After the disaster that was last year’s Canadian summer Olympic uniforms, Hudson’s Bay was once again granted a second a chance at designing the upcoming winter wear for Sochi 2014. Good idea? We shall see…
Team USA famously enlisted the help of Ralph Lauren to craft their chic double breasted coats and snuggly knit sweaters for February’s snow games, meaning there was much competition from south of the border for the title of fairest team of them all. Nonetheless, the unveiling of the new Team Canada range in Toronto’s Distillery District was met with mixed reactions, both for aesthetics and ethics.
The patriotic designs feature beavers, polar bears, maple leaves and the word “Canada” classically emblazoned across the chest of vintage T-shirts, sweats and jackets, while the ever-prominent colours of red, black and white made up most of the palette. Some vocal tweeters compared the freshly stitched motifs to a beaver eating the conservative party logo, while others believed the polar bear was partaking in “nature’s calling,” if you catch my drift.
Honestly, I don’t think the new lineup is as bad as last year’s Canadian tuxedo, while the toggle-fronted red duffle coat is actually rather darling. HBC has outfitted Canada’s winter athletes for the Olympics since 2006, as well as at various points throughout the history of the Winter Games dating back to 1936, so it’s in proud tradition that we once again invite them to dress our athletes.
An added bonus is that, after the 2008 outsourcing controversy, all new Olympic ware will be manufactured here in Canada, but – and this is a big BUT — any replica kits you’ll buy (priced at $19 to $275 from TheBay.com) will come courtesy of China. Will that influence you in buying the clothes for yourself? Take a look at the selection above and sound off below.
