The Dramatic Evolution in Golf Clothes 1920-Now
A recent un-stylish golfer inspired me to post again. For decades golf has been considered to be a gentle man’s sport. Not much has changed on the game’s features, so is its attire. It’s unclear where golf originated, but the modern golf is credited to developing in the damp moors of Scotland during the early 1500s. During this particular time, Scotland had a cold climate, in particular, hence determining the kind of sportswear the participants played with. It meant that the chilling climate dictated the attire of the players hence forcing them to incorporate heavy clothing, mostly made of tweed. Most of the players during this time wore: Sturdy shoes, tweed caps, tweed jackets (they were thick and made of woolen fabric) with starched collars and knickerbockers (mostly made up of baggy knee trousers). Something your great grandma might sew.
At the beginning of the 1920s, golf gained popularity amidst the wealthy circles, especially in America, due to its booming economy. Hence, the golf participants (mostly the rich) was elevated into a more fashionable look, which included spectator shoes, long stockings, single-breasted jackets, neckties, baggier knickers, and flat caps. This style of clothing dominated for a little while as people in this particular era required this manner of dressing only for comfort until the late 1950s when a significant evolutionary change was seen when the sportsmen introduced colored fabrics. In this particular period, a knitted golf shirt was introduced with lightweight, colorful trousers, oxford shoes, and time.
The groovy style, accompanied by an increase in the television broadcast of professional golfers in the 1970s, brought a radical change in the participants’ golf attire. The American people began to influence or to be influenced by the attires of the golfers. They adopted a new style of attire which included: the weaving of houndstooth patterns with purple, Kelly green, magenta colors on shirts and pants of the golfer colors final look of the golfers’ attires in this era was golf shirts with mock turtle necks, brown polyester pants, and houndstooth trousers.
Fashion athlete sponsorship in the late 90s marked the beginning of modernized knickers. Designer companies like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Levi’s incorporated their logos on their sponsored golfer wears. To further influence the fans of the golfers, the designer companies introduced the Scottish plaid patterns. The company’s wear to their golfers included long shorts, knickers, tartan sweaters, polo’s and visas with the sponsor’s logo. Since this time to the present day, the incorporation of technology into the golf fashion has influenced the manufacture of new clothes for golfers, which are meant to enable practicality, ventilation, and mobility to the golfers hence increasing their performance. The companies have incorporated the different styles and tactics of manufacturing the golfer’s clothes over the years to form perfect golf wear, including flexible shoes, ventilated pants, cotton-polyester caps, zippered pockets, and visors. As discussed above, it’s keynoting that golf has a rich fashion history with a beautiful tradition that has lasted over the years. There have been several extraordinary radical changes in the golfer’s wears, but there are still traces of old traditions of the founding forefathers.
