Iconic brand in Men’s fashion Ralph Lauren has once again designed the uniforms to be worn by Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics. This time every article of the patriotic collection has been made in the USA by domestic craftsman and manufacturers. The 650 American athletes will attend the closing ceremony wearing classic red, white and blue colors, with a Nordic-style knit polo-neck sweater underneath a navy peacoat, winter hiking boots, and cream slim-fit fleece athletic pants. The woolen items from the collection were produced with sheep’s wool from a 142-year-old ranch in Oregon. The 6,250 pounds of Oregon wool were spun into 5,625,000 yards of yarn in Pennsylvania, which was in turn dyed in North Carolina, and then transported to California where it went into the 650 uniforms.
The brand debuted its new designs via a five-minute video on NBC’s Today Show to promote its commitment to design, source, and manufacture the pieces in the United States, working with 40 partners across the country from Oregon to New York City.
Ralph Lauren has outfitted Team U.S.A. since 2008, but sparked controversy prior to the 2012 Olympics in London after Congress alleged the company had outsourced its manufacturing overseas, especially China. The outcry spawned the ‘Team USA Made In America Act of 2012. ‘
The line of sweaters, cold weather accessories, and duffel bags — ranging from $55 to $295 — will hit the shelves at various retailers on November 15. A limited-edition Polo Bear dressed in the official Team USA Closing Ceremony uniform will also be available.
