words // Zack Schlemmer
Every Summer Olympics is a showcase of the best athletes in the world, and also a chance for many athletic companies to capitalize on merchandise. This page from the summer of 1996 shows a full range of USA team apparel from a range of your favorite retro brands like Champion, Starter, and Sports Specialties. One highlight from the page is, of course, the Champion replica USA basketball uniform. The jersey was available from Eastbay in a nice varieties of players including Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Reggie Miller, and Glenn Robinson. Another nice piece available was the Champion USA Basketball jacket, with huge stars and stripes covering it. The snap back fiends will like the bottom of the page, with a selection of USA-themed caps.
Unfortunately, you’ll now have to get lucky and find this patriotic apparel at a thrift store or your favorite vintage sportswear store if you want to rock it now, but there is a variety of USA apparel for the 2012 Olympics available here now.
While this is cool, it would be nice if prices were better for these olympics, with nike charging $25-35 for basic shirts that arent even that great of quality. Designs are good, but quality for the price is just not there
Dang look at this, brands that were huge once, now cheap Walmart, Target, and KMart brands. Champion doesn’t make any apparel for pro sports, and Starter is a cheap Walmart brand that only makes average clothing and shoes, but now they also have their own versions of Elite socks, 2 pairs for 6 bucks. And they have started making snapbacks again, but only in Europe, minus professional team logos. Russel was also big, but like the others, just a cheap brand that makes no more pro sports apparel. Here’s a look at the modern Starter and Champion:
http://www.walmart.com/browse/apparel/5438/?_mm=icamp&facet=brand%3AStarter&ic=48_0&path=0%3A5438&ref_values=181605+4294077794
http://www.target.com/c/c9-by-champion-brand-shop/-/N-5tdw7?ref=tgt_adv_XCBZ4782&afid=d_pandora&cpng=2012C9&DFA=1&PlaceID=79706049&CreateID=0
we as americans sold out these two companies for brighter lights and commerical ads with super stars so all of these textile companies/ brands have moved out of the U.S.( china,mexico,vietnam FOR GREENER pockets . we don’t by quality we buy what we are told to buy name branding that does not mean it is quality. when champion,russell and eagle has to compete with other countries with cheaper labor for more profit who’s outfit is THE U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM SPORTING THIS YEAR . where is the pride in THE U.S.A.