Not only do this year’s Team USA uniforms look a little militant, but it turns out the London Olympians’ duds were made in China, which, if you didn’t know, is not in the United States.
Classic Americana designer Ralph Lauren stylized the team’s opening ceremony uniforms, but outsourced the actual tailoring to China.
The men’s uniforms feature a blue blazer with Lauren’s large signature pony emblazoned on the chest, a white shirt, a red, white and blue tie and white slacks. The women’s version is similar, but features a silk blouse and white skirt rather than pants.
Both outfits are topped off by berets, which is a little more — je ne sais quoi…French — than American.
As the New York Daily News puts it:
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.
Perhaps the most egregious error in the outfitting of our nation’s greatest athletes is that this is the second time in four years that the Olympians’ uniforms were made in China. Back in 2008, the uniforms drew ire from critics for being created in China — and poorly at that. (BOOK: Olympians have wild drunken sex at Olympics)
One would think that during the most-watched international games, America would want to be represent itself with a “Made in America” label in the back of our athletes’ shirts.