Alright, so today I wanted some new AO gear for next year’s trip, right? My old hoodie was basically falling apart. Started like I always do – jumped on the computer. Figured it’d be easy, just type in “buy Australian Open apparel”. Boom, tons of sites popped up. Prices were… all over the place. Saw some hoodies on this one site for like $30 AUD. Seems crazy cheap, feels off, yeah?
Then I remembered the Ralph Lauren thing. Think I saw it mentioned somewhere before. Checked some old news – yep! RL is the official outfitter for the Open staff and all that jazz. Figured if it’s good enough for the folks on court, it’s gotta be legit stuff. Hopped onto the RL site. Found the specific AO section, had sweaters, shirts, caps, the whole kit.Price was definitely higher, like $150 for a hoodie. Ouch. But that official logo… tempting.
Time to Hit the Shops
Didn’t wanna just order online, wanted to feel the material. Went into my local city center yesterday afternoon.First stop, the big RL store. Asked the guy straight up: “You got the Aussie Open collection?” He nodded, took me right to a rack in the back corner. Score! They had:
- Nice thick zip-up hoodies with the AO patch on the sleeve. Felt solid.
- Lots of those classic polo shirts, some with the AO insignia.
- Baseball caps, a few beanies – all with the RL and AO logos together.
- Saw a cool Rafa tee, actually, which was unexpected.
Tried on a dark blue zip hoodie. Fit was good, material felt way heavier than the cheap ones I saw online. Bit pricey, but it felt like the real deal. Asked the clerk when the collection might change or get new stock – he wasn’t sure, said they usually get more closer to the event date.
Wandered around a bit afterwards. Checked a couple of big sports retailers – they had tennis clothes, sure, Nike, Adidas, but nothing specific to the Aussie Open. Some generic stuff. Asked one assistant, “Any AO branded stuff?” Just got a shrug: “Maybe online? Not really stocked here.” Okay then. Checked out some other premium clothing stores. Nice clothes, but no AO gear. No dice.
So, What Did I End Up Doing?
Walked back to that RL store. Kept thinking about that cheap hoodie I saw first. Itches at my brain, you know? Is it real? Or is it gonna shrink or fade? The RL one, sure, it cost a packet, but it felt proper. That official connection matters to me. Bit the bullet, went for the dark zip hoodie. Had them wrap it up nice. Felt good walking out, even though my wallet felt lighter.
Moral of the story? If you want the genuine AO gear, especially the stuff with the tournament branding, hitting the official partner’s physical stores seems like the most direct route. You see it, touch it, know exactly what you’re getting. Saw bits online after, sure, but you gotta wonder where it’s really from. For me, spending that extra time checking it out properly in the shop was worth it.
