For apparel, looks still matter, but performance now key

The buzzword in golf apparel these days: performance.

Although style, comfort and fashion are still key terms in relation to what we wear while playing golf, performance has soared to the forefront.

Adidas TechFit shirt

"With the fabrics, materials and technology now available, more emphasis is being placed on how clothes wear while you are playing, along with how they look," said Ralph Dunning, a Canadian-based designer and owner of high-tech golf apparel firm Dunning Golf. "Looks are still very, very important, but performance is just as important a consideration now."

Can shirts, slacks, blouses and skirts actually help golfers play better? A lot of apparel companies, and their designers, say "yes."

"Thermal regulation, moisture wicking, wind-deflecting ... these are all important factors that can affect play," said Jim Keenan, marketing director at Ahead, which not only makes golf apparel but also offers what it calls "performance" headwear. "Controlling the elements-- whether it's excessive heat, cold, wind, rain -- is definitely key when you play golf. Staying dry, staying cool, these are the considerations manufacturers are taking into account when designing and developing golf wear that will 'perform.'"

Golf apparel has become one of the most competitive segments in the industry, even more so than balls and perhaps clubs. At the most recent PGA Merchandise Show in January in Orlando, Fla., nearly a third of the one million square feet of exhibit space was occupied by companies selling apparel. Among the manufacturers were companies with athletic origins, such as Nike, Puma and Adidas, and others with fashion backgrounds, such as J.Lindeberg, Bobby Jones Sportswear and Polo Ralph Lauren, are now eyeing the golf crowd. There are also dozens of companies that touch many bases on and off the course, such as Fairway & Greene, Cutter & Buck, Greg Norman Collection, Bette & Court, Lily, Ashworth, Callaway, Sunice, Sunderland, ProQuip, FootJoy, Lija and Nancy Lopez Golf.

"Golf shops are expanding. They are carrying more than just golf apparel, to include off-course collections that work well with golf collections," said Teri Schleifer, vice president of product design at Fairway & Greene. For instance, F&G not only offers quality shirts, slacks, sweaters, vests and more for playing golf, it also has a wide array of blazers, car coats and men's neckwear and in the fall will be offering an assortment of cashmere sweaters in 25 colors.

Here's a selected look at some of the latest in golf apparel for spring and summer 2008.

adidas: Among the most interesting and technologically advanced golf apparel products introduced for 2008 is adidas’ TechFit PowerWeb line of shirts and shorts. The products are an extrapolation from adidas’ track and field TechFit collection. The distinctive-looking golf pieces, meant to be worn under regular golfwear, feature a series of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) bands pressed onto the apparel. The bands are anchored at key points, such as around the waist, upper shoulder, upper legs, and are designed to work in unison with muscles. When an athlete moves, one set of muscles contracts while an opposite set extends, with the bands mimicking the motions. "The bands provide advanced compression, creating more awareness of posture and core stability,” said Patricia Dahan, adidas’ global apparel director. “This is a new, revolutionary category in golf.” Outfitted with sport specific ventilation and made of 75 percent nylon and 25 percent spandex, suggested retail prices for TechFit PowerWeb apparel are $70 each for short sleeve crew pullover or shorts, and $75 for the long sleeve mock.

Ahead: "The foundation of Ahead's 2008 men's Authentics line is performance," said Keenan. Two styles in the collection are Quick Dry Performance Poly Polos and Mercerized Performance Polos. The Quick Dry shirts feature moisture-wicking attributes to keep the garment cool and dry, plus an odor protection finish to keep it fresh. The Mercerized shirts are 100 percent cotton, with a moisture wicking finish. Both types come in solid and striped color combinations. List prices range from $55 to $110.

Sun Mountain: A specialist in golf outerwear, along with accessories, the company has introduced a RainFlex collection for men and women in 2008. The lineup includes jackets, slacks, vests and long and short sleeve pullovers. The short sleeve pullover, for example, features a RainShield fabric protector, locking zipper pulls, waterproof side pockets, inside chest pocket, tricot liner, shock cord waist, stand-up collar and two-year warranty. Suggested retail prices in the collection range from $100 to $215 for the HD (heavy duty) styles.

Fairway & Greene: With a well-deserved reputation for shirts that have a great look and feel and are ultra comfortable during play, F&G is vastly expanding its pallet of colors for 2008. The Lakeside Pureformance roster offers open sleeves, knit collars and a wide variety of solids and varied stripe patterns. Basic colors include blue, raspberry, apple green, aqua, black and white. List prices for the shirts run $74 to $84.

