That $8000 Seminar for Rush Week & Ralph Lauren Team USA Olympic Uniforms Follow Up

Hello-Hello and welcome to a weekend. Was this one a long time arriving for anyone else…?

We are brief today, just two tidbits to ponder, beginning with one we shared on Facebook (apologies for the repetition) earlier this week.  A story in The Times this Monday piqued our interest: “Pledge Prep” examines the growing industry getting girls ready for rush week.

In the South, where sororities have long been a momentous rite of passage, the road to sisterhood is long and not so clearly marked.

Abigail Sullivan Moore’s story introduces us to Rushbiddies, a service put together by two savvy women capitalizing on the concerns of those wanting to do well during recruitment. Or perhaps their mothers. Or both. At any rate, more from the piece:

About 50 mothers and their “chicks,” as the Biddies affectionately call them, attended one of their two-day workshops in April ($100 a couple), complete with mock rush party, wardrobe hints and paperwork prep.

And there is a mound of it. The smart rushee, the Biddies advise, will have a résumé stressing community service, leadership, academics and teamwork, letters of recommendation from alumnae of each chapter, preferably on the campus in question, and reference letters.

Below, members of Alpha Delta Pi at freshman orientation at George Washington University.

Luke Sharrett for The New York Times

We liked this description of rush week from another consultant cited in the story.

“Sorority recruitment is like no other experience that you will ever have for the rest of your life,” says Sunday Tollefson, author of “Rush Right: Reveal Your Best You During Sorority Recruitment.” “It’s like speed dating meets interviewing meets beauty pageant meets upscale academic summer camp, complete with a counselor.”

The Greek presence at the private women’s college yours truly attended was almost non-existent, it played almost no part in student life. However, TQM (The Queen Mother) was a founding member of the ΔΔΔ chapter at a Great Midwestern University, and oodles of friends did attend schools where this is critical, so we know a teeny bit about the apprehension and anxiety, the stress and strain surrounding recruitment.

But is is so bad this is necessary? Back to the Times story:

Ms. von Sperling offers a Friday-to-Sunday intensive, for $8,000. One day is devoted to carrying yourself properly and the art of conversation. Treat rush, she says, as you would a job interview. Avoid politics and religion. “I teach them how to make interesting small talk: what you saw at the cinema, a trip to Europe. I don’t know too many 20-year-olds who are having a debate about economics.” Another day is for getting physically ready — hair, makeup and wardrobe. Ms. von Sperling organizes “outfits down to accessories, completely strategized.” Just in case a client forgets, outfits are photographed and placed in a style file.

$8000?!? Paying someone to keep track of your clothing…? Methinks not. Harrumph.

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Also today, a topic that is perilously close to the “we don’t go there” zone.  But because we have long written about uniforms worn by Team USA at the Olympics, we thought we had an obligation to follow up on our original post showing the Opening Ceremony styles team members will be wearing in London a week from today, Friday the 27th. (Official start time is 4pm EDT, but I don’t believe NBC starts until 7 or 7:30pm EDT, it’s a classic “check your local listings” situation.)

Courtesy Photo

There has been plenty of controversy surrounding the  styles, understandably so.

The biggest to-do surrounded the fact the Ralph Lauren uniforms were made in China, not the USA. To be honest, I don’t believe Ralph Lauren has manufactured its Olympic apparel in the USA since at least the 2002 Games. I am unclear as to why this has touched a nerve in 2012 but wasn’t an issue in 2010, 2008, etc., those were also election years. (I am not defending the practice, far from it, merely mystified as to why the hullabaloo this go-round.)

Courtesy Photo

After the immense hue and cry was was resolved with pledge from the company garments will be US-made for the 2014 Winter Games, focus moved to the other issue. That would be the size of the Polo logo on the pieces.

Christina Binkley covers fashion at the Wall Street Journal, she shared some of her thoughts in the paper’s Speakeasy blog:

Let’s start with the Big Pony logo. This oversized version of the Polo Ralph Lauren logo is emblazoned on the left breasts of the just-revealed London Olympic uniforms for our U.S. athletes. A mite commercial, anyone?

In fact, the Big Pony dwarfs the American flag and Olympic rings that are emblazoned on the right breast. That is one giant pony.

