Commentary January 08, 2026
Apparel Lessons From Ralph Lauren & J.Crew’s Olympics Collections
Team USA will look their best in Milan with vintage-inspired pieces, signaling some winter apparel trends for the promo industry.
Key Takeaways
• Ralph Lauren leans hard into flags, patterns and busy design motifs – proof that loud symbols can outperform minimalism in the right context.
• The Opening Ceremony toggle jacket highlights restrained, intentional logo placement, suggesting co-branding works best when the design carries the premium signal and logos stay tasteful.
• Both Ralph Lauren and J.Crew lean into ‘80s-inspired, vintage ski culture (chunky details, knits, baggy fits), reminding marketers to build apparel and merch around a holistic experience.
Ask any skier. Heck, ask any winter sport enthusiast – snowboarder, sledder, hot cocoa and Aperol sipper. They’ll probably all tell you the same thing: At least half of the appeal is warm gear and looking good.
By that logic, the brands behind Team USA’s Winter Olympics apparel aren’t going to just phone it in – especially when the games are in Milan (the fashion center of the world).
Ralph Lauren, an American fashion institution at this point, has been the outfitter for Team USA since the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In addition to Ralph Lauren, the modern version of J.Crew with its new-ish Creative Director Brendon Babenzien, is releasing a line called “Après-Ski,” which featured some American Olympians for the rollout.
Both apparel releases say a lot about the current state of winter apparel, and offer some lessons that promotional products distributors can take away for their own end-buyers in the winter sports space and beyond.
Don’t Be Afraid of Symbols & Patterns
While “quiet luxury” and minimalism still have their place, Ralph Lauren went overt with its designs. Sherpa jackets feature patterns; the puffer jackets have no shortage of American flag imagery and “Team USA” symbols. Even the sweaters feature a big American flag, “USA” font and the iconic Olympic ring motif.
Pieces like the Women’s Winter Long-Sleeve Sherpa Jacket Coat (IPDX447A) from I Promotion Pro Inc (asi/62098) create a comfy look with some of the Team USA gear.
Tasteful Touches
The focal point of the whole collection might be the toggle jacket that athletes will wear during the Opening Ceremony. For that piece, Ralph Lauren went a bit more subdued with its logo placement – or at least a bit more intentional. Rather than in-your-face patriotism, the design opts for a small circle with the flag and Olympic rings on the chest and, of course, the Polo logo on the opposite side.
In the promo space, using a premium brand and having that logo share space with your customer’s brand can add a sense of heightened value or credibility. Especially for clients in verticals like finance, an upscale look with a small logo often goes over well.
Additionally, the jackets use chunky toggles as statement pieces with a timeless and rustic look. Using design elements like that, rather than branding or decoration, can make the piece stand out in a unique way.
Heavy jackets, like this Men’s Bridgewater Roots73 Insulated Jacket (TM19411) from PCNA (asi/66887) can serve as high-perceived-value gifts, especially when the decoration is minimal.
Retro Is All the Rage
While athletic equipment often goes for the highest performance level possible and uses all of the latest technology in materials and construction, the Ralph Lauren pieces have one foot in the past – specifically the ‘80s, with features like chunky zippers (and two-way zippers for added comfort and fit customization on items like jackets), fleece mock-neck sweaters, cable knits and baggy fits with cinched waists.
Cable-knit items like the Premium Cable-Knit Cuffed Beanie (BNE081) from imprintID (asi/73651) can create a timeless look.
It has that prep school, almost-gaudy-but-not look to it.
Speaking of the preppy look…
J.Crew’s Contribution
Capsule collections and co-branding are all the rage right now in apparel. J.Crew is using the Olympics as an opportunity to get in on the vintage ski fashion game.
The collection melds together classic ski function with fashion, featuring pieces like anoraks and sweaters.
Specifically, Babenzien told GQ that he wanted the collection to have a “low-tech approach,” rather than focusing on futuristic ski style. As the name indicates, it’s designed more for the look after the slopes. The team looked at a ton of vintage skiing iconography and leaned on Babenzien’s own memories of ski culture in the ‘80s.
The J.Crew collection uses outerwear of varying levels of heaviness and cold weather protection, like this Champion Packable Anorak Jacket (CO200) from Carolina Made Inc (asi/43993).
The takeaway for promo? Think about the moments that might not feel obvious. Is your campaign centered around a golf course? Think beyond just moisture-wicking polos and caps; consider the clubhouse after. Or, perhaps think about the warm-up at the driving range before a match.
And, more than anything, these collections together show that vintage looks are having a moment – especially in an era where millennial and Gen Z style influencers are posting their thrifted “grails” from their parents’ generations.
While plenty of young people are still enamored with the Y2K looks of baggy pants and metallic shine in their streetwear, the heavy knitwear of the ‘80s and accessible luxury works for another brand of apparel campaign that covers the boardroom and the snowboard rental area alike.