Well incredibly Maine’s Governor LePage has kept his foot out of his mouth for about 24 hrs so how about a little US Olympic team fashion news for a hot summer night? Just in case anyone has missed it.
Not sure where the story broke but I first read a couple days ago in a press release from Senator Bernie Sanders that the new US Olympic team uniforms were made in China. An unusually aggressive Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to pile the uniforms up and burn them. Bernie Sanders doesn’t necessarily want them burned but he sensibly wonders why they weren’t made in the US.
Sanders said. "At a time when millions of Americans are unemployed, there is no reason why U.S. Olympic uniforms are not being manufactured in the U.S. This action on the part of the U.S. Olympic Committee is symbolic of a disastrous trade policy which has cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and must be changed."
Democrats and Republicans are now in rare agreement that manufacturing the official berets, blazers, pants and shoes in China is a bad thing.
On their website, the AFL-CIO published a list of US companies that could handle manufacturing the Ralph Lauren polo branded uniforms. They say it could be done for less than the reported cost of $1,945 for the men’s outfit and $1,473 for the women’s. The union website also includes this comment from the NY Daily News fashion writer:
There’s something that Ralph does that often times can look costume-y. . .It was a combination of things to me: rich, British private school kids. . .and Mr. Howell from ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ I wasn’t sure if they were really chic crossing guards or Olympians.”
it’s not like every other uniform, shoe and item of equipment was made in the USA. Let’s all get distressed about Ralph Lauren and call ourselves political activists.
That is all.
It’s beyond me why Ralph Lauren gets the perpetual nod anyway; but then so much about the Olympics sets my teeth on edge.
The talent of the athletes is undeniable but the packaging of the competition is just over-hyped, over-priced corporate/nationalistic hooey.
I would greatly prefer it if the “Olympics” claimed to be about nothing more than what it is: individual athletic excellence.
The reason the American Olympic uniforms aren’t made in the USA is that Americans want to get paid for working. Chinese work for almost nothing and the Ruling Class wants that here as well.
The IATSE union, the one that (among other things) makes clothing for movies, has offered to make all the uniforms right now in time for he Opening Ceremonies. Obviously they have been turned down – because they want to get paid for their work and that’s now considered ‘unamerican’.
From an email I received:
IATSE OFFERS TO PROVIDE U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM UNIFORMS
New York, July 13 – On the heels of the outrage expressed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other members of Congress, that the uniforms to be worn by the U.S. Olympic team were made in China rather than the United States, the IATSE has stepped up to help our athletes proudly wear garments made in the U.S.A.
IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb offered the services of the IATSE’s 44 chartered theatrical wardrobe unions in the U.S. who are ready, willing and able to assist in the production of the uniforms.
President Loeb stated, “Our people design and build costumes for all sorts of events and entertainment and have done so since 1893.” With the Olympics opening day ceremonies scheduled just two weeks away in London, President Loeb added, “Members of the IATSE create all types of clothing under the tightest of schedules and we welcome the opportunity to be engaged by the U.S. Olympic Committee to help produce these uniforms with skilled American workers. We are extremely proud of our U.S. Olympic team as they represent us in the London games, but we want them also to be proud to wear uniforms that were made by workers in their own homeland.”