in loose shorts and fitted vests. Jersey cotton and silk tops and trousers, tracksuits, and off-duty sports blazers become the norm, a departure from the hot wool suits that athletes wore in prior decades. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1936

The American gold-medal-winning rowing team wearing headdresses in Berlin. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1976

Bruce Jenner's claim to fame at the 1,500 meter run of the decathlon during the games in Montreal, Quebec. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1968

Model Margaret Middleton wearing a swimsuit designed by Hardy Amies for the British swimmers at the games in Mexico City. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1968

A model wearing the uniform designed by Hardy Amies for British athletes to wear in Mexico City. Since the '40s, designers have been queuing up to design the uniforms for athletes at the Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

2016

A portrait of track and field athlete Alysia Montano ahead of the Olympics in Rio. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1976

American gymnast Debra Wilcox on the balance beam at the games in Montreal. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1968

The British women's relay team during training for the Olympic games in Mexico. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1968

British athlete Pat Bryce-Nutting jumping over a hurdle during training at the track in Mexico. Given the heat in Mexico, short-shorts are a popular choice for athletes, and elastene spandex continues to revolutionize sportswear. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1996

The Spanish rhythmic gymnastics team in the games at Mexico City. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1972

U.S. swimming champion Mark Spitz displaying a winning grin with five of his seven Olympic gold medals during the Munich Olympic Games. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1960

Wilma Rudolph, an American track and field racer who was considered the fastest woman alive in her time, wearing a straw hat and her team uniform at the Summer Olympics in Rome. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1980

German swimmer Barbara Krause at the Olympic Games in Moscow, Soviet Union. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1932

Jules Noel, a French athlete who competed in the discus and shot put, at the games in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1932

This year sees the introduction of the Olympic Village, where athletes are encouraged to wear sportswear when off-duty and where uniforms to represent one's country become en vogue. The Olympics also introduced the winners' podium this year, showing off the winning athletes receiving medals. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1932

German javelin-thrower Ellen Braumueller mid-throw at the games in L.A. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1972

East German equestrian Horst Koehler and his horse Emanuel at the games in Munich. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1936

German women competing in the 4 x 100 meter dash race at the Berlin Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1932

A swimmer at the L.A. Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1992

Track and field athlete Carl Lewis at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1928

The women's 800 meter race in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is the first year women are allowed to compete in track and field, following pressure from women's leagues as rights for women expand throughout the world. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1920

The San Francisco Olympic water polo team in 1920. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1964

Models wearing the Great Britain team uniform for the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Dashing! Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1984

Noriko Mochizuki of Japan on the women's balance beam at the games in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1984

U.S. gymnast Valerie Zimring performs in the rhythmic gymnastics competition. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1932

German fencer Helene Mayer at the games in L.A. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1996

Chinese long-distance runner Wang Junxia celebrates her win at the women's 5000 meter event in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion

1976

Team USA swimsuits for the '76 Olympics. Photo: Getty

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The Comprehensive History Of Summer Olympics Fashion