Inspired by FloJo, Jordan Chiles Reveals How Fashion Plays Integral Role in the Gymnast’s Career: ‘Shows a Different Side of Me’

While fashion and gymnastics are two different worlds of their own, they have been known to cross paths every now and then. From the iconic Florence Griffith-Joyner to today’s Sha’Carri Richardson, athletes often turn to fashion to make themselves stand out from the rest of the pack. For Olympian and World Championships gold medalist Jordan Chiles, too, the way she looks while in action isn’t something to be ignored.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar published on July 15, Chiles talked about how she embraced and incorporated fashion extensively in her routines ever since she learned about the power it holds. “One thing about beauty is … I had to get taught to embrace it when I was younger,” said the gymnast about how her makeup is never off-point.

Chiles, who is about to make an appearance in her second Olympic Games in Paris, also noted how dressing up and doing her makeup was something she found to be “fun“. The 23-year-old confessed: “It shows a different side of me.” The UCLA Bruins star also stated that going to a school where she was in the minority also gave her the opportunity to embrace her identity and style herself. “I went to a predominantly white school growing up, so I was a typical Black girl thinking she was white. I had to be able to figure out how to embrace myself and my beauty,” claimed the two-time NCAA Championships gold medalist.