Except those huge logos—a Big-Gulp-sized version of the demur small Polo pony—void all claims to classicism or elegance.

A quick Google reveals that Giorgio Armani’s uniforms for Italy’s athletes, and Stella McCartney’s designs for Britain’s are not awash in commercial logos. Our Big Ponies, though, will outshine the stars and stripes. Oh say can you see?

Below, a closer look at one of the Ceremony Blazers.

Polo Ralph Lauren

Here is perspective from a trade publication serving an entirely different industry, Media Post’s TV Blog:

With Ralph Lauren defusing some of the issue with the 2014 promise, hopefully there will be an uprising over a less important, but unfortunately too visible matter: Ralph Lauren’s Olympic designs. The over-commercialization of the Olympics continues and it’s hard not to look at Ralph Lauren as a personification.

The size of its iconic Polo logo on the U.S. uniforms – and other clothing to be worn at the Games, some of which was shown first on the “Today” show months ago — is gaudy.

Peter Kramer/NBC Today Show & Polo Ralph Lauren

From The Daily:

Oh, say can you see … the giant Ralph Lauren logo on Team USA’s uniforms?

And then there’s the issue of the Ralph Lauren “Polo Pony” logo, which is prominent throughout the collection, at times larger than the American flag and or Team USA crest. Polo isn’t even an Olympic event.

Of course, things can always be worse, we could be wearing the styles Spain will sport.

TIME

One company taking the high road is NBC, their on-camera looks for men are being done by classic clothier Hickey Freeman. (Some of the NBC women are wearing Doncaster, we hope to have more on that later.) This is what we’ll see on Bob Costas, Matt Lauer and the rest of the gentlemen; the pieces were made in the USA at the firm’s Rochester, N.Y. factory.

Courtesy Photos via WWD

Our favorite part? The understated “HF” and NBC Peacock logos in the crest, both smaller than either the UK or American flags. There’s a lesson in that for David Lauren.

The Preppy Princess Turns 500

Hello-Hello!

Happy Tuesday to everyone, and apologies for yesterday’s whineathon of a post, it was most unbecoming. We promise to be a better Princess today. In fact, today’s post is all sweetness and light. Seriously.

Because today marks our 500th post!

And to mark the occasion we are going to do something we’re not very good at: talking about ourselves (all of us, each and every Princess…heh-heh-heh), in a manner of speaking. More accurately, talking about life on the Preppy Planet as seen through the eyes of our little blog.

Our very first post was back on February 10, 2008, titled Prepalicious Alberta Ferretti. We looked at an outstanding collection from this designer (perhaps better known for her Philosophy line), but not one generally considered to offer a preppy aesthetic.

Our single most popular post? It is titled Gossip Girls Haunt the Hamptons & Here’s One for the Military:

JustJared.com

“… this would be actor Ed Westwick, a Brit who plays a rather slimy fellow named Chuck Bass. There were other celeb sightings: we were told that any females in the vicinity of actor Chace Crawford tend to swoon, or get a bit giggly, as seen in the photo below. You know, teenage, pre-teen, post-teen, tweens, you name it, almost any female breathing in and out could be susceptible, at least from from what we understand.”

Our second most popular post has to have the longest title ever created: Summer Olympics Fashion Focus, Ralph Lauren Team USA Opening Ceremony Uniforms Reactions, and Who Was “Preppy” Dressed Team?

Courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren

Other hot topics include Tiffany Eyeglasses….

Courtesy Tiffany

… Goyard totes,

Courtesy Goyard

…along with all manner of apparel and accessories, especially of a preppish design.

Jim Young/Reuters

And when those styles intersected with politics and/or celebrity (let alone darling little girls), that only seemed to heighten the interest. Sketches have also been popular.

Courtesy J. Crew

J. Crew proved especially adroit at maximizing marketing opportunities in this arena.

Occasionally we let a little of our LogoPhobia (a little?!) rear its head, and we have delighted in sharing felt obligated to report on those newly named to the Anti-Prep Wall of Shame.  We have also loved finding things that are Pretty in Pink, discovering Argyle Adventures, not to mention sharing anything nautically inclined, adorned with grosgrain ribbon, or done in a seersucker or madras motif.

