Ralph Lauren's Olympics Opening-Ceremony Outfits: Ad or Uniform?
Ralph Lauren is undeniably a well-known U.S. label. Yet when the design house's logo — a large polo horse — appeared opposite the Olympic Rings on the breast of the opening uniform for the 2008 Games, it didn't do much for national pride. Instead, the preppy outfits, which also appeared to be poorly tailored on some athletes (probably due to the fact that they were rush manufactured in China, were decried by the public as an attempt to turn the United States’ most-elite athletes into walking billboards for Ralph Lauren. While some fashion critics hailed the look as classically American, others claimed that the navy blazers, white pants, blue-and-red ties and white newsboy caps made the athletes appear as rich snobs who are more likely to find themselves at the country club than on the world's biggest athletic stage.