Ah, the opening ceremony of the Olympics. What better way to gauge international fashion faux-pas than to press your magnifying glass up to the television screen to check out the labels and designers of each countryÂ’s Opening Ceremony garb. Following their lead not only on the racetrack and swimming pools, Olympians lead the way dressed with decorum and refinementÂ…two lessons we should all learn when representing our countries in international waters. They werenÂ’t always so respectable: the original Olympians wore nothing at all. Let it not be said, I wouldnÂ’t mind a couple swimmers taking off those questionable speed suits and donning their birthday suit instead.
What we Can Learn from Olympians:
Top the Blazer. Yes, the dinner jacket works for men and women alike, but the look is only defined by the hat. Ralph Lauren topped his classic navy blue blazer, designed for the United States, with a white newsboy cap to complete a preppy, athletic look. The key to pulling off a refined, boarding-school look yourself is to only use solid colors. No funny patterns or pins! ItÂ’s all about sleek and elegance.
                      
OR, you can go for the gangster, edgy look like these spy-inspired caps like the French Olympians. COMPLETE THE LOOK: Find a solid colored hat with a tilted brim. It gives much more personality to the look, like the mischievous schoolboy or damsel-who-causes-distress, rather than Sunday-school proper.
                     
Since you may still be shocked by the comment about Olympic swimsuits, let me just say I admire them, a lot, and want to incorporate them in to my own fashion as well. Want to follow suit? Here’s a picture of what Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps choose to wear when they shoot for the gold. All I can say is load up on spandex, preferably all black (it’s much sleeker) and let ‘er rip!
                           
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Find at Smarter.com:Â Shop for women’s blazers.
                                       Shop for men’s blazers.Â
Image Source: The Preppy Princess, Abc News
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