The goings on here at the Prepatorium have also been topics for discussion, as well as our little trips to visit TQM (The Queen Mother) and other royalty, along with cataloguing the travails of getting that drawbridge over the moat up and down when we’re at the mercy of such a testy group of gnomes.  Don’t you find that getting good help is so hard these days?! (This is where one inserts the smirk.)

Classic prep retailers, clothing with a Lilly label (let alone our Lilly Pulitzer stationery collection), spring and fall Fashion Weeks, Grand Slam tennis, nothing is safe it seems, especially if The Consort is doing the post! And we’ll probably keep it that way, unless you direct us to do otherwise. (Although some might be surprised at what we consider our favorite post, as it has nothing whatsoever to do with preppy style or fashion.)

Because we follow your lead; the very best part of all this bloggage has been our treasured readers. By far.  We consider ourselves more-than-fortunate to have made so many friends via this medium, we really are blessed. So if there is something you want to see more, or hear less about, anything at all, do tell! We always want to know your thoughts.

After this there really isn’t anything we can say other than “Thank you”.

Sneak Peek Polo Spring, Madly Awaiting Sunday

Hello-Hello, and wishes for an ever-so-happy weekend to all of our cherished readers!

We start with a sneak peek at the Spring 2010 collection from Polo Ralph Lauren, if only because a few of the styles look like they would be ideal right now:

PHOTO: John Aquino for WWD

The photos are in yesterday’s WWD story on the company’s menswear collections for next year. Pieces from all three Ralph Lauren labels (Blue, Black and Purple) were revealed to fashion editors on Wednesday.  Next, a style from the higher-end Purple Label, the most luxurious of the three lines:

PHOTO: John Aquino for WWD

A look from the Black Label group:

PHOTO: John Aquino for WWD

The story describes three distinctly different looks within the sportswear collection:

“The first features a mix of vintagey athleticwear (evocative of Ralph Lauren’s Olympic uniforms for Team USA), washed white linens and cricket-player motifs.”

PHOTO: John Aquino for WWD

Remember this? It is the Ralph Lauren Team USA Opening Ceremony look referenced in the quote above, as dissected ad nauseam seen in this post and this post.

There’s something to look forward for those engaged in helping the man of the house put his best sartorial foot forward.

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As teased in yesterday’s post we are going to share some of the Mad Men frenzy currently washing over many of the media outlets we enjoy visiting here at the Palace.

USAToday has a series of stories, including a review of Sunday’s Season 3 premiere:

“The show gets off to a running start, with each of the major characters forced to confront some personal or professional shift, some of which you’ve seen coming, and some you haven’t.”

The paper also has a story titled “Distinctive ‘Mad Men’ reaches out to today’s style, culture” as well as a trivia quiz.

Below, a shot of Jon Hamm as Don Draper, and January Jones as Betty Draper.

AP Photo/AMC

We adore the image used in much of the promotion for Season 3:

Courtesy AMC-TV

Did someone say “metaphor”?

Not to be outdone, the folks over at Men’s Style have come up with “…a look at Don Draper through the years…” to see how he would fare in a variety of settings, beginning with Don visiting I Dream of Jeannie!

The Everett Collection/AMC/Illustration by David Wilfert

Moving beyond the 60’s, Don does Wall Street:

The Everett Collection/AMC/Illustration by David Wilfert

Over at Elle magazine’s online site there is a little quiz as well, asking “Are you a Betty, a Joan or a Peggy?”

Courtesy AMC-TV via Elle

And the site carries a brief story on Wednesday night’s screening of the Season 3 premiere sponsored by Banana Republic. Below, Jon Hamm arrives at the event.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Banana Republic

Banana Republic partnered with AMC, creating a “Banana Republic Mad Men Style Guide“.  Many readers have already seen the specially decorated store windows showcasing the joint marketing effort.

Courtesy Banana Republic/AMC-TV

Those wondering about a preppy connection to the show need only look at the endless number of bloodies consumed as a therapeutic tonic, or enjoy some of the fashions. (Not to mention the story line includes several blue bloods with money qualifying as ‘old.’)

