Ralph Lauren to make 2014 Olympic uniforms in the U.S.

[xchrom]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-olympic-fashion-20120714,0,750826.story


U.S. Olympic athletes, from left, swimmer Ryan Lochte, decathlete Bryan Clay, rower Giuseppe Lanzone and soccer player Heather Mitts model the official Team USA opening ceremony parade uniform. (Ralph Lauren / November 14, 2011)




At the Olympics in London, U.S. athletes are set to parade proudly behind the American flag in opening ceremonies later this month, but their made-in-China uniforms from designer Ralph Lauren are already creating a stir — and it's not just those wacky berets.

The decision to have the red, white and blue uniforms manufactured in China has provoked a storm of criticism in Congress, where "made in America" is always a popular election-year theme. The issue has rippled across the nation with frustration, resignation and understanding as the preppy outfits unveiled this week drew some unexpected attention.

In response to the controversy, Ralph Lauren Corp. announced Friday that it was committed to producing Team USA uniforms for the 2014 Winter Olympics in America.

"Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the United States," the company said.

[valerief]

1. Too late. He's already shit in his own bed. nt

[lunatica]

2. Ralph once again shows his hatred of women in that outfit

It's fucking shitty!

[alphafemale]

22. Offensive to carbon based life forms, actually.

That is ugly beyond reason. NAZI looking ugly.

[MADem]

3. Ugly ass French-Nazi looking things, made in China! Horrible!!!

Did that nitwit sit down and say "What costume can I invent that will look so ugly, so stupid, so moronic that people will be forced to play the 'Emperor's New Clothes' routine when they cast their eyes on these stupid articles of clothing? Oh, and how DUMB can I make an item of headgear look?"

And then, to outsource it to China....Ralph Lauren is a hackass!!! Yes, I invented that word! And it suits him!

[alphafemale]

21. responded to wrong post sorry nt

[ananda]

4. Well..

All Ralph Lauren does is design the clothes, not make them. That design franchise
doesn't care WHO makes them, as along as they profit from the designing. If it's
politically expedient to say Make in America, they'll say it. However, potential American
manufacturers of the designs do have a stake in this process; and I'll bet dollars to
donuts that they'd be willing to do it for slave-labor prices now that China is in the mix.

We've all been had, royally screwed mentally and physically, by outsourcing and criminal
business practices and union busting.. into being willing to take any kind of job without
any consideration of decent business and labor practices.. and be grateful for it. We've
been broken spiritually, psychologically, and physically. And now we're squabbling over
serf-labor jobs just to make uniforms....

[Safetykitten]

5. The Chinese are eating this up with a spoon.

[yardwork]

6. Why is is his logo on the Olympic uniforms?

That offends me. In addition to being ugly, foolish-looking, and unflattering to the beautiful bodies of the athletes, the uniforms actually have Ralph Lauren's commercial logo on them??!!

[Safetykitten]

7. Offensive does not even begin to describe this whole mess.

[blm]

10. Ralph is down with Bush Family's NWO. NWO replaces USA - corporations rule.

Citizens United assures that.

[suffragette]

11. The logo was the 1st thing I noticed and I agree it should not be on the Olympic uniforms

[obamanut2012]

18. That pisses me off at least as much

The HUGE Polo logo on the blazer, and little Polos all over the tie and dumb scarf. Nothing, or either USA or the Olympic rings.

Plus, the men's outfit was a nick under 2k, and the women's about $1,500.

Either new uniforms should be made NOW, or the athletes march in their podium suits.

[Sanity Claws]

8. Also get the goddamn polo pony off the outfit.

Polo is the sport of the rich 1%. It does not belong on an outfit for an egalitarian society.

[CrispyQ]

9. That "Project Runway" episode had better designs than this! --nt

[Honeycombe8]

12. He doesn't say that. Your report says he says he'll "address the issue of increasing manufacturing

in the United States." He may not even be referring to the Olympic outfits. Those are probably made already.

[xchrom]

13. it's not 'my' report is it?

it's an article in the L.A. times.

don't like it -- take it up with them.

[Honeycombe8]

14. I thought it was your subject line. Sorry. nt

[HereSince1628]

15. Because it would be pro-American for the bobsledder's uniforms to look like this:

[nolabear]

16. I'd love to hear some of the athletes; reactions to those togs.

They don't look like anything Americans wear, or are interested in, and they certainly don't look like anything athletes wear or are interested in. They're kind of French Boarding School. Fine if you're in a French boarding school, but a world-class track and field star parading on front of the world? No-ho-ho.

[obamanut2012]

19. The Women's Rowing Team got a polite dig in about the outfit

And made sure the press knew their training and racing uniforms were DONATED by Boathouse, a Philly company, and made at the plant right outside Philly.

[Romulox]

17. I'm not sure why we're supposed to care? Samsung, BMW, Panasonic, and many other foreign

companies are "official" sponsors of the US Olympic team.

But Harry Reid doesn't want to burn their BMWs....

[Iggo]

20. Too late, Ralph.

[sabrina 1]

23. They have a military aura about them, combined with commercialism, his logo eg. And made in China

to maximize profits. Actually they probably are suitable for the image people have now of the US thanks to Bush et al.

[FarCenter]

24. Where are all the uniforms and shoes they use to compete made?

I'm betting that most of the shoes come from Asia.

Probably the clothing as well.

The opening ceremony uniforms are only the tip of the iceberg.

The TeamUSA shop does not have country of origin information on their website.

http://www.teamusashop.com/

[myrna minx]

25. The uniforms are hideous and the arrogance of his logo out shining the athletes

is just disgusting.