Ralph Lauren Turns U.S. Athletes into Country Club Set
Friday August 8, 2008
I'm probably the only person who didn't love Ralph Lauren's Olympic Opening Ceremony look for the U.S. team, but the whole ascot/blazer/giant polo pony crest smacked of the uptight preppy set. And why does Ralph insist on dressing the women in the same stuffy getup (his wife Ricky is frequently photographed in menswear, so I guess I just answered myself)? See what Olympic teams from around the world are wearing in the Olympic Fashion Photo Gallery. (Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Not only did I not love the outfits, I didn’t even like them.
There were a few clips where you can tell the athletes were done with the hats, which made me think of “Newsies” (by the way, I just found out Christian Bale starred in that movie. Who knew?).
We were dressed similar to a lot of other countries. The outfits were pretty forgettable…except for the prominent Ralph Lauren logo. I’m not saying we should go the way of the board shorts and sweat suits, but I think something a little more original could have been done.
Plus, on fashion.about.com/:
“Ralph Lauren — designer of the U.S. Olympic team’s uniforms — is the quintessential American designer. But that’s not where the uniforms were made. Instead, the uniforms were made in China by factory workers who had just 10 days to whip out 1,800 uniforms, Reuters reported.”
–And–
The U.S. Olympic team took a preppy turn in uniforms from Ralph Lauren. The U.S. designer chose navy blazers, white pants and caps that echoed everything from Chariots of Fire to the Great Gatsby (and more than one reporter quipped that the uniforms reeked of Thurston Howell III on Gilligan’s Island.)
Oops!
Outfits not withstanding, our athletes rock!
GO TEAM USA!!!!!