Official Olympics Outfit of Team USA: Chic or Dud?


Photo: Ralph Lauren

Behold the official Olympics outfits for Team USA. Designed by Ralph Lauren, the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, the new duds have got some people screaming foul:

Before they slip into something more comfortable, like say, leotards or weightlifting belts, Team USA will greet the world at the opening ceremony for the London Olympics in classic Americana style by Ralph Lauren.

Too bad they’re made in China — and that there’s a beret.
Men will wear navy blazers with the Olympic team patch, along with red, white and blue neckties and white pants. Women will pair the blazers with a white dress or skirt and a scarf.

Both blazers are emblazoned with the in-your-face “Big Pony” logo — a mistake say some branding experts and celebrity stylists.

And how much do they cost?

The price of all this made-in-China preppiness — if you for some reason want to buy it — $598 for the women’s blazer and $498 for the silk skirt. The men’s blazer is a staggering $795, flat front trousers $295 and nubuck shoes are $165. And that damn beret? $55.

Brian Niemietz of the NY Daily News has the story: Link 


It isn't just the beret that makes these outfits look European, it's the cut of the blazers and pants. Also, the women's scarf looks like the colors are the French blue, white, and red rather than our American red, white, and blue.

I have nothing against France, but this just doesn't look like a very American style.
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It looks like a bad wardrobe decision for a sci-fi dictatorship in a sci-fi channel original movie. Someone photoshop Bruce Campbell, Bruce Boxleitner, and/or a "pandaconda" into this pic please.

I claim all rights to "pandaconda." If anyone uses it, you owe me 10¢ licensing fee, because that is what such an atrocity is worth.
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The Chinese supplier most likely got paid like 5 bucks an item. I'm sure these are heavily upmarked, and the profit goes to.. guess who's logo's on the clothing?
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The Army ditched the beret earlier this year because it's a stupid, fruity hat fit only for frogs and Girl Scouts. Our olympians should refuse to wear them.
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DO NOT WANT! cowboy hats, Levis, and t-shirts would be American, this looks like North Korean Army style. They forgot the patch that says "Forgive us for being American"!
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Did no one notice that requiring skirts for the women is more than a tad sexist? They can take the stupid berets off (or trade 'em for other teams' headgear), but silk skirts for athletes? Gotta be kidding!
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I thought it was a joke at first...

And how the hayle did they agree to let RL put his gigantic arse logo on the jackets? Come on. The athletes are not competing for team RL, are they? It's appalling. If I were one of the athletes I'd cut of the #£@ logo, thread by thread, then send the threads to his idiotic highness (after having dipped them in something stinky).
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If we want a classic American look it should be jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball cap. These things look like waiter outfits at a yatch club.
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I liked this comment from the original article:

"If you want a hat for the Summer Olympics then just use a summer straw hat like men and women used to wear"

Someone has obviously never experienced a typical wet and miserable British summer (so far the wettest on record, blame the jet stream for its inconvenient wiggling). I'd like to know where the pictures of wellington boots and plastic overcoats are - they are going to need them.

The only people who think the clothes they wear are made in their own country are the people of China. And maybe India. Etc.
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"Classic Americana" my left foot. If you want that put 'em in a campaign hat (smokey the bear hat), a sweater that says "college," cargo shorts, and some of those disco shoes with the fish in 'em. And it'd look less ridiculous to boot.
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