4th Best Dressed Nation at the Olympics: The Netherlands

The Dutch Were the 4th Best Dressed Nation at the London Olympics

There are some color pairings that are just extremely difficult to pull off while avoiding clashing from occurring, and the combination of blue and orange certainly tops the list. This is especially true for those who aren’t used to wearing bold colors on a regular basis, as the bolder the color choices, the bigger the chances that something might go wrong. When it comes to fashion at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, there’s no getting around the fact that the Netherlands pulled off this look with extreme ease, making them the 4th most fashionable team at the ceremony. Even if you feel as if orange and blue are too much for you to try to pair yourself, you might be able to take a hint from how Team Netherlands pulled it off with ensembles designed/produced by SuitSupply, as just about anyone will agree that they did so with extreme style.

Blue Trench, Orange Pants
When choosing what made Team Netherlands stand out so effectively at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, the combination of a blue trench coat and orange pants takes the cake. This was the basis of the men’s ensemble, although women added contrast to the overall look of the group by wearing an orange trench with orange pants (they wore blue dresses underneath). While the contrast between blue and orange can sometimes be overly striking, it worked very well in this case, likely because the ensembles featured other elements underneath that added just enough balance to make things look cohesive. For example, a navy blue blazer was worn underneath the lighter-blue trench, breaking things up a bit and making everything seem just a bit more pulled-together than it might have otherwise.

V-Neck Sweaters
The element that truly made the blue and orange work was the white v-neck sweater worn by the men of Team Netherlands. With subtle accents of red and black, these sweaters were collegiate in appearance and added a touch of class and sophistication to the ensemble. It was the white in the sweaters that really made things happen, however, breaking up the orange and blue and making everything look balanced and planned. Even on its own, the v-neck sweater brings out an air of sophistication that is difficult to achieve with other pieces, so it should come as no surprise that it took this ensemble to an entirely new level. Add a red tie to the mix, and you’ve got a look that is difficult to mess with. The V-neck sweaters were especially useful in that they helped to differentiate the team’s men from the women, something that many teams did not succeed at.

Takeaways for the Modern Man
You can take quite a bit away from how Team Netherlands dressed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Learning how to add balance to contrasting colors can be difficult, but the white v-neck turned out to be MVP in this scenario. If you’re looking to try two bold colors together, consider adding a neutral somewhere in the ensemble, which will make everything seem a bit more cohesive. Also, don’t hesitate to experiment to see which pairings work for you and which do not.