Not really pit-worthy, but I can’t believe the Canadian Olympic Committee ditched Roots for HBC. Remember those cool uniforms at Nagano in 98 and Salt Lake in 02? The poor boy caps, the white leather and red fabric jackets?
Obviously, the powers that be on the COC decided that was way too stylish for Canadians, and switched the contract to the Hudson Bay Company, which was last a trend-setter when beaver hats were in vogue, and whose major contribution to Canadian winter style was a coat made out of a blanket.
Those hats that the athletes are wearing - “trapper hats” I heard the CBC guys call them. Let’s just go with what they are - doofus hats. Add on nice baggy trousers and parkas that hide any hint of gender or body shape, and you’re ready to go.
If I was making a propaganda movie to try and make an entire country look like losers and twits, that is exactly what I would have the actors dress in. I guess you save money on coats when you just cut arm and head holes in a tall-kitchen garbage bag though.
But that’s just my point - was the only factor the COC took into account the price? Seems to me that for something as important as the uniforms the athletes wear, and the image that you want to send, the tender contract would make the look of the product a key factor, and provide that the lowest bid would not necessarily be accepted, if the style mavens on the tender committee weren’t satisifed with the proposed product look.
As I said elsewhere on the subject (GQ), it only reinforces the fallacy that Canadians walk around in mukluks, parkas and trapper hats all the damned time, but it’s par for the course from the HBC.
They look like they’re from Pangnirtung or something.
What I really hate is the mittens and how they’ve (attempted) to work their company’s colours in to the outfit… You know, the yellow and green mitts that look completely out of place…
Seriously, if you want to put a logo on, fine… But completely screwing up a colour scheme, just so you can show that your company did it… That’s just wrong.
