If you’ve been following the BBC’s Olympic coverage over the last two weeks, you’re probably starting to consider Keely Hodgkinson, Adam Peaty and Alex Yee to be your close friends.
And what about Gabby Logan, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Rebecca Adlington and the others who supported us throughout the process?
You may have noticed that there is a completely different set of games being played in the studio. The aim is to look good on screen day in and day out and not to take away from the sporting achievements that are taking place.
Obviously, they’re not in competition with each other, but all presenters face the same challenges, and the way they overcome them is masterful. There were no wardrobe malfunctions, no viral fashion fails, not even a wrinkled blouse – an impressive feat considering the heat in the swimming arena and at the Stade de France.
Dressing for a live television appearance is no soft sport. It requires planning, coordination, and a deep understanding of what works and what doesn’t on screen. It’s no wonder, then, that all of the best-dressed presenters in the game rely on the help of professionals.
“We never leave him alone [until the] “It’s last minute, that’s for sure,” says Charlotte Handley-Green, who has styled Gabby Logan for the past two decades. “Gabby is so organised, we prepared for this about two months ago. I spent the whole day at her house, trying everything out and taking photos.”
At least for Logan, it didn’t require a major shopping spree. “We always start with his wardrobe,” Handley-Green explains. “We go back and see what we can reuse, which is really important. Over the years, [accumulated] “Key pieces that we use over and over again.”
Among the re-wear items are the Isabel Marant dress she wore to Wimbledon earlier this year and a beige Reiss dress she’s had for a long time and describes on Instagram as “vintage” (it’s not really old in the slightest). In fact, Logan only made one new purchase for this Paris assignment, a mint green Victoria Beckham dress. Full marks for sustainability and proof that you can wear the same thing more than once on TV these days.
Creating a wardrobe suitable for presenting for athletes who are new to commentating is an issue that needs to be worked on more.
Take Rebecca Adlington, who has been praised by viewers for her colourful printed dresses – all from high street or independent brands. “I’ve made about 40 [different looks]and we needed nine. It took 14 in total,” says Martine Alexander, who shaped Adlington.
“You always have at least two backups, because the BBC might say, ‘Can you do this last-minute addition?’ It could also be on a green screen, so there can’t be anything green in it. So as well as the clothes that we know, [extra] “Just in case. We didn’t know what the studio was going to be like, so we had to be prepared for every eventuality.”
A stylist also needs to consider: whether the host will be sitting or standing, the likelihood of wrinkling the clothing, the temperature in the venue or studio, and what the co-host might be wearing. “We don’t know what they’re wearing [co-presenter] clothing, but we look at their personal style and reflect that,” says Alexander. Especially for a warm environment (at the swimming arena and the Stade de France) hot), also provides its customers with underarm pads to prevent sweat marks from remaining on their clothes.
As a general rule, presenters avoid black, grey and navy on TV because it can look a little dull on screen. “Bright whites can also cause lighting problems,” says Jacqui Akrofi, who styles former sprinter Jeanette Kwakye in the BBC Paris studio. “I avoided dressing Jeanette in green and similar shades because [a green screen] background, [while] “Small, dense prints were avoided due to the potential for causing visual distortions in the camera.”
But be careful with ATT clothing, because fashion should never distract from the task at hand. “We definitely keep in mind that clothes don’t do the talking,” Handley-Green says.[Logan] “It looks appropriate for what it’s doing, but it’s not too distracting.”
The styling process is always more efficient when the stylist and client have a history of working together. That’s true for Logan and Adlington, too. “We get each other and we’re very 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 from small label Raishma to present the men’s 4x200m relay last week, the brand was completely unprepared for the impact it would have on business. “We started getting an uptick in 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 seen a reaction like this.”
The Boden Wyse sandals and 70s-inspired dress Adlington wore last week are also nearly sold out.
Joining Logan on the BBC Sports stand at the Stade de France were two other fashion powerhouses: Dames Denise Lewis and Jessica Ennis-Hill, who retained their places as commentators and stuck to their personal style.
For Lewis, it was all about the tailored silhouette that looked clean and effective on screen. She wore colour-blocked tailoring from The Fold and Holland Cooper, as well as a rust orange belted dress from Karen Millen.
Ennis-Hill’s choices were more playful; a silky red suit from Claudie Pierlot looked sleek and effortless, as did a broderie Anglaise lace Sandro dress. She wore a number of French brands—definitely a nod to her hosts.
And you don’t have to be a TV presenter to embrace these style lessons—they’re a great addition to any wardrobe. Get comfortable. Avoid fabrics that wrinkle easily. Stick to clean silhouettes and be selective in your patterns. And always, always start by looking for jewelry you already own.
This is the formula for looking good on and off screen. No stylist needed.