A stylized, casual hat, dubbed by apparel maker Roots Canada as a “unisex poorboy,” is emerging as this summer’s potential answer to its wildly successful USA Olympic beret of 2002.
“I am not sure it will be the blockbuster that the beret was,” said Melanie Kletter, a sportswear editor at Women’s Wear Daily who attended the debut of the Roots U.S. Olympic team collection May 13 in New York. “The beret was so strong. I do think it’s very wearable, but it may be more male-oriented. I don’t know how well it will catch on with women.”
Roots, the official U.S. team outfitter, saw sales of its 2002 collection surpass $25 million, largely on a wave of popularity fueled by the quirky beret.
“I know they are banking on (the 2004 version) to do really well,” Kletter said. The hat retails for $34.95.
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The new USA hat retails for $34.95. |
One certainty is that any athlete or spectator wearing multiple U.S.-themed Roots items will not be able to keep a low profile. The line is available now at the NBC Experience retail store in New York and online. More locations nationally will receive merchandise next month.
Some of the items are subtler than others, combining multiple images such as a Greek olive wreath, the five interlocked Olympic rings and “04.” But the unisex parade and baseball-style caps both feature prominent, block USA lettering, as do T-shirts.
Some of the items designed exclusively for U.S. Olympians to wear during the opening ceremony this August have not been introduced yet. Officials at the U.S. Olympic Committee insist no restrictions will be imposed on U.S. team members as to what they wear, although a separate line by Adidas will be mandatory for wear by U.S. athletes during medals ceremonies.
“One of the proudest moments of my life was to put on my USA warm-up and represent my country at the 1988 Olympic Games,” said ex-wrestler and USOC Chief Executive Jim Scherr in a statement issued in response to questions about team conduct and visibility in Athens. “We will not in any way infringe upon that honor.”
Said USOC chief security officer Larry Buendorf in a recent news conference: “Over 10,000 athletes will be in Athens. Everybody is going to wear their colors. We’ll be blending in. We have no reason to have our athletes not wear the (USA) colors.”
The distinctly patriotic theme Roots has rolled out might play right into another surge of nationalism sparked by the Games.
“I think there is a sentiment that people aren’t going to back down (cheering for Team USA),” Kletter said. “There is almost a resolve to show national pride.”
Toronto-based Roots introduced the 2004 collection of the Canadian Olympic team last Tuesday. Roots also designed the 2004 official apparel for the Olympic teams of Barbados and Great Britain.
The company’s creative director, Ernie Sulpizio, veiled in mystery the design intent of the USA collection, according to the Toronto Star, going only as far as to say the apparel items “thematically take their cue from ‘a very American sport.’”
If he is referring to baseball, the irony is rich. The USA baseball team failed to qualify for the Athens Games.
Steve Woodward is a writer in Illinois.