<p>Most of the ultra-elite athletes – those with a serious shot at a gold medal in a well-known sport – won’t wear the Opening Ceremony uniforms anyway.</p>
<p>Those people rarely attend the Opening Ceremony, and they typically don’t stay in the Olympic Village until after their event is over. They’re too afraid of catching a cold or other bug from the many people who would be around them in these places. Even the most minor of illnesses could impair their performance enough to take them out of contention for the gold.</p>
<p>So the ugly uniforms will only be worn by people who have no chance of winning or who compete in sports so obscure that few people outside the sport care whether they win.</p>
<p>The faux congressional outrage is appalling.
They passed the trade laws that killed off every industry in this country except cars (and they tried to do away with that too). Now they shed crocodile tears and blame others because everything is made in China?</p>
<p>I cannot imagine that either Phelps, Lochte or the brand new 17 y o Olympian Missy Frnaklin will miss ceremony. I expect major wins from these athletes and hope they are very thick skinned not to pay any attention to this bizzare development due to very insensitive unpatriotic people mere 2 weeks before one of the biggest event in their lives.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP – I’m not seeing how it is “unpatriotic” to write that the uniforms are ugly. I think that’s taking, “My country right or wrong” way, way too far. </p>
<p>I can completely support the athletes without supporting the icky bobby socks/clodhopper shoes look for the women. </p>
<p>I agree, arabrab. There is nothing unpatriotic about saying those uniforms are ugly. Uniforms are different from the country. I think MiamiDAP might have exaggerated a bit saying it’s unpatriotic and insensitive to say the uniforms are ugly. The athletes did not designed them, and I bet many of them might find them ugly anyway. Nobody said anything bad about the USA, or the athletes. The only one that could potentially be ofended is Ralph Lauren, and he is a big boy.</p>
<p>Saddly, the US Olympic committee is a private corporation, and recevies no funding from the US governement. These athletes are representing a corporation, not the US government. And congress has no right waht so ever to tell the US Olympic committee where to have the clothes made, or that they should burn them. But it was a nice symbolic grandstanding. </p>
<p>I do believe that the athletes, in their hearts, feel they represent the US. It is just that on paper, they do not.</p>
<p>I like the Jamaican uniforms. They also have a militaristic look, that some here seem to see in the US uniforms and did not like. The woman’s skirt is also an A-line style like the US skirt. Another webpage, that I can’t figure out how to link here, shows the shoes that go with the Jamaican woman’s uniform, and they are black and clunky and I do not think they are particularly flattering, but I am not a style expert.</p>
<p>Before Harry Reid and other politicians get to burn the US Olympic uniforms I think we should demand every one of them to…Show Us Your Underwear!!</p>
<p>And show us the labels of all of your clothes so we can see what countries they were made in. Bunch of hypocrites.</p>
<p>^^Soccerguy, your comment is confusing. Ralph Lauren also provided the clothing in summer 2008 (also made in China). And we had a POTUS from a different party then. Doesn’t make any sense at all…</p>
<p>Marian (post #61), that comment is belittling to all the athletes who aren’t gold medal contenders. Even if they are not superstars whose name trips off your tongue, that does not mean they don’t deserve a uniform that is attractive and makes them feel good. Every single athlete (and coach) there has worked and sacrificed for most of their lives for this opportunity.</p>
<p>^^ I agree. Every athlete IN the Olympics is extremely elite, for one thing. Also, I know a number of Olympians (through the years) and they all stayed in the Olympic Village.</p>
<p>Occasionally an elite athlete will stay in a hotel instead of the village, at least for part of the time. Some of those “athlete” profiles have shown that. Maybe they are older (been there before), or REALLY don’t perform well if they don’t get proper sleep or can’t stay in their routine. Sometimes they move into the village after their event for a few days.</p>
<p>But almost all stay in the village. And they all deserve a positive experience. I say shame on those making a big fuss about this and distracting them in any way before the games. After the games, go ahead and pass a law or put pressure on the Olympic Committee to do this differently next time around. But I wish the media, politicians, and bloggers would just all give it a rest for now.</p>
<p>American Apparel manages to make perfectly decent clothing in Los Angeles, and both my children and I consider it comfortable and long-lasting enough to wear every day. </p>
<p>As for the hats, I love cowboy hats. I think cowboy hats and baseball caps are American to their core.</p>
<p>I don’t mind that the clothes were made in China. But the women’s outfits are ugly and the Polo emblem is TOO BIG–I think that Ralph Lauren overstepped in the fashion department–less would have been more.</p>
<p>I think the uniforms are very classy! I also know a few people that are working towards becoming Olympic athletes. They have committed a lot of time, effort and $$$$ getting to that position. No one wants to pony up the $$ to support them when they need it. I wonder how much money Senator Reed donated to the training of these athletes. </p>
<p>The athletes are not funded by the government. I don’t think people have the right to complain unless they have been involved in the process. Too little, too late.</p>
<p>Is RL at all concerned with the athletes or just using them for relatively low-cost advertising? It probably cost less to have the clothing produced in China than it would to purchase tv spots during the games…</p>
<p>At least let the females wear no-shows instead of bobby socks!!</p>