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Olympic uniforms will carry ‘Made in the USA’ label -- in 2014

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Hang on to your tweed beret -- it appears future Team USA uniforms will be made stateside.

At least that’s what clothing designer Ralph Lauren promised Friday following a patriotic dust-up in recent days regarding the Chinese origin of the uniforms American athletes will be wearing during opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The U.S. Olympic Committee says it’s too late to swap out uniforms made in China for American ones for the London Games, but Ralph Lauren says American athletes will be wearing “Made in the USA” labels when they arrive in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

“Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States,” the company said in a statement.

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Ralph Lauren has the USOC uniform contract through 2020.

The controversy reached fever pitch earlier this week when several U.S. senators criticized the USOC for allowing its uniforms to be made in China. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the USOC should “be ashamed of themselves.”

“I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them. And start all over again,” Reid said during a news conference. “I hope they wear nothing but a singlet that says ‘USA’ on it painted by hand. We have people in America working in the textile industry who are desperate for jobs.”

The USOC defended its decision, saying the clothing was being provided by an “iconic American company.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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