Of course, there are the many references to the program’s fashions, as well as this mention of Jon Hamm’s style sense:

“…he grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, sporting head-to-toe prep gear…”

That tidbit comes via this story, and then we have one last snippet compliments of a story in today’s Women’s Wear Daily:

“Be it the critical acclaim and copious marketing budget of “Mad Men,” the retro mystique of his character Don Draper, or let’s face it, Jon Hamm’s chiseled physique and personal charm, the actor is undeniably having a moment.”

There you have it dollfaces, on the eve of another wedding weekend for TP and The Consort, we send fervent hopes your weekends are simply divine. You know that ours is going to end on a high note starting at 10pm EDT on AMC-TV. We’ll look for you there.

AP Photo/AMC

*SPOILER ALERT* Closing Ceremonies Photos, Team USA’s Polo Ralph Lauren Uniforms

Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated

SPOILER ALERT

***Today’s post features photos and editorial copy of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Closing Ceremonies***

SPOILER ALERT

Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters

Photo: EPA/Nick Bothma

AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan

Hello-Hello! We hope everyone is enjoying themselves this day, where here in the Great Midwest the beastly humidity has left us after providing a welcome downpour for the gardens and grounds. With the Olympic Closing Ceremonies over and done (not counting tonight’s taped broadcast on NBC) we thought it might be a good time to do a few updates.

But first, a few more of the spectacular images from the Closing Ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Games.

Aren’t they just fabulous? The photos actually make us want to watch even more than originally planned this evening. There may be no spontaneity in these ceremonies as produced by the Chinese, but we have also previously noted they do pageantry on a grand scale, resulting in remarkable spectaculars that leave one breathless.

It seems Team USA’s Official Polo Ralph Lauren Closing Ceremony Parade uniforms worked out just fine, a great look for the athletes and officials. We share a few photos of them below.

Photo: A Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Photo: A Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Of course if you are looking for your own piece of the Olympic Polo pony, here are a few of the items waiting for you at the Polo Ralph Lauren website, starting with the Men’s Closing Ceremony Sneaker, described by the company as “classic canvas sneakers in white with red and blue lateral stripes.”

PRL Men's Closing Ceremony Sneaker

As the company wrote in their news release about the uniforms:

“Reflecting Ralph Lauren’s trademark sporty sophistication and refined sensibility, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Closing Ceremony outfits feature timeless Polo knits tipped in bright red and royal blue piping and chino Bermudas in crisp white, all adorned with the iconic Polo pony and the 2008 U.S. Look of the Team logo.”

Now if you are looking for one of the shirts, here is a sample, the Ladies’ Olympic Closing Ceremony Polo.

Perhaps you prefer a look at the entire Ladies Olympic Games Collection, with a little time to peruse things at your own pace. Of course, there are identical items for your future Olympians, like a pair of the Olympic Games Shorts for Sizes 2T to Boys 7.

With the seasons changing, snuggly clothing can suddenly become appealing, like the Olympic Games Fleece Hoodie in Girls Sizes S-XL.

Overall a very nice presentation for Team USA by the Polo Ralph Lauren folks, classic and elegant with a timeless ease that is tough to replicate. The Princess thinks it was a smash hit almost across the board, with the exception of the Logo from H***, but we’ll actually behave ourselves this evening and leave it at that. (We know, you are stunned and amazed…it’s fun being a good Princess once in a while!)

A short paragraph in one of the NYTimes online stories wrapping up the Beijing Summer Games grabbed our attention, enough to make us stop, pause, re-read, pause again and reflect for a moment before going back to the rest of David Barboza’s story .

“India, a country of one billion, won its first gold medal. And Togo, a West African nation of 6 million people, won its very first Olympic medal, a bronze in the kayak.”

That made us think for a few minutes; we like this, especially when it nudges us to perhaps contemplate re-adjusting our perspective on the world just a bit.

We’ll close with a few more photos, including Team USA Basketball and their Gold Medal moment.

Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

AP/Charlie Riedel

Kobe Bryant gets a kiss from his daughter Gianna Maria-Onore as his wife Vanessa watches.

Photo: AP/Dusan Vranic

Photo: AP/Eric Gay

Rehearsals for the Closing Ceremony…

Photo: REUTERS/Donald Chan

Photo: AP/Oded Balilty

Below we see soccer great David Beckham, singer Leona Lewis and guitarist Jimmy Page (you remember…Led Zeppelin) posing before they take part in the Closing Ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Clive Rose/Getty Images for London 2012

Yao Ming walks toward the stadium to attend the Closing Ceremony.

Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Photo: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Photo: REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

Photo: Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated

Simultaneous to the ceremonies in Beijing, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps greets a crowd of 40,000 at a party in London; people are watching those same closing ceremonies on a massive screen erected outside Buckingham Palace. The party celebrates London’s role as host city for the 2012 Games.

Photo: AP/Akira Suemori-Pool

Below, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai among the heads of state attending the ceremonies, followed by Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf (R) and Queen Silvia.

Photo: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Photo: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

There were any number of images from the Ceremonies….

Photo: AP/David Guttenfelder

Guitarist Jimmy Page, front, soccer star David Beckham, back left, and British pop singer Leona Lew.

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Photo: Getty Images

Phil Walter/Getty Images

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Julian Finney/Getty

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Al Tielemans/SI

Team Canada’s group is in a celebratory mood in their ahhhh…vivid uniforms.

Below, Belgian athletes with some of the performers and volunteers at the Closing Ceremony.

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Team Canada is still in a party mood!

AP/Luca Bruno

The Polish team is clearly having a good time….

REUTERS/Issei Kato

AP Photo/Kevin Frayer

Above we see USA’s Andra Manson (holding the flag) and Canada’s Karina LeBlanc. Below Yao appears wistful…

AP/Luca Bruno

AP/Luca Bruno

AP Photo/Luca Bruno

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan

REUTERS/Dylan Martinezpreppy clothing, preppy clothes

Ralph Lauren Olympic Uniform Controversy: Polo Pony Logo the Issue (Size Does Matter.)

Hello sports and fashion fans, tis’ The Princess once again on this beautiful Tuesday. Actually, it is that oh-so-silly Princess, for having thought we would be able to spend most of this post reveling in celebratory and fun things, like the sweet joy of these boys’ accomplishments…

Team USA Gold Medalists, from left Jason Lezak, Mark Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones

…as they they managed to upset France in the 4x100m freestyle relay, setting a new world record in the process. And perhaps the sweetest part of the victory for some was not just that we won, but who we beat along the way, for it is Alain Bernard, of the French team who is said to have made some statements that were well, they weren’t very sporting.

“The Americans? We’re going to smash them. That’s what we came here for.”

Well. When it didn’t work out that way with the French Team ending up as Silver Medalists (certainly nothing to sneeze at, it *is* an Olympic medal, oui?) but behind Team USA who took the Gold, with Jason Lezak going head to head with Bernard on the last leg of the race. 32-year-old Jason Lezak, the ‘old man’ of Team USA swimmers, who trains himself.

Let the record show that while Mr. Bernard’s own teammates appeared too stunned to do much of anything in the immediate aftermath of the race, it was Michael Phelps who took the time to both congratulate and console the Frenchman. It should also be noted that it was Mr. Phelps who made the initial gesture of congratulation to each of the four French team members after the Medal ceremony concluded.

Michael Phelps, Team USA (L), Alain Bernard, France (R)

There was quite the little gathering of celebrities on hand at the Water Cube to watch the race, most from the world of business and politics. Bill Gates was in the stands, as was former Olympic Grand Pooh-Bah (Salt Lake City) / former Mass. Governor & Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. The First Family, including the Fan-in-Chief were on hand to cheer for Team USA Swimming:

The First Family Cheers on Team USA at the Water Cube 8.10.08

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Okay, enough of the one thing everyone hypothetically came to Beijing to accomplish, the athletic competition. We’ll move on to something that is rapidly progressing beyond the hackneyed “tempest in Great Grandmother’s Teapot,” to the issue of the Ralph Lauren Polo pony logo on the official Team USA Opening Ceremony Parade uniforms.

To refresh or enlighten anyone’s knowledge of the increasingly sensitive issue, here is a shot of Charlotte Craig, Team USA Taekwondo in her Opening Ceremony Parade uniform. (If you need more photos of the Ralph Lauren designed uniforms, here is another post on them, or here is additional info in yet another post on the topic, which yes, we have covered to death.) The photo below effectively shows the pony under discussion.

