230 euros for a bucket hat, 150 euros for a t-shirt or 70 euros for a badge holder (yes, a plastic badge holder)… The resale prices displayed for the clothing of volunteers at the Paris 2024 Games are reaching new heights on Vinted.
Designed by Decathlon, especially for the Games and for the volunteers, the pink and green outfits are a great success in the fashion capital. Made up of 12 items (shoes, bucket hat, fanny pack, t-shirt and trousers, etc.), the outfit was distributed free of charge to the 45,000 volunteers.
After a week of competition, these outfits, not available for official sale, caught the eye of spectators and visitors. Some volunteers therefore saw a great opportunity to make their summer commitment profitable.
Clear instructions, but vagueness on resale
In the official charter of Olympic and Paralympic Volunteering, the instructions are clear regarding the use of these outfits: during the period of the Games, “wearing the uniform is obligatory during the execution of the mission for reasons relating to the identification of the volunteer.”
Outside of these missions, it is forbidden to wear these outfits. A person who is not a volunteer and who is not on duty therefore does not have the right to wear these clothes which are the property of Paris 2024. But concerning the resale of these items, nothing is indicated in the regulations.
High prices for sought-after items
T-shirts are sold for around a hundred euros, watches are close to 200 euros, and even socks are sometimes sold for more than 80 euros. On social networks, Internet users laugh at the prices and some volunteers question their choice to keep these clothes.
A growing trend
This mania for reselling one’s uniform is not new in the history of the Olympic Games, but it seems to be taking on a particular dimension this year due to the craze generated by the outfits designed by Decathlon.
Although no announcement has been made yet about a potential official sale of these outfits, according to RMC Sport, Decathlon is considering “developing a collection inspired by that of the volunteers and putting it on sale at the end of the events.”