Between Germany’s fabulous rainbow ensembles and Russia’s over-the-top figure skating outfits, Olympic fashion is a hot topic.
And America hasn't dissapointed. Team USA stepped on the scene looking particularly twattish in Ralph Lauren-designed sweaters, complete with patchwork knitted star-spangled swatches. The design has stirred a love/hate reaction, with Huffington Post calling the wares “distinctly American” — a glaringly absurd description.
The lines are distinctly male, complete with every country club staple: the shawl collar, while the thick yarn squares remind us of every unwanted handmade gift from our collective grandmother. We can’t say we weren’t warned though, as the sweater’s press release stated its creation drew from “a tradition of refined American style."
Why does it matter that Team USA’s garbs seem to be sewn for a garbled, buttoned-up version of the cast of Abercrombie & Fitch? Because in these rare moments of unity, we’d rather not watch our mosaic of athletes be re-imagined as anything other than they are: strong, courageous, and most importantly — diverse.
Ski team member Bobby Brown captured it best with this tweet, sent earlier in the week:
Image: Ralph Lauren
