On berets, red felt poor boy caps, and mittens

Ryan Lochte (Swimmer) in Ralph Lauren 

Last week, American sports wear giant Ralph Lauren was raked though the mud (most hilariously by Fox news ... I mean, Gretchen Carlson is right, "beret" sounds way too "French") for outsourcing the production of  their Olympic wear. That's right, even though Ryan Lochte looks preppy and All-American in the ads, the items were all "Made in China." A slap in the face to American industry? Absolutely. But Harry Ried's (very reasonable?) call to burn everything and start from scratch was perhaps a tad impractical given that the games are literally around the corner. Though the furor that emerged does bring up some interesting questions about the commercialization of nationhood as well as the branding involved in patriotism and the Olympics. 


The choice of Ralph Lauren is an interesting one because its aesthetic has always been "preppy" (NB: American Prep is synonymous with the "Sloane Ranger" in UK") and its clothes out of the price range of most people. By donning these uniforms, Team USA is projecting an image of America that only a select privileged cadre of people actually experience. I know everyone summers in the Hamptons now but really? What message does this send to the plethora of other groups in the United States that count themselves proudly as Americans? Is this all about style and no substance?


Canadian athletes were first dressed by Roots Canada Limited for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. Roots, founded in 1973, began making leather footwear in Toronto. The brand has since widened its reach to luggage, fashion accessories and active wear that all evoke a specific image of life in the Canadian wilderness. It is an image that the founders created based on their own camping adventures in Algonquin Park. So, think beavers, canoes, log cabins, and plaids worn by burly lumberjacks. Think cozy. Think rustic. In 1998, the company gained international exposure with those red felt poor boy caps. Remember those?!  I remember being on a 4 week wait-list to buy our hats! Those red hats and patch-covered letterman jackets were a phenomenon and skyrocketed a moderate sized Canadian retailer to global stardom overnight. They were even making Olympic kits for Team USA (2002 & 2004) and Britain (2002). Scandalous! Do all Canadians camp? No. But, the symbols Roots collected in their vision of "Canada" were relatively benign. And it's hallmark items are all made here. More importantly, Roots' overall style is much more low-key, which is something with which Canadians can relate. Roots has been unabashed about the "I love Canada" ethos behind their brand and consumers have happily bought into that.

The ubiquitous red felt cap Image from roots.com

And what about the Brits in 2012? Stella McCartney, in partnership with Adidas, is responsible for the home team's uniforms. Is Stella McCartney the most natural choice? She does have impeccable pedigree. And, she is definitely a shining example of a great generation in British fashion design. But, why not Burberry, Barbour, or (the Duchess' favourite) Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen? What makes Stella McCartney's designs uniquely representative of modern Britain at these games? Shouldn't the athletes be wearing a lot of Scottish wool, deerstalker cap, and Hunter wellies? Crude stereotypes, I know. I wonder whether this McCartney gear is all "Made in Britain." I'm sure Boris is on top of all of that ... right IdleHistorian? Would Britons be up in arms if it were revealed that the items weren't produced in British factories ... or is that terribly un-British? 

Andy Murray, Tennis

What each team wears and the symbols used to represent a country at the Olympics is integral to creating national identity. Consumers are actually buying (into) tokens that represent national pride and patriotism. Some countries seem to understand this better than others.


@SloaneScholar1


I have always been a big fan of the Roots Olympic gear, and I will wear my 2002 Salt Lake City Games merch with pride at the Olympics this year. (I mean, it's still the same country, right? It's not like they changed the name or anything. This whole buying new gear every Olympics thing is firmly overrated. I'm going retro and cheap. There's a recession on! End of aside.)


My big bugbear with the Canadian Olympic Committee is that they have disastrously given the official-clothing-maker contract to the Hudson's Bay Company, a company which couldn't possibly sound more Canadian, but is in fact owned by American Target.

Fits like a glove

So sign me up right there next to the congressmen making a fuss about Ralph Lauren's athletics wear being made in China. The Hudson's Bay Company doesn't come close to representing "Canadianity" in the same way that Roots does. Plus their lame red maple leaf mittens are no where as cool as the Roots beret in its heyday.


H.