Olympic Fashions Unveiled
"Photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren
With a little over two weeks until the kick off of the Summer Olympics, brands have started to debut their Olympic wear for athletes and fans.
Ralph Lauren, the official sponsor for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, made waves this week debuting its line of navy blue berets, double-breasted blazers and preppy pants and skirts, with ""Slate"" magazine calling it “revenge of the Olympic beret” and the ""Wall Street Journal ""stating the uniforms are “preppy and ultra Americana, just sleek enough for an Andover grad. They are Nantucket in the summer of 1980, with a hint of Thurston Howell III.”
No one can deny they’re snappy, although some might say they look a little less Greek God and a little more Great Gatsby or Julie McCoy, cruise director. Criticisms of the line have now been eclipsed by upset over the uniforms being ""manufactured in China""."
"Photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren
Nike will supply the podium gear for all U.S. athletes during the medal presentations, in addition to outfitting U.S. track and field athletes in suits that Nike says could shave up to 0.023 seconds off running times."
"Photo courtesy of Nike
Depending on the sport, apparel can be qualified as a uniform or a technical piece of equipment. In sports such as gymnastics, all members of the team must wear the same uniform since it is not a piece of equipment and doesn’t contribute to performance. In sports such as swimming and track and field, athletes can choose the apparel that best suits their needs, since it is considered technical equipment.
Some brands also have sponsorships with specific countries, teams or athletes. Speedo is the official outfitter of the U.S. swim team, which means the company will supply the official on-deck outfits of the U.S. swim team, including a parka, track jacket and pants, but the swimmers are free to choose what they want to wear in the water.
Photo courtesy of Speedo
"The futuristic swimwear of the 2008 Olympics that caused accusations of technological doping is no longer allowed, and Arena, Speedo and TYR are among the brands that will be debuting their latest hi-tech suits in the water.
Other brands getting in on the Olympic action include Stella McCartney and Adidas for the British Olympic team, Puma and Cedella Marley for Jamaica’s track and field wear, and Adidas for Olympic officials and Australia’s Olympic team.
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"Photo courtesy of Puma"
