If you’ve been following the BBC’s Olympic coverage over the past two weeks, you’ve probably come to regard Keely Hodgkinson, Adam Peaty and Alex Yee as good friends.
And what about Gabby Logan, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Rebecca Adlington and others, who have been cheering with us the whole time?
You may have noticed that there is a whole other set of games being played in the studio. Welcome to the fashion olympics, where the goal is to look good on screen, day after day, without distracting from the athletic achievements that have taken place.
Of course, they are not competing against each other, but all the presenters face the same challenges and the way they have tackled them is masterful. There have been no wardrobe malfunctions, no viral fashion blunders, not even a creased blouse – which, considering the heat in the swimming arena and in the Stade de France, is an impressive feat.
Dressing for a live television performance is no soft sport. It requires planning, coordination and a deep understanding of what works and what doesn’t on screen. No wonder all the best-dressed presenters at the competition rely on the help of professionals.
“We never let it go [until the] “It’s definitely last minute,” says Charlotte Handley-Green, who has styled Gabby Logan for two decades. “Gabby is so organized, we started planning for this about two months ago. I spent the whole day at her house. We did the fittings and took pictures.”
For Logan, there was no need for a major shopping spree. “We always start with her wardrobe,” Handley-Green explains. “We go back and see what we can reuse, that’s really important. Over the years we’ve [accumulated] “important pieces that we use again and again.”
Among the re-wears are an Isabel Marant dress she wore to Wimbledon earlier this year and a beige Reiss dress she’s had so long she describes it as “vintage” on Instagram (not that it looks the least bit old). In fact, Logan only made one new purchase for this stint in Paris, a mint green Victoria Beckham dress. Big points for sustainability, and proof that you can wear the same thing more than once on TV these days.
For athletes who have only recently made the transition to commentary, putting together a presenter-worthy wardrobe is still a lot of work.
Take Rebecca Adlington, who has won praise from viewers for her colourful printed dresses, all from high street or independent brands. “I have about 40 [different looks]and we needed nine. She ended up taking 14 total,” says Martine Alexander, who styles Adlington.
“We always have at least two backups, because the BBC can say, ‘Oh, can you do this last minute addition?’ And it can also be on green screen, so you can’t have anything with green in it. So we just have to make sure that as well as the outfits that we know, there’s also [extra] just in case. We didn’t know what the studio would look like, so we had to prepare for all eventualities.”
A stylist also has to consider whether the presenter is sitting or standing, the likelihood of the garment wrinkling, the temperature at the location or in the studio, and what the co-presenter is wearing. “We don’t know what their [co-presenter] will wear, but we look at their personal style and reflect that,” says Alexander. For a particularly warm environment (in the swimming arena and the Stade de France, it is is called) she will also provide her clients with armpit pads to prevent sweat stains on their clothes.
In general, presenters avoid black, grey and navy blue on television, as it can look a bit dull on screen. “Bright white can also cause lighting issues,” says Jacqui Akrofi, who styled former sprinter Jeanette Kwakye for her appearance in the BBC Paris studio. “I didn’t dress Jeanette in green and similar shades to avoid her blending in [a green screen] background, [while] “Small, busy prints were avoided because of the possibility that they could cause visual distortions on the camera.”
Beware of the OTT outfit, though, because fashion should never distract from the task at hand. “We definitely make sure the clothes don’t do the talking,” says Handley-Green. “[Logan] looks well groomed for the work she does, but it’s not too distracting.”
The styling process is always more efficient when the stylist and client have worked together before. That’s true for Logan and Adlington too. “We just get each other and we’re really honest with each other, so it’s a dynamic that works well,” Alexander says of working with the swimmer.
And when the styling is right, the audience really responds. When Adlington wore a dress by small label Raishma to present the men’s 4x200m relay last week, the brand was completely unprepared for the impact on its business. “We had a flood of orders and wondered if there was a glitch on the website,” admits designer Raishma Islam. “She’s worn our dresses in the past, but we’ve never had a reaction like that.”
A pair of Wyse sandals and a ’70s-inspired dress from Boden, which Adlington also wore last week, are also nearly sold out.
Joining Logan in the BBC Sports booth at the Stade de France were two other fashion stalwarts: Dames Denise Lewis and Jessica Ennis-Hill. They held their own as commentators, while staying true to their personal style.
For Lewis, it’s all about the tailored silhouette, which looks clean and dramatic on screen. She wears block-coloured tailoring by The Fold and Holland Cooper, and a rust orange belted dress by Karen Millen.
Ennis-Hill’s choices were more playful; a silky red co-ord by Claudie Pierlot looked sleek and effortless, as did her broderie Anglaise lace Sandro dress. She’s worn a lot of French labels; a nod to the hosts, for sure.
And you don’t have to be a TV presenter to embrace these style lessons—they can benefit any wardrobe. Wear comfortable clothes. Avoid fabrics that wrinkle easily. Stick to clean silhouettes and choose prints with distinction. And always, always start by finding the gems you already own.
That’s the formula for looking good on screen or off. No stylist needed.