There is no doubt that to participate in the olympics is an honor unlike any other.

Countless athletes have done their best to describe the feeling of representing your country, what it’s like to hear your nation’s anthem ring through the stadium or arena, all because for a frozen moment in time you were the best, your country, was the best.

Unfortunately though, that’s a feeling that many of us probably won’t experience. We won’t feel the pressure of a global audience, we won’t feel the weight of an expectant nation on our shoulders, looking to us to prove the strength and resilience of our country despite such an unstable world.

No, the international stage of the Olympic Games is reserved for an elite few, but luckily, there is one thing that we can share.

Tradition.

No matter who you are, what you believe, or where you live; tradition is one thing that we can all value. From family farms to generations of cops and fire fighters, tradition is one thing that may ring more true than the freedom we so proudly boast.

It’s with tradition in mind that I’ve come to appreciate what Ralph Lauren is doing with the 2014 Sochi Olympic uniforms. I wasn’t a fan of the Polo logo skillfully emblazoned on each garment, but understanding the story and the lengths the company went to to develop a truly American uniform is something that we can all appreciate.

From Oregon to New York, North Carolina to California, the details of the process pay homage to the traditions that have built this great nation.