Hot looks and Heated Rivalry: Team Canada fashion statements

This cloth and leather Team Canada jacket from the 1998 Nagano Games is a stunner. It was designed by Roots Canada and features embroidered elements. If you look closely, you might notice an autograph in gold marker on the left sleeve.

This jacket belonged to Elvis Stojko, the legendary Canadian figure skater. He won a silver medal at the Nagano Olympics. His distinguished skating career inspired generations of figure skaters who came after him.

These eye-catching silver cowboy boots are over the top in the best way. They belonged to Joyce Hipkin. Joyce and her husband Bob were two of the 960 square dancers featured in the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

These boots are a reminder that the Calgary Olympics inspired huge civic engagement. More than 20,000 Calgarians volunteered at the Games, including 9,400 in the opening ceremonies. The square dancers put in more than 100 hours rehearsing for this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

You might remember the red mittens that exploded in popularity during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Long before those famous mittens, these leather gloves brought red, white, and maple leaf style to the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics. Their strong ‘70s look would be an amazing retro vibe today.

This pair belonged to alpine skier Kathy Kreiner, who grew up in Timmins, Ontario. She won a gold medal in the giant slalom in Innsbruck. This was Canada’s only gold medal at the Games. Kreiner was awarded the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s top female athlete and was later inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

This is one of several fur hats worn by Team Canada athletes. Its distinctive style and height are notable — it stands 17 cm tall.

This beauty belonged to Sheldon Galbraith. He was one of the most distinguished figure skating coaches in Canadian history. As head coach of the Olympic team, he wore this hat to the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo and 1960 Squaw Valley Olympic Games.

Over his 40-year coaching career, he taught many world and Olympic champions, including Barbara Ann Scott, Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden, Barbara Wagner and Bob Paul, and Donald Jackson. Galbraith was as innovator. He often incorporated unconventional tools and practices that pushed the science and art of his sport.

The simple design and retro feel of this wool sweater really caught our eye. Its red torso, with an embroidered Canadian Olympic Association crest, offers a contrast to the red stripes and maple leaf design on the white sleeves. Its bold use of Canada’s colours: flawless.

This is a piece from a team-issued uniform at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. This sweater belonged to Claire Potvin, who worked as Manager, Accreditation Processing for the Canadian Olympic team. Behind-the-scenes staff and volunteers make events like the Olympics possible.