If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know I am not a big proponent of jeans. I’ve already ranted about this before, so I won’t go through it all again, but you can imagine my disappointment with the US Snowboarding teams uniforms.

Designed by Burton, they are relatively plain and straightforward. A plaid ski jacket with a large crest on the front and jean look-a-like snowpants. Snowboard fashion often is highlighted by bright patterns and flashy designs, plaid is huge right now on the slopes and in the streets, and let’s not forget how popular tartan patterns are this winter. The choice makes total sense, it’s topical, trendy, reserved but still flashy. It reflects current styles, especially the large logo crest which is reminiscent of the large crests Ralph Lauren has all over his latest stuff.

I get it. But shouldn’t snowboard fashion, which is often outlandish and convention-breaking, lead the charge into some new stylish area instead of simply reflect the common trends of the day? This is the Olympics, where the best in the world come together to represent our country and pioneer new feats of strength and skill. Burton decided to clad our snowboarders, a sport where the US is way out in front of everyone else, in drab tartan plaid jackets with Ralph Lauren rip off crests? Unfortunate.

What is even MORE unfortunate is the jean pants. Jeans are bad enough already (look back to old posts for more anti-denim ranting), one thing that was always differentiating about snowsport fashion was the loud patterns and colors of the snowpants. To cover our most elite athletes in denim look-a-like is a sad reflection of our nation’s gradual slide into ‘casual’ homogeneity.

Articles abound about how young men are shifting back to the dressed up styles of the past and breaking with our parents generations feeling that success was the opportunity to dress down. We young men are embracing style and saying to the world that we can be gentlemen, look good, and live well in the world. Perhaps Burton could have played off this feeling rather than paint the blank canvas of snowpants with something as quotidian as denim.