Ralph Lauren, the longtime outfitter of the U.S. Olympic team, took the wraps off the 2018 opening ceremony parade uniforms Monday revealing that American athletes will be entering the stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea, bundled up in heavy-duty, down-filled red, white and blue parkas layered over patriotic intarsia knit sweaters and paired with slim-fitting jeans with moto-inspired side seam details.
Finishing off the cold-weather kit will be brown suede mountaineering boots (with red laces adding a patriotic pop of color), fringed and hand-beaded brown suede explorer gloves, a navy blue bandanna at the neck and a navy blue wool ski hat with “USA” in white letters across the front.
Monday’s announcement, which noted that the uniforms were made in the U.S., highlighted a high-tech heating feature that’s hidden inside the parkas — as well as the closing ceremony bomber jackets unveiled back in November. There are electronic printed conductive inks bonded to the interior of the jacket that connect to a battery pack and provide up to 11 hours of heat. In a patriotic flourish, the carbon and silver inks are printed in the shape of the American flag, which means Old Glory will be keeping each and every member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams warm and toasty through their respective opening ceremonies.
While athletes will be able to control the jacket’s heat via settings on the battery pack, Ralph Lauren is giving fans of the brand — and the Olympics — a chance to crank up the heat on social media for the next few days. According to the company, for every post liked and tagged with #HeatTheWayForTeamUSA on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook until Wednesday, Jan. 23, $1 will be donated to the United States Olympic Committee, up to a maximum of $100,000.
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games, which are set to kick off on Feb. 9, mark the sixth time Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.