Team USA will be showcasing a spanking new uniform at the Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony.
The uniforms were unveiled last week by designer Ralph Lauren and the United States Olympic Committee and will be seen in public for the first time as the American athletes enter Maracana Stadium on Friday.
Introducing the 2016 Opening Ceremony uniforms! #TeamUSA will be looking GOOD thanks to @RalphLauren! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rMnLIq87cH
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 29, 2016
The USOC billed the uniform as “fresh and sporty, with classic elements” on its website. The uniforms also feature “an all-American palette of red, white and blue.”
The Ralph Lauren website features the new Team USA Olympic outfits.
But it wasn’t long before critics on social media started pointing out the design of the T-shirt, visible just above the jacket, bore a striking resemblance to the Russian flag.
The design of Team USA’s Olympic T-shirt has sparked comparsions to the Russian flag.
The color palette was Kremlin-approved, one commenter joked on Twitter. For those unfamiliar, the Russian flag features white, blue and red Str!pes.
The influence of Kremlin is so strong in the #US that American team's gonna WEAR the Russian flag in Rio!😂 #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/5q8TTeKY5n
— Kate Stetsen (@EStetsen) July 30, 2016
Others on social media said they were confused by the outfit.
https://twitter.com/Choibolsan/status/759342880552984578
“I guess we missed the memo when we became Russian,” one commenter quipped.
https://twitter.com/MrsNasAli/status/759069487048101888
Some people gave the entire uniform the thumbs down, saying they were simply embarrassing.
The USA 2016 Olympic Team ceremony uniforms are embarrassing. The Polo logo.. gaudy light up "USA".. the Russian flag looking undershirt..
— Rachael Madori (@RachaelMadori) August 1, 2016
It wasn’t all bad news, though. Some were flattered by the unintentional similarities. One woman on Facebook thought the hues were a pleasant surprise.
Polo Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams since 2008.
