Team USA's Closing Ceremony Uniforms Are Cool AF & You'll Want Every Patriotic Piece
If you're as sad as I am that the 2018 Winter Olympics are almost over, I have some good news for you. The Team USA closing ceremony uniforms are available for purchase, meaning you'll be able to get a wearable memento in honor of the games and allow them to live on in your heart (and on your body) forever. Plus, the pieces within the Team USA collection are actually cool AF so even if you're not preemptively lamenting the closing ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, you'll definitely still want to snag one.
If you’ll remember, the Team USA opening ceremony uniforms were designed by Ralph Lauren, whose clothing has defined American style for decades. Featuring a cozy red, white and blue striped coat (with an internal heating component!), a chunky knit sweater, elevated denim pants, and suede hiking boots, they were an eyeful of American pride. The look also included gloves, which proved to be highly controversial. Made from suede, they nearly reached to the athletes’ elbows and, as Town and Country Magazine reports, “the design is clearly a take on Native American gauntlets.” Lauren, who has been criticized for cultural appropriation in the past, has made no comment on the inspiration behind the gloves.
Much like we were given a sneak peek at the opening ceremony uniforms, we got a first look at the closing ceremony uniforms late last year. They were also designed by Lauren and stick to the Americana theme, though they are decidedly uncontroversial — I say this with absolute confidence. From head to toe, they feature a “TEAM USA” beanie, vintage-inspired neck scarf, color blocked sweater, white down jacket, navy fleece pants with a red stripe, and brown suede boots. Most items are, of course, a combination of red, white, and blue. My favorite part of the look are the knit mittens, which feature a red cuff and embroidery details of little stars and the words “TEAM USA.”
The best part of the uniform is how wearable it is IRL. You could take any singular piece from it and sport it on the regular, pairing the tops with any jeans and the jeans with any tops. Which makes the fact that you can actually buy each piece that much better. The Team USA collection is available at select Ralph Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren stores and on RalphLauren.com and TeamUSAShop.com. Ranging from $85 for a baseball cap to $995 for the suede boots, the items certainly aren’t cheap. But when it comes to commemorating an epic Winter Games, wouldn’t you be willing to pay a little bit extra?
Team USA Cotton Bandanna, $125, Ralph Lauren
So far, Team USA has won eight gold medals, seven silver medals, and six bronze medals, for a total of 21 medals. Despite the fact we took home 28 medals in 2014 and 37 in 2010, I’d say it’s still an incredibly impressive feat. It should also be noted that the games are occurring at a time when America's social divisions have been sadly illuminated — it's been an event for our country to come together over. When looked at from a more global perspective, the 2018 Olympics were also special in the fact that North and South Korea marched under a unified flag for the first time in 12 years. During a time of immense political and social tension between the two, that in itself is an event to be remembered.
Order yourself a sartorial Olympics memento, so when you’re all cuddled up on your couch on Sunday and watching the closing ceremony, you’ll know that little piece of the Winter Games is still on its way to you. And after that, start getting excited for the summer games in Tokyo in 2020. Any guesses on who you think will be designing those uniforms?
