The practice of branding clothes with status logos began back in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, I believe, when The Jantzen Girl appeared on women’s bathing suits, and the famous alligator logo showed up on a knit tennis shirt designed by French tennis player Rene Lacoste. Thanks to the economic conditions of the Great Depression and World War 2, austerity kept the practice from proliferating greatly.
However, during the boom times of the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s, product-stamped clothing became the rage. Teenagers wouldn’t be caught dead in a plain tee shirt, and even sneakers sported identifying marks like Nike’s “swoosh.” At first it was sewn things like that alligator, but soon silk-screened designs incorporating manufacturer logos caught up with the tide.
The manufacturers, of course, were thrilled: all that free advertising walking around! The wearers had the smug knowledge that their clothing pronounced them as “with it,” or at least able to pay a premium for branded clothing.
I remember my grandmother’s pronouncement that the whole idea was vulgar and smart-alecky. “Conspicuous consumerism,” she sniffed, “and just plain tacky.” Perhaps a bit of that attitude rubbed off on me, because although I own more than a few items sporting logos, not one of them is on an important piece of clothing that I would wear to church or a business meeting or a wedding. Surely the Olympic uniforms qualify for the same kind of respect. They are something that should be above crass commercialism.
For me, the problem with the Olympic jackets and shirts boils down to this: Couldn’t our athletes just be resplendent young folk in well-designed red, white and blue outfits? Must they be walking billboards for Ralph Lauren’s company? They are supposed to be representing all of America, not just a single corporation. It should be enough for the designer to take his bow in the newspapers that tell us about his designs, or in paid advertizing in newspapers, magazines, and television. No matter how haute the RL name, no matter how powerful the man behind it, the Olympics is about amateur sport and the young folks who participate in it as representatives of our country. All of it.
If Congress wants to stamp its collective feet and complain about putting the manufacture of the clothes into foreign hands, it might first consider requesting that the uniforms of the 2014 Winter Olympics aren’t walking billboards for one particular American company. I have great respect for Mr. Lauren and all he has accomplished in his life. His designs are lovely enough to serve as their own advertisement, if that is his aim, without the mini-billboard on the chests of our splendid athletes.
Oh, and by the way, has anyone checked to see where all those little American flags our athletes will be carrying and waving were manufactured?
©2012 Julia Sneden for SeniorWomen.com
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