Ralph Lauren Speaks on Olympic Controversy

Image by Getty Images

By Blair Thornburgh July 18, 2012

How could all-American designer Ralph Lauren — the one practically synonymous with polo and preppy pool parties — be anything but a dyed-in-the-wool patriot? The iconic design house and its founder (born Ralph Lipschitz) had barely stitched up the blazer-and-slacks uniforms for the US Olympic team to wear to the games’ opening ceremonies before country-loving critics began to pick them apart.

Fox and Friends, perhaps predictably, found the outfit’s kicky berets (I’m sorry–freedom hats) insufficiently American, while the NY Post chided the “chichi” togs for being better suited to a “Hamptons lawn party” than an international competition.

But, aesthetics aside, it’s the preptastic ensemble’s provenance that’s particularly provoking patriotic passions. Earlier this month, ABC News reported that every piece of the uniform was manufactured not dutifully domestically, but abroad in far-off China.

And for what may be the first time, fashionistas and fervent flag-wavers joined forces to speak out. Designer Nanette Lapore implored us to have pride not just in American athletes, but in American manufacturers as well,. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, with rhetoric a bit more fiery — literally — upped the ante and called for the uniforms to be burned at the stake.

Doing their best to salvage their star-spangled street cred, Ralph Lauren finally broke their silence on Monday to issue a statement that glosses over the pedigree of this year’s look and passes the buck ahead to the 2014 games, saying that they have “committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States.” In the meantime, those unruffled by outfits that need a passport to pass into our borders can pony up a cool $795 for the blue-blooded blazer at Ralph Lauren’s online outpost.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO