The 23 medal podiums at various locations are shaped and contoured like Vancouver Island--both in form, and topography, including mountain ranges.  The podiums are made of wood from various regions of B.C.

Medal presenter uniforms were also unveiled (see photos), and each medal winner will be handed a predominantly green bouquet of B.C. green spider mums, and leather leaf ferns.

Vancouver's Aritzia fashion house made the medal presenter outfits.  Designer Umi Eto says they reflect the blue colours of the west coast and feature the same aboriginal art seen on the Olympic medals. "We have produced a heritage knit sweater for all of our indoor ceremonies. We have also produced a cocoon parka for the outdoor ceremonies and an athlete escort costume."

Source: Vancouver News 1130, February 3, 2010 

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and the 120th anniversary of nursing education at Hopkins, the editors of Johns Hopkins Nursing challenged nurse artists to create their vision of the nursing uniform of the future.  Pictured here is Robo-Nurse (RN), an "animated, strong, smart, swift, and an ultra-efficient 'Wonder-Woman,'" according to illustrator Eric Tomakin, a staff nurse in the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery. In his vision of nursing's future, "Robo-Nurse (RN) will be every little girl's (and boy's) dream profession. Recruitment will be a breeze. They will come in droves. Their destination is assured, and their destiny is defined!"

Link: See more pictures

Since he was a boy, Dutchman Cliff Muskiet was mesmerized by the sleek, modern uniforms worn by stewardesses on his flights around the world, and began collecting them in 1980.

He’s managed to amass more than 870 of the get-ups dating as far back as the early days of commercial aviation from countries like China, Mexico, and Ghana, displaying his collection on www.UniformFreak.com.

Muskiet, who serves drinks 30,000 feet in the air as a KLM flight attendant, says his collection really took off in 1993 and has been coasting through clear skies ever since.

He regrets not collecting more uniforms in the ’80s, but thinks he’s more than made up for the slacking over time.

The uniform freak hopes to one day make a book to show off his prized possessions.

Source: Flashnews.com, Netherlands, January 11, 2010

It smells like a McDonald's french fry, it tastes like a McDonald's french fry, but if it's from the McDonald's at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, it won't look like a McDonald's french fry - at least the wrapping won't.

After a nine-year impasse in negotiations between the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate and the McDonald's corporation, the "golden arches" food chain in the capital's bus station - which will no longer be golden - revamped its image last week as the first kosher branch in Jerusalem, with a few small labeling tweaks to make sure people won't confuse a kosher Big Mac for a non-kosher Double McRoyale On the Grill.

"People have been coming up and blessing us since we reopened," said Adam, a worker at the branch who declined to give his last name. "They come up and say 'mazal tov!' They're happy it's finally kosher."

The biggest obstacle to the bus station McDonald's kosher certificate was the Rabbinate's concern that patrons might get confused and think that all of the McDonald's in the city were kosher. The capital's kosher supervisors had originally insisted that McDonald's change the name of the kosher branches to "McKosher," which the corporation refused to do.

Only within the past few months has the international restaurant chain agreed to make other changes to satisfy the rabbis.

In order to differentiate between the kosher and non-kosher branches, the signs are a bright blue, instead of the traditional red, with "Kosher" written in Hebrew and English in unmistakably large letters.

The disposable cartons, bags, wraps, and place mats, which generate thousands of kilograms of waste daily, are also blue and devoid of the golden arches or anything "Mickey D" related. The uniforms at this branch will also not have arches or any McDonald's symbols, including the well-known "I'm lovin' it" slogan.

Currently workers are wearing a plain grey t-shirt while the new uniforms are being made.

While all kosher McDonald's have a blue sign, the blue disposables and new uniforms are special to the Jerusalem branch, because the Jerusalem rabbinate made additional demands of the corporation.

The Mevasseret branch, for example, is kosher but has the regular packaging and uniforms.

"We sensed the need for a kosher restaurant in Jerusalem," said Ruth Sarid, the executive vice president of McDonald's in Israel. "I know for a fact that a lot of tourists or those who come from the States love to eat McDonald's but can't. They are delighted to eat McDonald's here."

The McDonald's in the bus station has been trying to receive kosher supervision since the opening of the bus station in 2001, insisting that they followed halachic obligations without an official certification.

Previously, the rabbinate had refused to give kashrut certifications to chain restaurants that had non-kosher branches in the same city. Workers at Burger's Bar, the other hamburger joint in the central bus station's food court, insist that they aren't in the least bit worried about competition. "I'm going to stay with Burger's Bar because McDonald's is more expensive," said Moshe Lezarovich, 18, from Netanya. His friends agreed that Burger's Bar was a cheaper and tastier option, and they weren't fazed by the novelty of a kosher McDonald's in the nation's capital. Currently there are 153 McDonald's in Israel, 24 of which are kosher. The Jerusalem Post has learned that there are plans in the future to convert other Jerusalem branches, like the one on Emek Refaim, to kosher restaurants, though the time table is uncertain.

Source: Jerusalem Post, January 3, 2010

Anyone who reads my blogs knows that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the insurance industry have communicated lie after lie about the civil justice system. Using terms like "junk lawsuits", "tort reform", and "frivolous", they seek to limit seriously injured people from fair and appropriate compensation from big business Chamber members. The Chamber has no conscience when it comes to seeking corporate profit; it is willing to do so at the expense of seriously injured and disabled people and doesn't mind lying to get its way.

Why then, do we not hear cries of "lawsuit abuse" and "frivolous lawsuits" when big business files suit against small business owners who parody their products? In a ridiculous abuse of power, The North Face Apparel Corporation has filed suit against a St. Louis, Mo company called "The South Butt." The defendant company was started by eighteen year old Jimmy Winkelmann, who created the products and website to help offset the cost of college. Is North Face truly afraid of a little competition?

The South Butt offers logo'd hoodies, t-shirts, shorts, fleece jackets and caps, for men, women and kids, in many different colors. The merchandise bears a logo that parodies that of The North Face logo, with block letters and a reverse emblem pointing south instead of the similar North face emblem that points north. The South Butt tag line is "Never Stop Relaxing", a parody of North Face's "Never Stop Exploring". On the South Butt website, young Mr. Winkelmann excitedly announces that the company is being sued and indicates that the publicity generated by the lawsuit has significantly increased his traffic to his website.

I am certain that North Face spent significant dollars creating its brand and developing its products. However, this is America, the entrepreneurial capital of the world. Is North Face seriously concerned that an 18 year old's parody company will, somehow, hurt their brand? In my opinion, the company's vicious legal attack on this youngster's flattering parody, coupled with its lack of a sense of humor, will hurt North Face more than the "competition" created by South Butt.

And where is the U.S. Chamber? Why aren't they attacking this frivolous abuse of the legal system and the waste of the taxpayers time and money? Why does big business get a free pass from the Chamber when it comes to filing frivolous lawsuits? This happens over and over again, proving the hypocrisy of the anti-justice movement known as "lawsuit abuse". The Chamber does not seem to mind punishing seriously injured or disabled citizens in the name of corporate profits; why the duplicity when it comes to business suing business? Young Jimmy will need assistance in fighting this Goliath company. I encourage all of my readers to go to the South Butt website and purchase some merchandise. I also encourage all of you to go to the US Chamber website and tell them what hypocrites they are.

Source: Injuryboard.com (blog), December 16, 2009

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Uniform and Accreditation Centre officially opened Monday at the PNE Forum — dispersing credentials and distinctive Wave Blue uniforms to five Games volunteers.

The 44,000-square-foot facility will eventually distribute 25,000 Olympic and Paralympic uniforms, with another 5,000 to be distributed at a similar centre in Whistler

The six-piece uniforms include a jacket, vest, two long-sleeve shirts, a toque and pants. Vancouver area volunteers get "city pants" while Whistler volunteers receive thicker insulated "mountain pants" to cope with colder weather.

The tops of the uniforms are an aquamarine-type "Wave Blue" colour while the pants are a darker navy or "Deep Sea Blue."

Volunteers get to keep the uniforms, which are worth between $700 and $800 each as it cost more than $20 million for 34,000 uniforms sized from extra small to extra large.

Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee vice-president of workforce operations Allen Vansen said Vanoc has received more than 75,000 applications so far for about 25,000 volunteer positions. Applications have come from more than 130 countries but about 90 per cent are from Canadians, with most coming from B.C.

Vansen said most positions have been filled but Vanoc is still looking for volunteers who can drive or be transportation attendants and for people who live in the Sea-to-Sky corridor.

Vancouver education administrator Larry Hoe, who received his credentials and uniform today, said he's thrilled at the prospect of working during the Games. He will drive vans carrying athletes, officials and VIPs from venue to venue during the Olympics.

"It's such a huge global event and to be a part of it is just exciting," he said. "I'm really looking forward to meeting people from other countries and learning about their culture."

Source: The Vancouver Sun, December 14, 2009

Fashioning a uniform for an Olympic snowboarding squad is something of a sartorial challenge for a designer.

Snowboarders, after all, tend to champion non-conformity. Dressing a group of riders in matching clothes would seem to run counter to the core values of their sport.

The apparel designers at Burton, the snowboard equipment company that has the responsibility of outfitting the American riders for the Vancouver Games, took up that challenge.

“Board sports, for the most part, are about expressing individuality — that’s what makes them cool,” said Greg Dacyshyn, the company’s creative director. “So the whole uniform thing, you know, it’s a sensitive subject.”

On Thursday night, the company unveiled its final design at the Burton retail store in SoHo, in Manhattan.

The uniforms plainly reflected the team’s desire to reconcile the individualism inherent in the sport’s culture with the earnest national pride inherent in the Olympic Games.

The jacket, for instance, is appropriately patriotic, with red, white and blue the main colors. But in a quirky stylistic flourish, certainly not common to team uniforms, the colors are arrayed in a plaid pattern.
The pants, meanwhile, were designed to look exactly like a pair of well-worn blue jeans, complete with faded coloring and minor tears in the fabric.

“The inspiration was sort of that classic Americana look: the plaid blazer and old jeans,” Dacyshyn said. “Yeah, it’s a uniform, but it’s also an anti-uniform at the same time.”

Burton first outfitted the team for the 2006 Games in Turin. In a playful nod to traditional American sports, the company at that time designed pinstriped jackets and pants that were reminiscent of the jerseys worn by the New York Yankees.

For Vancouver, Dacyshyn said he wanted to take the design further away from the “sports team” concept.

The process of creating the uniform began over a year ago with round table discussions attended by riders and designers. The athletes’ input was carefully considered, and the riders who saw the final design, Dacyshyn said, were “psyched.”

Though finding an appropriate aesthetic was on task, maximizing the uniform’s functionality was always Burton’s primary concern.

So while the uniform pants may look like denim, even up close, the actual material is surprisingly flexible and light to the touch.

The fabric for both the jackets and pants was supplied by Gore, whose Gore-Tex material, Dacyshyn said, “is sort of the pinnacle of performance fabric.” The material would be ideal for the potentially wet conditions in Vancouver, he said.

“When these guys come out, it’s going to be very different from what any other country’s team is wearing,” Dacyshyn said.

Source: New York Times, Decembetr 4, 2009

Boulder is home to a dozen microbrewing facilities, one of the oldest craft brewers in the country and the industry's trade association.

It seems only fitting that it should also host what's being touted as the world's first beer-apparel store.

