Calling All Fashion Police: The Olympic 2012 US Uniforms

Filed in National by on July 12, 2012

The uniforms (at least the Opening Cenremony ones) were unvieled this past Tuesday and they aren’t getting good reviews. Designed by Ralph Lauren and Made in China, these uniforms seem to be a disappointment everywhere. “Think “Chariots of Fire” meets American Airlines flight attendant.

Take a look:

Yikes! I am not a fan of the Big Logo, and really, how boring can you get? And the 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.

The biggest sins seem to be that these uniforms are made in China and that the berets are – gasp! – foreign. Never mind that your US Army wears berets (at least, some of them do).

What do you think about these uniforms?

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"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." -Shirley Chisholm

Comments (15)

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  1. X Stryker says:

    Barf. Looks like GI Joe as imagined by Old Navy.

  2. MrsXStryker says:

    Is it me or does it look like the woman has been photoshopped into the picture? Like an afterthought. “Oh shit, we have female athletes too? Well crap, better get one in the photo!”

  3. puck says:

    This never happened when Mitt Romney was running the Olympics.

  4. V says:

    I don’t mind berets in general (though truth be told the don’t really scream american as headwear goes and these look like something Sam Jackson would wear) but i dont know why there need to be silly hats at all. If i remember in winter uniforms also entailed some sort of silly hat. At least then their ears were probably cold. Also the ladyscarf is ugly.

    I hope Ralph gets all the derision for the made-in-china stuff. I’m sure it’s cheaper, but he missed marketing GOLD (pun intended) by not making them in the US.

  5. cassandra_m says:

    That is a good point about the woman in the photo, Mrs. X. She does look like an afterthought. And what about those anklets she is wearing? The last time I wore anklets with a skirt I was in Catholic school.

  6. Mrs XStryker says:

    Also, Cass, when you were in Catholic school, the skirt was not as long as that monstrosity.

    And I concur with V on the made-in-China business.

  7. Jason330 says:

    I just heard Harry Reid say that the uniforms should be placed in a big pile and burned. Someone put something in Ol’ Dusty’s Metamucil.

  8. Jason330 says:

    The men’s double breasted Navy jackets are sharp with white pants. (logos should be outlawed)
    The hats are stupid.
    The ladies outfit is crap.

  9. Dorian Gray says:

    Let’s be very honest. I’ve met many of you and I really think that when speaking of fashion you just may be out of your depths.

    The color scheme is really smart, especially for summer. Love the ties on the men and the scarfs on the ladies. Not a fan of the double breasted jackets, but it does differentiate the men from the ladies. The women’s skirts are meh. I don’t really like the pleats. I’d like maybe a more straight, pencil look. The white shoes are spectacular and a sharp look for summer.

    One point of agreement… the berets are total shit.

  10. SussexWatcher says:

    They were rejected costumes from Magic Mike.

  11. Joanne Christian says:

    Yes, Dorian, maybe for America’s Cup–but really–wrestlers, and basketballers? And what a useful white shoe–croquet w/ the Gatsbys’, or your 1960’s on call medical intern AKA Dr. Kildare? At least let Nike have a shot at it.

    It is a sharp, crisp look–but for the Olympics?

    Everyone copied the bathing suit w/ the US flag from 1972, and America loved the beret from winter 2000, but this one will only see mass marketing of that tie and scarf. Everything else–unsensible, or too elitist as a standard look.

    But the beret–I can get into that–maybe there’s some kinship w/ these guys:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dutNBC36Eyo

  12. puck says:

    What is the point of this foppery? How about blue warmup suits tastefully trimmed with red and white? Or something along those lines.

  13. V says:

    Puck, those exist too. These are for the opening ceremony.

    I would have either liked to see maybe somethink like a wrap dress for the ladies. Remember lots of those swimmers and gymnasts have amazing broad muscular shoulders. Something a little softer may have been more flattering on them than that blazer.

  14. puck says:

    The ancient Olympians competed naked. Just saying.

  15. cassandra_m says:

    The folks at Deadspin round up the best of the Fox Nation comments on these uniforms:

    Mchele must of had fun designing the uniforms with RL and since she will represent us I imagine she had a fun hand with it. They just as well something really big and ugly like the hats Bella Abzug used to wear. Perhaps, having rainbow colored outfits was considered too expensive, even if it would have delighted obama’s LGBT voting faction. Gotta love a metro sexual US Olympic team…….NOT. Well at least they got to save money by not needing any zippers…………..seeing as the men already look castrated…..