The Ralph Lauren Team USA Opening Ceremony uniforms worn by Olympic athletes in Pyeongchang on Feb. 9 will feature heated jackets that are aimed at keeping them warm in below-freezing temperatures.
Conductive ink printed in a flag pattern on the inside is powered by a small battery and controlled by buttons on the battery pack and with a smartphone app. The jackets’ heat is immediate and can last for five hours on high and up to 11 hours on low, CNN Money reported.
Along with the jackets, which are the centerpiece of the uniforms, athletes will wear slim jeans, wool sweaters in red, white, and blue, navy USA ski hats, and brown suede gloves and boots.
“Ralph Lauren has effortlessly woven style and functionality into the Opening Ceremony uniform for the 2018 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams,” USOC Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Baird said on the Team USA site. Ralph Lauren added the jackets were rigorously safety-tested to ensure they would be safe for athletes to wear.
Ralph Lauren also is conducting a “Heat the Way for Team USA” social media campaign in which every social media post using the hashtag #HeatTheWayForTeamUSA will trigger a $1 donation from the designer to the U.S. Olympic Committee, up to $100,000.
Polo Ralph Lauren has been designing Team USA’s uniforms since 2008. The Pyeongchang 2018 uniforms were made completely in America; Ralph Lauren faced backlash for having the 2012 uniforms made in China.