"Boulder ... it is known throughout the industry that it's the Napa Valley of beer," said Jay Kriner, founder of the Central City-based Beer Clothing Company LLC.

Beer Clothing Co. on Friday plans to open a store at 1203 13th St., in the University Hill retail district. The shop will feature apparel, gear and accessories from a number of craft breweries from around the United States.

The impetus for the store is for craft brewers -- typically smaller entities that sell their logoed items in their tap rooms and online -- to have another outlet for their brand and their name, Kriner said.

"They really want to get out there, but they just don't know how to do it quite yet," he said.

Beer Clothing Co. evolved from Kriner and his colleagues' travels within the beer circuit, when they attended beer festivals to exhibit Kriner's invention: The Beer Buckle. The product is belt with a spring-loaded buckle that folds out to serve as a drink stand. When opened, the buckle also releases a metal ring to hold the bottle or can.

The Beer Buckle quickly warped into a new company after a number of breweries looking for an outlet for their own gear started contacting Kriner and crew.

Avery Brewing Co. was attracted because Beer Clothing was taking an interesting approach to draw attention to the craft-brewing industry, said Ted Whitney, sales director for the Boulder-based brewer.

The store could help give Avery and other brewers' brands a lift, he said, adding that about 5 percent of beer-drinkers consume craft beer. The other 95 percent, he said, go to the "macros."

"We'd like to say there's no reason to fight over the crumbs when the entire pie's still on the table," he said.

In addition to Avery, Beer Clothing will carry items from breweries such as Stone Brewing Co., Rogue Brewing, Oskar Blues and New Belgium, Kriner said, adding that he's expecting to bring on a number of other breweries in a short period of time.

Kriner is targeting Friday for a soft opening of the store. Currently, remodeling work is under way in the 1203 13th St. space formerly occupied by clothier Lola.

Beer Clothing is just one of the new faces on the Hill clothing retail scene.

The next-door Stellar Clothing Co. changed hands Nov. 1 when the 16-year-old shop was bought by Nissa Fuzy, who recently opened the Free Bird Vintage consignment shop at the southern tip of the Hill business district.

Fuzy sold Free Bird to a new owner that renamed the shop Bleu Star.

Source: Colorado Daiy.com, November 23, 2009

Loathed by generations of wearers as a symbol of monotony and conformity, Japan's ubiquitous school uniform has evolved into a much sought-after item of apparel.

For decades, critics labeled uniforms as a classic example of how Japan's straitjacket society had sapped its youths' individuality.

Now, modified school uniforms are seen as a symbol of modernity, spurring creativity among fashion-conscious schoolgirls who wear them with verve.

The school uniform's prominence in anime and manga illustrations has led to the "new" schoolgirl look that is attracting interest overseas, where it is a symbol of Cool Japan.

At CONOMi, a shop specializing in school clothing and accessories on Takeshita-dori street in the heart of Tokyo's ultra-cool Harajuku district, the evidence of such rising interest is clear.

Here anyone can buy nanchatte seifuku--literally, phony uniforms.

"Isn't that soooo cute?" one shopper, a 15-year-old first-year student at a public senior high school in Tokyo, cooed as she compared neck ribbon bows with two friends. The bows range in price from 1,575 yen to 2,100 yen.

"Maybe I want pink instead of red," a friend said.

The girl said her school has an official uniform, but she likes to add a little extra flair when she wears it outside school hours. She exchanges the official bow with an unofficial one of a different color or shape.

Teen fashion magazines such as "Nicola" and "Seventeen" gave her the inspiration.

"I love school uniforms. But our school's ribbon bow just isn't cute," the girl said.

"I can only wear a uniform now (while a student), so I want it to look as cute as possible," she said.

The days when students battled to do away with required school uniforms seem like an anecdote in a history textbook.

Another 15-year-old student said she loves to dress up in the full regalia--blouse, necktie, vest and tailored skirt--even though her school does not require students to wear it.

Link:  Read the article