Puma: Talk about bright colors. Puma's spring/summer lineup is loaded with solids, stripes and modern graphic designs. One notable style is the Golf Graphic Pique Polo, made of 65 percent cotton and 35 percent polyester with a wicking finish. Color schemes include white, black and fluo green. Suggested retail price is $60 per shirt.

Greg Norman: The Greg Norman Collection has advanced its Signature Series with the launch of the Luxury Ultimate 80s Polo this spring. "We always begin with the concept of performance, luxury and style when designing (our lines) ... there is a responsibility to stay ahead of the performance curve," said Jeremy Brandrick, senior design director. The new polos are made from two-ply double mercerized Egyptian cotton with an added innovation in a stretch fiber called Dow XLA. "The stretch dimension ... preserves the shape of the garment while producing the ultimate in mobility," said a GNC rep. Offered in six solid colors (clover, coastal, calypso, dandelion, navy and white), suggested retail price is $79.

Lija: Four new golf and sportswear collections for spring showcase soft tones, sophisticated colors, sleek lines and feminine details from this specialist in women's apparel. The series, designed by Linda Hipp, are called Eye Candy, Runway Luxe, Spring Fling and Sweet Georgia Brown, and overall include more than 200 new pieces. Game-enhancing elements built into the apparel include comfortable, eco-friendly fibers that wick away moisture and dry quickly, are odor resistant, anti-static and breathable. List prices range from $40 for some tops to $180 for select outerwear.

Nancy Lopez Golf: There's a wide variety of ultra stylish women's tops, shorts and skorts in the spring offering from NLG. As an example, Illusion is a sleeveless polo featuring a Desert Dry moisture management system, mandarin collar, contrast self piping and asymmetrical fabric blocking of solid and print. The top would blend well with either a Performance short or skort in black, white or sahara. Illusion tops have a suggested retail price of $59.95; Performance shorts and skorts are listed at $69.95.

Mizuno: Three Windlite sweaters in a choice of colors are new this spring: long sleeve with a one-quarter zip, a long sleeve v-neck and a sleeveless pullover. The items feature windproof technology with a flexible, lightweight laminate offering breathability along with wind protection. Suggested retail prices are $95 for the sleeveless, $120 for the v-neck and $125 for the zip front.

ProQuip women's Liberty waterproof jacket

ProQuip: Known for its tour-quality men's and women's apparel, including its status as official supplier to numerous Ryder Cup teams, ProQuip's lineup for spring 2008 includes the Liberty ultralight waterproof jacket for women. The jacket is made with a soft, quiet outer fabric that's Teflon-coated and has concealed pockets, shock cord hem and integrated storm guards. Color schemes include sapphire/black, black/leaf, leaf/black and rose/black, and there's a three-year warranty. Suggested retail price is $180.

Zero Restriction: Stretch Lite Outerwear represents the latest from ZR. The collection comes with full zip jackets and top-zip half-sleeve pullovers. The fabric is a high-tech, three-layer material that repels water on the outside, wicks on the inside, is soft and breathable and has a form-maintaining construction. Suggested retail price for the jacket is $190; it's $150 for the pullover.

Sunice: Another specialist in outerwear, the Sunice Hurricane collection -- as it's meant to sound -- is designed to battle inclement weather. Among the Hurricane pieces, the Byron Gore-Tex Paclite Convertible Jacket comes in black/platinum, liberty/platinum, moss/black and sunrise/platinum. The jacket provides wind and waterproof qualities, along with breathability. A high-tech item, list price is $320.

Ashworth: The company is staging a resurgence under president Ed Fadel, targeting golfers with apparel in the mid-tier price range. Shirts this spring for men and women include an EZ Tech Perfect Performance 2-Bar and a Hybrid Performance polo. Both styles come in a wide range of vibrant colors. The EZ Tech is 100 percent cotton, breathable, wrinkle resistant, fade resistant, with a soft finish. List price is $60. The Hybrid performance is 53 percent combed cotton and 47 percent polyester, with a list price of $36.

Dunning: New for 2008 is the Interface Stretch polo line in a wide array of solid, stripe and windowpane patterns and colors. The Elite polo in the series, for example, is extremely lightweight and breathable, with permanent moisture management, and is wrinkle resistant. List prices in the Interface shirt line run $79 to $109.