Friday, May 02, 2008

Team Canada's Olympics Garb

Team Canada's Beijing 2008 Olympic Summer Games line

Hudson’s Bay Company has unveiled the clothing that Team Canada will wear at the Beijing 2008 Games.

The look is described as "vibrant reds and Chinese symbolism married with Canadian tradition."

The Team Canada Beijing Games clothing line is emblazoned with maple leaves, the word Canada written in both English and Mandarin and a primarily red and white colour pallet.

Color inspiration is also drawn from the five elements of Chinese astrology: earth, wood, fire, water and metal. On some pieces, Chinese symbolism takes the form of the lucky number eight.

Hbc asked 50 Olympians and Paralympians from previous Summer Games what they wanted from the Beijing clothing line. Athletes were shown fabric samples and given a preview of the inspiration behind the clothing.

The consensus was that Canadian athletes want clothing that’s as fashionable as it is sporty. They also want fabrics that are comfortable and breathable in Beijing’s anticipated high temperatures.

In response, the Hbc design team created clothing that incorporates performance fabrics that provide UV protection, four-way stretch, odor resistance, and wicking and cooling properties for ultimate comfort. This also happens to be the first eco-friendly uniform designed for Team Canada, using fabrics such as bamboo, Cocona™ (fabric made from recycled coconut shells), cotton blends and organic cotton.

Canada’s Team members in Beijing will each receive 25 items as part of the 2008 Team package. The wardrobe includes leisure wear, jackets, pants and shorts, hoodies, T-shirts, shoes and luggage. They’ll also go home with a few special athlete-only items that will not be available to the public — this includes the parade and podium jackets which will be unveiled at the Beijing Games.

There was no mention of masks being part of the wardrobe.

In other clothing news, Roots is no longer outfitting Olympic teams. You can read the story in the Toronto Star.

Photo courtesy Hudson's Bay Company

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