Fashion Insider: Giveaways, shoe trends and more
By Man In The Black Hat
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the golf course, wearing those double-pleated khakis and that oversized mercerized cotton polo that you received for participating in that corporate outing in 1998, the Man In The Black Hat is back for 2011.
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As always, scouring the fairways for trending golf fashion wins and epic golf style failures is job one, with an eye towards helping you avoid becoming a needless statistic in the increasingly stylish realm that are the tees, fairways, and greens of your club -- be it the local muni or a private enclave.
Having soaked in the sensational sartorial silly season that was the "off season," it's high time you were brought up to date, starting with this week's event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale plays host to the most vocal crowd of the year on the PGA TOUR, and many may remember Brian Gay's Sligo headcover giveaway frenzy that caused announcers to dub him the "mayor" (watch).
Word has it that Gay will be up to his old tricks again this year, with plans to gift the patrons at 16 with an abundance of Sligo swag each and every round for which he is eligible. Here's looking forward to seeing Gay in or near the lead on Sunday, revving up the crowds with his giveaway, and perhaps spurring him on to a strong finish.
One question remains however: Will any other apparel or equipment companies follow the Gay/Sligo lead to curry instant favor for their player in front of what is known as the most demonstrative gallery of the season?
SHOE TREND: The PGA Merchandise Show wrapped up in Orlando last weekend, and if one trend stood out above all others, it involves that which we all stand in when playing golf -- the shoe.
The traditionally accepted design of a golf shoe was all but an afterthought at this year's show, replaced by a myriad of entrants into the urban influenced alt-golf shoe market, a trend spurred by the runaway success of the Ecco Golf Street in 2010.
Companies of note in the alt-golf shoe marketplace not only include new entrants from 2010 like Kikkor Golf (theTenny is sweet), and TRUE Linkswear (the new Stealth is, well, very stealthy indeed), but even Travis Mathew is quickly in on the game.
Even the traditional brands on the block, like FootJoy and Ashworth, are putting their spins on the streety golf shoe craze. Ecco is also back with a follow-up to the Golf Street that will be hard-pressed to match the demand of the original -- though it's not out of the question, as we have yet to come close to jumping the shark on this welcome trend.
Another shoe to keep your eye on for 2011 may well be Puma's Club 917 shoe, which I think is what you get when your cross a Chuck Taylor with those Buster Browns your mother made you wear. In a good way. Will Rickie Fowler put this in his rotation at some point? I can't really see why he wouldn't.
Though no official announcement was made, Ryan Moore and TRUE Linkswear created buzz as Moore spoke of pending apparel offerings from TRUE that will bring his look to the masses.
It will be interesting to see how well shawl-collar vests and lycra-infused dress shirts catch on, but if the product delivers on what I like to call the "swingability factor", then the market exists, as has been so clearly illustrated by the alt-golf shoe craze.
TaylorMade adidas Golf has been extending its R11 driver marketing efforts all the way to TOUR staff apparel scripting, as evidenced by the likes of Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose among other staffers. Both were dressed in white from head-to-toe during the first round last week at Torrey Pines ...
Zach Johnson and David Duval can now be seen wearing Iliac Golf apparel on TOUR, moving away from Dunning and Nike respectively ...
Feel like you have a flair for golf fashion design? Travis Mathew is running a polo design contest, the winner of which will be worn by Bubba Watson at the 2011 U.S. Open. And don't forget the Dress Ian campaign for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship ...
Ricky Barnes is taking color co-ordination to the next level with his recent signing with G/Fore gloves, a company lead by Italian designer Mossimo Giannulli, he of the Mossimo brand that Duval wore when he was before his days with Nike ...
And finally, Proquip, the UK-based golf outwear company favored by Team Europe at the Ryder Cup, has announced a return to U.S. market for 2011. Somewhere, a sunlit mountain weeps.
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