Toronto, November, 2, 2011 – American retailer The Hudson’s Bay Company just unveiled the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team Replica Apparel that will outfit Canadian athletes at the upcoming Olympic Games in London. Created by the Hudson’s Bay Company’s team of in-house designers, the inspiration for the Olympic 2012 collection was to represent the great outdoors and summer in Canada.
The Olympic collection plays on iconic Canadian themes finding inspiration in the uniforms of the Montreal 1976 and Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games. The palette? Traditional, consisting of maple leaf reds, northern whites, evergreens, blacks, and heather greys. The result? Passable bold and highlighted Canadian wordmarks, weak reworking of the maple leaf, and some God-awful garish boy scout patches. Sadly, The Bay’s attempt to modernize elements from the original looks have come off more kitschy than fresh.
“Canada’s style has made a huge impression around the world and we want our Olympic designs to reflect who we are as a nation,” says Suzanne Timmins, VP Fashion Director, Hudson’s Bay Company. “The look and feel of the collection captures our passion for the outdoors and Canada in the summer. It’s this same passion that our athletes show in competition, and we couldn’t be more proud to have the opportunity to help them look their best as they prepare to do their best.”
Granted, sports collections aren’t exactly meant to be runway ready-to-wear, but these uniforms hardly live up to envy of the world. Since Roots, the Canadian Olympic outfits just haven’t been the same. Sure, The Bay scored a home run with their red Vancouver Olympic mitts, but there hasn’t been much beyond that. They mean well and at $15 to $100, their pricing is very reasonable. This ensures that any Canadian can join in the Olympic fever which is pretty cool. For the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Canadian Olympic Team will consist of approximately 320 athletes and 250 support staff and unfortunately, they’re going to have to wear this stuff.
The full collection is attainable for would-be supporters from coast-to-coast, and makes an ideal gift for the holidays. Plus, the Hudson’s Bay Company is also launching a special winter collection inspired by the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team summer line. The official Olympic wear is now on sale in all locations of The Bay, Zellers, and online at www.thebay.com, so everyone can show their support for our Olympic athletes.
YAY at least at this olympics our athletes wont be hanging their heads in shame. These uniform replicas look like something we’d all like to wear!