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For almost two decades, Ralph Lauren has designed the uniforms for Team USA at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It’s almost difficult to recall an image of American Olympians embarking on their athletic journeys in front of the entire world without picturing the Ralph Lauren aesthetic. From blue jeans and rowing blazers to white tailored trousers and matching newsboy caps, the designer’s cheeky preppiness and American sensibility have become wholly intertwined with Team USA. For 2026, the iconic American designer is back with an Alpine update for the upcoming Milano Cortina Games.This year, the brand created three categories of its Olympic and Paralympic designs: Opening Ceremony, Village, and Closing Ceremony. The looks include designs like a rugby-inspired shirt, barrel-leg jeans and a signature American flag sweater updated with the Olympic rings.The collection is available on Ralph Lauren’s website and on retailer sites like Fanatics and includes all the items Team USA athletes will wear during Friday’s Opening Ceremony — from pants and sweaters to hats, socks and jackets — in men’s and women’s styles and sizes. However, as of this writing, many of the styles are already sold out. How this year’s collection was designedWhen it comes to dressing the country’s elite athletes, the look is equal parts visibly American and visibly Ralph Lauren. “We work very closely with the athletes at Team USA,” David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer, told ELLE.“The process started about two and a half years ago,” he adds, noting that the team is cognizant of wanting to make the athletes feel comfortable on a global stage, especially for those who might not have had previous opportunities to travel and compete internationally. “We spend a lot of time developing the story, doing research on the history of the Olympics and the Olympic teams, getting to know the athletes, thinking about the fact that they’ll be in Milan — one of the great fashion capitals — and then building the craftsmanship and the quality that is necessary to make these products last forever.” For example, Lauren explained that the Opening Ceremony white toggle jackets were produced locally on Long Island.Though Lauren notes that the fashion will likely be slightly more front and center in a city like Milan, each piece is primarily designed with the Ralph Lauren spirit in mind. One shearling bomber jacket, which he wore during our conversation, stood out in particular as his personal favorite. “This is the jacket my father wore when he first started,” Lauren explains. “My mother and my grandmother used to help sew the labels into the ties, and he would go door-to-door selling ties, famously wearing a bomber jacket like this. Some of the stories behind the clothes are very personal and distinctively Ralph Lauren.” Likewise, the brand looks to platform each Olympian’s personal stories.For American Paralympic snowboarder and gold medalist Brenna Huckaby, her third time competing is as much a dream come true as the first. “It’s all about enjoying every step of it and not letting pressure and expectations take away from the experience of something that so many people dream of, but few get to be a part of,” she told ELLE. “There’s just something so special to put the uniform on and look at your teammate next to you who’s wearing the same one. We both worked so hard for this moment.”
For almost two decades, Ralph Lauren has designed the uniforms for Team USA at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It’s almost difficult to recall an image of American Olympians embarking on their athletic journeys in front of the entire world without picturing the Ralph Lauren aesthetic.
From blue jeans and rowing blazers to white tailored trousers and matching newsboy caps, the designer’s cheeky preppiness and American sensibility have become wholly intertwined with Team USA. For 2026, the iconic American designer is back with an Alpine update for the upcoming Milano Cortina Games.
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This year, the brand created three categories of its Olympic and Paralympic designs: Opening Ceremony, Village, and Closing Ceremony. The looks include designs like a rugby-inspired shirt, barrel-leg jeans and a signature American flag sweater updated with the Olympic rings.
The collection is available on Ralph Lauren’s website and on retailer sites like Fanatics and includes all the items Team USA athletes will wear during Friday’s Opening Ceremony — from pants and sweaters to hats, socks and jackets — in men’s and women’s styles and sizes.
However, as of this writing, many of the styles are already sold out.
How this year’s collection was designed
When it comes to dressing the country’s elite athletes, the look is equal parts visibly American and visibly Ralph Lauren. “We work very closely with the athletes at Team USA,” David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer, told ELLE.
“The process started about two and a half years ago,” he adds, noting that the team is cognizant of wanting to make the athletes feel comfortable on a global stage, especially for those who might not have had previous opportunities to travel and compete internationally. “We spend a lot of time developing the story, doing research on the history of the Olympics and the Olympic teams, getting to know the athletes, thinking about the fact that they’ll be in Milan — one of the great fashion capitals — and then building the craftsmanship and the quality that is necessary to make these products last forever.” For example, Lauren explained that the Opening Ceremony white toggle jackets were produced locally on Long Island.
Though Lauren notes that the fashion will likely be slightly more front and center in a city like Milan, each piece is primarily designed with the Ralph Lauren spirit in mind. One shearling bomber jacket, which he wore during our conversation, stood out in particular as his personal favorite.
“This is the jacket my father wore when he first started,” Lauren explains. “My mother and my grandmother used to help sew the labels into the ties, and he would go door-to-door selling ties, famously wearing a bomber jacket like this. Some of the stories behind the clothes are very personal and distinctively Ralph Lauren.” Likewise, the brand looks to platform each Olympian’s personal stories.
For American Paralympic snowboarder and gold medalist Brenna Huckaby, her third time competing is as much a dream come true as the first. “It’s all about enjoying every step of it and not letting pressure and expectations take away from the experience of something that so many people dream of, but few get to be a part of,” she told ELLE. “There’s just something so special to put the uniform on and look at your teammate next to you who’s wearing the same one. We both worked so hard for this moment.”
