How to dress like an Olympic athlete – the Nike way…

What with Stella McCartney designing Adidas’ Team GB kit, Sophy Robson painting the nails of our Olympic swimmers, and Liberty designing special JA Fly shoes (as worn by Perri Shakes-Drayton, the second-fastest 400m hurdler in the world), this is quite possibly the most fashionable Olympics on record.

And it doesn’t end there. We were among a handful of lucky journalists treated to a behind-the-scenes look at Nike’s Olympic base last week, where we were let in on a little secret: The Nike styling guide. While we were amazed by the Opening Ceremony jackets and the lightest, fastest-ever running kits (as seen on the US track team), it was an A5 hardback book that really caught our attention.

Inside the navy and gilt-edged book is a guide for the American athletes, where they’re shown how to roll up jeans, work the polo shirt and tie scarves and neck ties—and, importantly, what to wear them with. So rather than just simply handing over a bag of kit, each athlete is also handed a guide, ‘intended to be pulled from or made its own by the wearer, providing options for three weeks of celebration and greatness’.

So next time you’re watching the Olympics look out for the American athletes—and how they’re working that kit…