Charlotte Craig, Team USA Taekwondo

As does this photo of Jason Kidd in the Opening Ceremony Parade of Nations, with a little tighter shot that allows for a better comparison between its size and that of the USA/Olympic Rings logo topped by the USOC Wreaths.

Jason Kidd, Team USA Basketball

At the least it helps provide put the two logos in context as compared to each other, the Polo pony in relationship to the Olympic Rings. Below, we see Brianna Glenn in a close shot of the Closing Ceremony Parade Uniform with the more robust emblematic Seal logo. (For lack of a name or description.)

Brianna Glenn (L)

In this photo (courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren) on the right on the two-shot montage we see the four athletes Deontay Wilder – Boxing, Brianna Glenn (did not qualify for Olympics, Track & Field), Joy Fahrenkrog – Archery, Giuseppe Lanzone – Rowing. As indicated these are the more casual Closing Ceremony uniforms. In fact, you can now purchase most, if not all, pieces the Team will be wearing, at the Polo Ralph Lauren site or through the USOC site.

Evidently size matters. A great deal. To some people. Not all. To others it is clearly not even a topic of conversation. ‘What’s the problem?”

For those to whom this is an issue, the words being used to describe the Polo Pony logo include: “Ginormous,” “Supersized,” and “Huge.” Here is a sampling of a couple of online headlines on the topic, the first from the Huffington Post, the second from Gawker:

Ralph Lauren’s Olympics Uniforms: A Firestorm Of Controversy Ensues

~ Did Ralph Lauren Embarrass America? ~

The story from Gawker.com, ran yesterday:

“For starters, the damned Ralph Lauren Polo logo totally upstages the Olympic rings logo. It’s huge!”

Also, as shown in a picture after the jump, the uniforms look pretty cheap up close, probably because they were made as part of a rush job sent to Chinese “tailors” at the last minute.

Of course, if there were any embarrassment, technically Mr. Lauren didn’t ’cause it,’ the USOC created it by approving the logo itself, it’s placement and its size on every item of clothing or accessory to be worn by anyone in the US Delegation attending the Games in an official capacity.

Ralph Lauren Team USA Official Parade Uniform

The story then goes on to quote material on the same topic from the increasingly popular Project Rungay (that is not a typo) blog, so we’ll just quote directly from Project Rungay’s story:

“We’re not sure why so many people have been slamming these. They look fine to us, for what they are. A little cheap-looking, sure, but appropriate enough.

We’re not all that crazy about the caps (we honestly think baseball caps would have worked better) and it would have been nice to differentiate a little bit between the men and the women, but for the most part, it’s classic American sportswear, which makes it perfect for the venue – and, unlike a LOT of the looks we saw parading around the other night, it’s tasteful.”

As the NY Times noted in their fabulous Olympic blog ‘Rings‘:

“PARADE OF SLOVENLINESS If you thought Americans were talking a lot about the size of the Ralph Lauren logo on the U.S. Olympians’ outfits as they entered the Bird’s Nest during the opening ceremony in Beijing on Friday, it’s nothing compared with what people in other countries are saying about their respective teams’ clothes, demeanor and general appearance.”

Then we have Racked LA asking a question in addition to making a statement:

“Did logo inflation perturb your opening ceremony viewing experience?”

“Lest we forget that Ralph Lauren has created an entire Big Pony collection for men and women, in which the logo is absolutely ginormous! Over-sized at breast or back jean pocket, a logo festival! Which is to say it could’ve been worse in terms of brand promotion overwhelming team spirit.”

The folks over at American Politics Journal are not feeling a lot of love for the Lauren look. You may have discerned this from looking at their version of the logo on the blazers as seen below, perhaps more appropriately called the Pony logo on steroids after a some Photoshop work or another image editing program. Their headline to the story by Jeff Koopersmith is:

Ralph Lauren Humiliates America

“August 9, 2008 – Geneva (apj.us) – Ralph Lauren, the emperor of hushed prep chic, shocked countless millions last night as the world watched the never-ending parade of athletes during the opening ceremonies of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium.

Lauren – and most likely his son David – celebrated not the spirit of athletic competition but themselves and their brand, morphing our athletes into unpaid billboards for the “Polo™” pony and rider that has helped bring the Laurens great – and well deserved – riches.

