2016 iGR Fall Apparel Preview

As I walked the show floor, I began to formulate the looks and brands I wanted to present in our biannual “LookBook” here on iGR.  There were a few prevalent trends observed that will become an adopted staple in golf apparel.  There were other fads that might not make it past 2017.

There is a clear trend among both established brands as well as the younger brands to “lifestyle” their selections.  The theory behind this concept is to make one universal look that functions well both on and off the golf course.  The idea that you can make one apparel purchase with broad spectrum application, work, dinner, and oh yeah, golf too.  More often than not, brands are departing from the “golfer” look.  While I do not see this trending on the men’s professional tours yet, I definitely see the concepts making their way to my home club.

While there are some brands that maintain a tailor fit look and style, many of the brands are seemingly getting larger.  For example, the new medium seems to be the old large, and so on.  Some call it a “gentleman’s cut” and others call it an “American cut”.  Regardless of what it’s called, don’t be surprised if you’re buying a size smaller in 2017.

More often, when I have a look at the tag of a shirt, I am seeing blend construction rather than 100% of anything.  The movement away from 100% “tech fabric” or polyester is because it really only looks right on the golf course.  The blend trend coincides with the lifestyle movement that continues to evolve in golf apparel.  Getting the blends and fabrics just right seems to be the art in creating a performance piece that still has the look as well as the feel of soft cotton.

A trend for 2017 that I see dying a slow death is the incorporation of floral patterns or large artistic designs.  Some brands do it rather well and mute it down, but others have the Hawaiian shirt flavor to them.  Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the trend plays itself out and to see whether consumers adopt the style.
​
This fall, six brands round out our bi-annual LookBook.  The apparel selections were chosen by the manufacturers based on what they wanted to present for their fall/winter looks.  As in previous editions, I am the representative model because quite frankly, I have never met anyone better for the job.  I hope you enjoy seeing the selections as much as I enjoy presenting them to you.  A special thank you to Beth Coburn from BC Fotos as well at the Eagle Valley Golf Course for hosting us again this fall.

You can get many of these clothes and brands in a monthly subscription box from Short Par 4 if you are interested in that sort of this! Let’s get started.