The Hampton-ization of the Olympics
A cadre of fashion critics are going bananas over new U.S. Olympic outfits designed by Hamptons resident Ralph Lauren.
Personally, I’m a Polo guy myself, and if it weren’t for Polo collared shirts and khakis, I honestly would not know how to dress myself in the morning. I love the Hamptons look. It’s who I am as a human being, born and bred. (I wonder how many of the critics of the Olympic outfits are dressed in Ralph Lauren or Polo gear as they complain about the new outfits.)
Yahoo.com reports: “There’s something that Ralph does that oftentimes can look costume-y,” celebrity stylist Robert Verdi told the New York Daily News. “It was a combination of things to me: rich, British private school kids … and Mr. Howell from ‘Gilligan’s Island.'”
“Others are taking Ralph Lauren to task for the uniforms’ price tag and the fact they were made in China. If you want to dress like an Olympian this year, it will cost you more than $1,000.
Should Ralph Lauren be getting so much grief from the look? I mean, what do you expect from Ralph Lauren clothes? THIS IS THE LOOK when you wear the brand.
I’m honestly not the guy to be asking when it comes to fashion. I’d rock the blazer—I probably would be too shy to rock the beret or the white pants, but the blazer is cool. And to be complaining that the clothes are made in China? Let’s not be hypocrites here. Check yourself for a second, anyone raising this issue—I practically guarantee there is something that you are wearing that is made in China. It makes me mad that so many American companies are using China for cheap factory labor, but this isn’t news. And it’s sort of a separate issue here.
I think the last time the Olympics were held, people complained about the Ralph Lauren outfits. If Ralph Lauren designs the outfits for the next Olympics, he should just go nuclear and make the entire outfit out of stars and stripes, have it manufactured in a factory in Kentucky, and use baseball caps with an American flag so freaking big that it that it takes up the entire front of the hat, and on the sides have the Olympic logo and on the back have is say, “America…@#$@ YEAH!” Now that would give us something to talk about.
With that being said, the press really seems to be giving the outfits a beating. Should Ralph switch it up? What do you think?