Lawmakers outraged at “Made in China” Team USA uniforms
As the WNBA heads into the Olympic break and players begin their final preparation for the London games, Congressional lawmakers are furious that Team USA uniforms by Ralph Lauren were made in China.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that the U.S. Olympic committee “should be ashamed of themselves.” He also suggested destroying the uniforms.
“They should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them,” he said to reporters during a press conference on a jobs bill.
Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,” said USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky in a statement. “”We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America’s finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London.”
Fashion designer Nanette Lepore expressed shock that the uniforms were made abroad and contends that they could have been made cheaper in the United States. According to ABC News this is the breakdown of the final cost of the uniforms:
Men
- Beret – $55
- Tie – $125
- Belt – $85
- Shirt – $425
- Blazer – $795
- Trousers – $295
- Shoes – $165
Women
- Beret – $55
- Scarf – $58
- Belt – $85
- Shirt – $179
- Skirt – $498
- Blazer – $598
“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?”
