The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina officially kicked off on Friday with a spectacular program that celebrated Italian art, culture, language and heritage.
While host country Italy took center stage for the performance portion, the Parade of Nations featured athletes from all of the participating countries waving their flags and sporting outfits that represent their countries.
While there were few total fashion misses in this year’s parade, there was a full buffet of jaw-dropping and show-stopping looks from across the globe.
Here’s a look at some of the best — and the worst — from the ceremony.
Mongolia
Mongolia is a continuing example of how countries should allow their uniqueness to shine on the Olympic stage. For this opening ceremony, they tapped fashion company Goyol Cashmere to design these stunning wintry looks. Inspired by the Mongol Empire, the cashmere and silk deel (a traditional Mongolian garment) feature both embroidery and clean lines. Plus, of course, toasty-looking hats — a must for any cold weather ensemble.
“The designs preserve essential traditional elements such as a functional skirt slit that allows freedom of movement, a raised collar that protects against wind and cold, and a fully closed overlapping front symbolizing warmth and unity,” Goyol Cashmere wrote on Instagram.
Colombia
While Colombia doesn’t have the largest delegation going into these 2026 games — only one athlete competing, in fact — that didn’t stop them from making a splash with this eye-catching tri-color patterned jacket and traditional hat. “From the Andes Mountains to the Italian Alps,” the team’s Instagram post reads, “It’s not just an outfit, it’s the tricolor braving the cold and making history.”
United States of America
Hopefully it isn’t too biased to say that these Ralph Lauren fits looked smart on the United States’ 232 athletes. This outfit is both clean and fun, with tailored white wool jackets and trousers and an American flag patterned sweater that gives a peek of flash under the coat. Ralph Lauren wrote on social media that the outfits are “a distinctly American look featuring our heritage toggle coat and shades of red, white and blue.”
Haiti
Another mainstay of excellent Olympics Opening Ceremony fashion, Haiti dazzled in designer Stella Jean’s complex and brightly colored couture. The Carribbean nation’s two athletes heated up chilly Northern Italy in hand-painted clothes inspired, according to the designer on social media, ”by the visionary art of Edouard Duval-Carrié.”
“These uniforms are not an exercise in style. They are an act of responsibility. Every detail is intentional. Every centimeter of fabric carries the duty to tell a story — and the will to endure,” Stella Jean wrote.
Canada
These Lululemon outfits have proved polarizing, but the cozy-looking, maple-leaf-accented ensemble just seems to scream “Winter Olympics.” With a range of colors, but focusing on deep reds that match their flag, these athletes got cheers from the crowd and represented their massive country in a variety of ways. Plus, they’re just so nice that you can’t help but love their energy.
Czechia
Bold shades and designs are always going to stand out at the Parade of Nations, especially amongst so many solid-colored coats and athletic looks. In that arena, the country of Czechia — formerly the Czech Republic — excelled. This in-your-face design by Alpine Pro incorporates the art of Czech graphic designer Vojtěch Preissig. Abstract patterns and bright, warm hues make for a perfect companion to cold-weather gear.
Mexico
Designer Charly infused these comfy-looking clothes with meaningful embellishments and made the athletes look cool as well as warm. The horizontal patterns in Mexico’s colors — red, white and green — provide a nice touch, and they invoke the culture and aesthetic of Mexican tradition while mixing with modernity and comfort. A win for our neighbors to the south.
Australia
No insult meant to our friends down under, but something about these shades of green and yellow invoke very athletic ears of corn. Sportscraft didn’t give a ton of thought to the shape and fit of these pieces, it seems. Still, it’s nice to know that Australia’s 53 athletes look snuggly and had a lot of fun walking in for this Opening Ceremony. Keep an eye out for their clothes for the rest of these Olympics; there are some promising looks coming.
Italy
It’s tough to be hard on the host country, especially one with such an impactful fashion history. These designs even have special meaning, as they were created by legendary Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani before he died last year. However, while the silhouette is good and there was lots of excitement for “the home team,” these drab looks seemed more serious than celebratory. Even these weren’t a total miss, though — the Italian flag accents added a nice pop of color.
Netherlands
Orange. While the retina-searing color of this sportswear isn’t surprising for the Netherlands — it’s kind of their thing — the giant bloc of Cheeto-colored clothes were both too much and kind of dull. Without much in the way of accents or other colors or designs to pull focus from the solid peachiness of it all, it needed more (but also less).
