In case you have any spare time during fashion week, you may have noticed the Winter Olympics are underway. Whether or not you enjoy watching these events, you no doubt are aware of the patriotism it evokes. This year that is particularly true for our neighbors to the north, who on Sunday finally won their 1st Canadian Gold Medal at home. It is a time where every country is on display and we all do our best to promote and portray what is best about our nation. In the opening ceremonies many countries went with native costume or apparel that represented their image, i.e. Bermuda’s team paraded into the cold Vancouver air, sporting red Bermuda shorts.
So what did the American team wear? They were sporting the all-American Ralph Lauren classic look. The winter puffer jackets in Navy and turtle necks were all very traditional Americana. And of course there was the American flag patch and official team USA appliqué. As a matter of fact Ralph Lauren is the Official Outfitter of the 2010 US Olympic Team. So we wondered, are the clothes actually American? Is the apparel made in the USA? They must be made domestically right? The Olympic gear couldn’t be outsourced to a third world country, could it? Well, unfortunately it can and it is!
If you check out RL website under the Olympic section you can get all the details and the products are clearly listed as “Imported.” Of course they are smart enough not to publish, “Made in China” but still we know what imported means and it’s not from Canada. But just to be sure, we contacted Ralph Lauren and inquired about the Men’s Opening Ceremony Team USA down jacket and asked where it was made. Guess what the answer was? Bangladesh! Not only that, but you can get your own for the low, low, “imported” price of $350. Really, what were they thinking? Seriously, the Olympics would never pick Nissan as the Official car of the Olympics (it’s Chevy) or Heineken as the official beer (it’s Budweiser) so why is the Official apparel made in Bangladesh?
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