What I find amazing is that Polo Ralph Lauren has already known for more than two years that upscale consumers are shying away from too-obviously logoed products…. So why did Polo Ralph Lauren go and embarrass us all by not just putting their logo on the clothes but putting in on SO BIG? The white Polo logo against the dark blue navy color of the jackets, because of its tactlessness seemed to a foot high and 6 inches wide on the breast pockets.”

To be fair to all involved Mr. Koopersmith makes several positive points about Ralph Lauren, his philanthropic efforts, etc., but the remainder of the article is fairly pointed. To read it in its entirety, just click here.

From Coutortoure,

“The Ralph Lauren uniforms for the American Olympic team are stirring up controversy because they look waspy and the logo is a little too big. If product placement and unabashed self-interest disguised as team spirit aren’t American, we don’t know what is.”

For another perspective, you may want to read WASP Nation: The U. S. Olympic Team Uniform, a fascinating post on the Style Snatcher blog. We excerpt a sample below.

“The other troubling point was the overt branding seen in the Lauren logo, which shared prominence with the Olympic rings and laurel. Was this a celebration of an athletic event or yet another chance at extended marketing? Who allows these things to occur? This transcended product placement and smacked of rah-rah commercialism.”

Regular blog readers know The Princess has a rare and progressive disease: logophobia. And they have exhibited rare patience and grace in tolerating such foaming at the mouth off-the-wall rants in never-ending post after post about the presence of logos, their size, their design, etc, etc., etc. And our thoughts on this particular issue? Two words. Too big. The Polo pony is simply too big. Frequent readers are also aware that we have 16+ years in television, in addition to expertise in marketing and branding. We get it. This could have been done in a smaller, more discreet way. If the size of the pony was a deal-breaker, than do the far more elegant tone-on-tone embroidery, if the idea truly was to celebrate an old school American look.

Because we can assure you, no ‘old money’ person would be caught dead in a golf shirt, polo shirt or any other piece of apparel with that symbol on it, let alone in that size at places like the Saddle and Cycle Club, or Burning Tree, or the Metropolitan Club, Winged Foot, River Oaks CC, or the Everglades Club. Wouldn’t happen. It’s a gross violation about everything that is old money, including the #1 Commandment: For God’s sake, don’t let anyone know you have it! Nope. This crowd would be at J.Press or Brooks or Murray’s, Patrick James, J. McLaughlin, Van Boven’s… you know the drill.

An embarrassment to America? We think not. An international  incident? Ah, no. A poor decision by the USOC in allowing ther logo to be that large? In our humble opinion, yes. Without question. But this is really not worth getting all lathered up about, folks, there are better ways to expend that energy than on this issue. 

BTW, if you are hopeful of a respite from the Polo pony logo on the Closing Ceremony uniforms, we are sorry to disappoint you, for it is equally large. The shirt below is from the Closing Ceremony group the Team USA members will be wearing.

Giuseppe Lanzone, Team USA Rowing

Below we see Team USA Soccer players July 22nd preparing to leave for Beijing at the super-secret San Jose State University location selected by official. Christie Rampone, (l)eft, and Carli Lloyd are in the as yet to be publicly seen Official Ralph Lauren knit vests. According to a story in the San Jose Mercury News.

“The Olympic athletes are here, being “processed” for China, picking up their visas, posing for team photos and, perhaps most vital of all, being fitted by a battery of local tailors for the Ralph Lauren uniforms they will wear during the Games’ opening ceremonies Aug. 8.”

Team USA Soccer Christie Rampone, (L) & Carli Lloyd (R)

Here are the Ralph Lauren sketches for the Closing Ceremony Parade Uniforms.

Below we see Kate Markgraf of Team USA Soccer in the official Nike warm-up outfits that seem to be flying under the radar, don’t they?

Kate Markgraf Team USA Soccer

Kate Markgraf Team USA Soccer

Here is a closer look at the Nike Beijing Village Jacket & pants also provided to the team, complete with the swoosh on the left chest. Proportionately, is it pretty close in size to the Polo pony?

Oddly, we haven’t heard much about this one yet, although part of the issue for some is that the Opening Ceremony is to be respected as a more solemn, formal occasion. Hhhhmm, perhaps more to follow.

Well TP has had enough of this dreary discussion haven’t you? The next post will be much more fun and frivolous.