New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Jan. 20, 2022 that Ralph Lauren picked Clifton-based Better Team USA to make the Opening Ceremony parka for the 2022 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams.
Better Team USA is a luxury outerwear factory that has been in business for more than 40 years. It is a longtime Ralph Lauren partner and has made garments for past U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.
Boots from Maine
Team USA’s Opening Ceremony boots were hand-sewn by Rancourt & Co. Shoemakers in Lewiston, Maine, for Ralph Lauren, WOKQ reported. It was the third Games in a row that the company made Team USA’s footwear. Men wore white boots and women wore red.
- Opening Ceremony: Feb. 4, 2022, in Beijing.
- Ralph Lauren opened a corporate office in Nutley, New Jersey in 2019, adding 225 jobs.
“We have been a longtime manufacturing partner of Ralph Lauren’s and are once again so proud to have played a part in producing high quality apparel that will be worn on the world’s stage – right here in the United States.”
Martin DiBattista, owner, Better Team USA
FAQ
Who made the parkas?
Better Team USA of Clifton, New Jersey.
Who made the boots?
Rancourt & Co. Shoemakers of Lewiston, Maine.
Who designed the uniforms?
Ralph Lauren.
Source & credit
Source: Office of Gov. Phil Murphy via Insider NJ, Jan. 20, 2022: “Murphy Applauds Selection of New Jersey Manufacturer Better Team USA for Ralph Lauren’s Opening Ceremony Jacket for the 2022 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams”.
Also: Patch, Jan. 28, 2022: “Team USA To Wear NJ-Made Parkas At Winter Olympics Opening”; 97.5 WOKQ, Feb. 4, 2022: “Maine Company Made Boots Worn by Team USA in Olympic Opening Ceremonies”.