Team USA’s Winter Olympic Uniforms Were Made With Oregon Wool

Nope, not Pendleton.

Bobsledder Aja Evans (courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren)
By Shannon Gormley

Ralph Lauren just released designs for USA's uniforms for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and they're made with wool from Imperial Stock Ranch, who heard and shear their sheep in Eastern Oregon.

It's the second Winter Olympics in a row that Imperial's wool has adorned US athletes—Ralph Lauren used the ranch's wool for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, too.

After the backlash for manufacturing team USA's uniforms for the London Olympics in China, Ralph Lauren has made their opening and closing ceremony uniforms entirely out of domestically made materials. This year's uniforms are built with materials made by dozens of manufactures, including the American flag patch on the parkas that doubles as cellphone controlled heaters.

But Imperial's wool comprises of a substantial portion of the preppy Americana uniforms. That includes the blue pom-pom USA hats and the red, mittens that the athletes will wear at the closing ceremonies, and their red, white and blue Nordic sweaters.

Snowboarder Jamie Anderson (courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren)

Imperial Stock raises their sheep and cattle on 32,000 acres in the Oregon high desert. Though the farm has been around since the 1800, they only started spinning and dying their wool in the late 90s when the domestic market for raw wool essentially shutdown, and manufactures began buying raw materials almost exclusively oversees. Following the publicity of the last Winter Olympics, Imperial has supplied wool to bougie brands like Patagonia and J. Crew.

You can watch Ralph Lauren's video about Imperial Stock, which is full of rolling hills and adorable sheep, here:

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.