ABC News' Sharyn Alfonsi reports:
They are the pride of America - Team U.S.A. - and for the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in London, they'll be proudly wearingred, white and blue, from beret to blazer.
They are the pride of America - Team U.S.A. - and for the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in London, they'll be proudly wearingred, white and blue, from beret to blazer.
The classic American style - shown in an image above - was crafted by designer Ralph Lauren. But just how American is it?
When ABC News looked at the labels, it found "made in China."
Every item in the uniforms that the U.S. athletes will be wearing at the opening ceremony in London will carry an overseas label.
Nanette Lepore, one of the top U.S. fashion designers, said she was shocked that none of the uniforms had been made in the states. Further, Lepore said that it was "absolutely" possible that the athletes could have been outfitted in U.S.-made clothing. She said U.S. manufactures could have easily made the uniforms - and for less.
Here's how much the uniforms cost:
"Why shouldn't we have pride not only in the American athletes, but in the American manufacturers and laborers who are the backbone of our country?" Lepore said to ABC News. "Why? What's wrong? Why was that not a consideration?"
ABC News reached out to Lauren and the U.S. Olympic Committee and asked why American-made clothing had not been selected for the athletes.
The committee said: "The U.S. Olympic team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors. We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company."
It is outrageous to read the cost, if true represents doing business as usual, i.e., corruption. More outrageous is outsourcing especially at a time when unemployment is 8.2% and rising, and economy is faltering. I think more important than looking uniform, American Olympians must be seen proud of America, so I suggest if it is too late to produce the needed uniforms Made in the USA, athletes and officials must appear in clothing that represent the USA belonging to them. That is until an investigation is carried out and corruption is uprooted.
ReplyDeleteRaafat Zaki