Fashion retail tees up a golfing summer

There is a new game in town for style-conscious sports enthusiasts, and fashion brands and retailers have the kit ready and waiting.

Both Mr Porter (main image above) and Reiss launched menswear collections dedicated to golfing last week, as amateur players flocked back to courses when Covid-19 restrictions allowed from 12 April. Dress codes set by golf clubs and courses frequently ban regular fitnesswear such as trainers and joggers – making the sport a prime pick for targeted capsule collections. Rules can include players only being allowed to wear traditional polo shirts on the course, along with tailored shorts or trousers, and shirts and tops neatly tucked in.

Luxury menswear etailer Mr Porter launched its golf collection of polo neck T-shirts, tailored checked shorts, trousers, jackets and sweatshirts with a varsity, collegiate feel, which adhere to most of the sport’s dress codes, under its own label, Mr P.

Style director at Mr Porter Olie Arnold tells Drapers: “We’ve seen a huge increase in sales for golfwear since January and searches have more than tripled compared with last year, with golf remaining one of the most searched for product terms over the past month.” Arnold credits the scenic green courses as being a “refuge” for shoppers looking to escape the confines of lockdown.

Reclaiming and subverting affluent culture as a fundamental driver for street-level trends has led to a younger, post-ironic generation taking genuine interest in golf

Noah Zagor, WGSN

As well as products by Mr P, the etailer sells golfing gear by Nike, Lululemon, Adidas, Under Armour and Ralph Lauren. Bestselling items include shorts, shoes and caps.

As a low-impact sport, golf does not require as many technical fabrics to keep players cool and dry. Mr P’s polo shirts are made from breathable cotton, while Reiss uses both cotton and merino wool across its golf range, which comes in neutral shades. Pieces from these golfing collections can easily transition to wearing while socialising after the game.

Cathal McAteer is the founder of independent men’s and women’s wear brand Folk clothing. At the end of 2020, he relaunched Sounder as a golfing brand, alongside the founder of indoor golfing venue Urban Golf, James Day. Sounder originally made golf clubs for professionals in the 1970s.

McAteer agrees that clothing worn on the golf course does not need as many performance features as other sports: “You don’t really need high-tech equipment. We embarked upon a journey to bring style back into golf. Players don’t really need to wear dry fit tops, so you don’t need the same fabric as cycling and running.”

Sounder’s collection has a minimalist burgundy, khaki and stone colour palette, with organic and BCI cotton polo tops and Polartec fleeces, which provide insulation while remaining lightweight.

McAteer says May has been the brand’s best month since launch, and he sees the sport as coming back into fashion after shaking off a stuffy reputation: “Golf clubs have made themselves more welcoming – they’ve relaxed and have more flexible memberships that are cheaper for younger people, whereas some used to be intimidated.”

The sport does have a reputation for being a hobby for the wealthy, with clubs often charging thousands in annual fees. However, it is now attracting a younger, style-conscious demographic.

Senior menswear strategist at trend forecaster WGSN Noah Zagor explains: “Golf really took off during the pandemic because it was one of the few social, outdoor activities that could be done socially distanced. But I think there was something stirring even before that. The ongoing interest in [preppy style], and the ideas around reclaiming and subverting affluent culture as a fundamental driver for street-level trends has led to a younger, post-ironic generation taking genuine interest in golf.”

McAteer says that Sounder targets a demographic of 25-to-45 year-olds, but its customer base mostly ranges between 35 and 60.

Bunker Mentality is an independent Nottingham-based golfing brand, selling direct-to-consumer. It’s run by founder and creative director Robert Hart, and his partner and MD, Tamasine Green.

Hart says there is a younger generation of player, aged 28 to 30, who is settling down and discovering an interest in golf: “There are more younger people coming into the game. It has boomed because everyone was denied access [because of the pandemic] and couldn’t go on a golf course for six or seven months, then you couldn’t get on one when they reopened.”

Bunker Mentality’s sales have increased by 158%  in the last 12 months. The brand chose to pull out of the 150 UK professional golf stores it was stocked in as the pandemic hit in March 2020, to fulfil an increase in online orders.

Hart explains: “Our competitors were the likes of Under Armour, Nike and Adidas. It was a challenging place to be, but we collected our own tribe of fans. Business has gone well as a result of Covid, it made us focus. We had just delivered spring orders [to stores] when we got the order to stay home [under the government’s Covid-19 restrictions], but sales were taking off so quickly on the web, we thought we’d take the product back.”

Golf is still seen a male orientated sport, and these new ranges are mainly for men, but female fans will not be left out for long.

Bunker Mentality is relaunching its womenswear collection next spring, as Hart admits the company “got the customer wrong” when it first launched the category eight years ago. The new range will target 18-to-35-year-old female consumers, which Hart says is an emerging customer base.

Golf shoes that allow for grip are the only type of footwear allowed while playing. Skechers launched its dedicated range in 2012, catering for men, children and women.

The US brand says: “Offering a range of styles for women is crucial to finding success in this market.”

WGSN’s Zagor says the idea of golf being a “boys’ club” remains, but is being challenged: “While the market segment may not be as big, more and more women are coming into golf, and it would be smart not to overlook them.”

The pandemic put wellbeing at the forefront of the consumer mindset, which sent sportswear sales rocketing. Golf was once seen as a niche hobby only accessible an elite, but a new breed of a younger, fashion-conscious player demands a revamped uniform – and brands are more than happy to deliver.