The history of golf style harkens back to when it originated in
15th-century Scotland. Gentlemen wore heavy tweeds, knickerbockers
and starched collars. Yet, it wasn’t until much later that its
style became sexier, more playful and ultimately less rigid. Bing
Crosby, who was at the forefront of Hollywood’s stylish elite
during the prohibition era and beyond, always opted for an aesthete
that was singularly very classical, but was paired and worn with
gaiety, most notably at Agua Caliente, Tijuana - a resort
accommodating a renaissance of hedonism for Hollywood’s glamour
set. He wore a long-sleeve cardigan, right up until his death:
coincidently on a golf course in Madrid after suffering a fatal
heart attack. It’s on the bottom half that many come unstuck, but
not Crosby-crooner supreme, sticking to his high-rise, wide-leg,
gabardine trouser. A classic example is the olive 10oz gabardine
trouser from Edward
Sexton, except he usually opted for that design in
lighter hues such as beige. His easy style was typically capped
with pipe and fedora hat.
His great friend Sam Snead, whose nicknames included “The
Slammer”, “Slammin’ Sammy Snead, and “The Long Ball Hitter from
West Virginia” was admired by many for having the “perfect swing.”
It was no surprise then that he won three Masters Tournaments in
1949, 1952 and 1954. Iconic for his straw fedoras wrapped at the
base with a colourful or printed tie, Snead had a signature look
throughout his whole career, donning a rather laidback style on the
course with either a white or yellow buttoned-up polo shirt under a
V-neck sweater. It was a more vibrant appearance than that of the
great players who preceded him, often wearing the same shade of
yellow as King
& Tuckfield’s saffron merino wool textured polo
shirt.
Fresh from another all-nighter on the Vegas strip, it wasn’t
unusual for fellow golfers to spot the flamboyant and effortlessly
cool Rat Pack member, Dean Martin, at the first tee before lunch.
Unlike many other celebrities and professionals of the time who
were dressed in archetypal golf attire, you could never predict
what outfit he might show up in. He often disregarded prohibitions
against shorts, invented by stuffy clubhouse officials, but
whatever combination he chose: was downright sexy. He favoured a
more loose-fitting polo, either un-tucked or tucked into tennis
style shorts that were very much on the tight and short side. He
would even be seen chipping out of bunkers with no shirt at all.
Checked pants and Argyle knits were also present in his golf
wardrobe, often opting for a more regular cut of trouser. Today
he’d be wearing something akin to Paul
Stuart’s olive window check wool trouser or Magnus
& Novus’ chocolate brown brushed cotton ‘weekend’
chino. Occasionally, he sported a polo with a stripe on the edge of
the sleeve and collar. The biscuit beige cotton chaser polo offered
by Italian knitwear specialist McLauren
is a close example. Great friend and regular golfing partner Frank
Sinatra once said, “Orange is the happiest colour.” This remark
proved to be quite true, where the pair were often seen larking
around on the course with Sinatra frequently in an orange polo
shirt. Unknown as to whether he was privy to Brescia based McLauren
– today their burnt orange cotton-mix Balmoral polo would’ve
provided the perfect foil for such humour exchanged between the
pair on the course.
The level of devotion to Arnold Palmer as a gifted golfer and
personality was quite something to behold. And quite rightly so.
But the superior reason for luring in this mass appeal, was that he
always looked so good playing golf. Blessed with a pugnator-like
physique, with broad shoulders, slim waist, muscular arms – he
looked like a movie star and dressed like one too. His trouser
tones were usually a spectrum of greys ranging from stone to
charcoal, nearly always with a crease down the middle. He was a
master at pairing a polo with the right shade of trouser. Think
back to the World Series of Golf, 1963 at Firestone Country Club,
Akron, Ohio when he opted for a striped number, tucked into the
waist of a pleated trouser such as Kit
Blake’s dove grey pleated wool flannel Aleksander
trousers.
It is no coincidence that a certain selection of pros in the
current generation who have a cult following, boast a trademark
look. There’s Shingo Katayama’s straw sombrero and studded belt,
Jasper Parnevik’s upturned bill on his baseball cap and Ian
Poulter’s tartan trousers. None of the them won the coveted Green
Jacket, or even a single major, but it is their desire to push the
boundaries of style that made them stand out. They’re all part of
the old-guard of the current crop of players. The decline of
eccentrics and liberal minded hot-shots in the new wave of golfing
royalty is laid bare for people to see. Advancements in textile
technology and an entourage of performance enhancing gurus behind
each professional, hammering down stringent diet measures, has
zapped away much of the fun for golf followers. Designed to improve
performance, fabrics now tend to be stretchier for ease of movement
or shinier to wick moisture. Wrong technical advice on Tiger Woods’
golf swing contributed to his incredible downfall. Who remembers a
youthful Tiger Woods win the 1997 Masters Championship? On one day
he wore reverse double-pleated light grey trousers, with a
loose-fitting ribbed royal blue polo shirt. He looked charming and
dare I say it ‘comfortable’. Wrapped up in all the convoluted
science behind gaining those minute performance advantages, you’re
likely to see him wearing a tight fitting round neck t-shirt,
tucked into some flat-fronted black chinos and black golf shoes of
the trainer variety. It was his attire when he remarkably defied
all of the odds to win the 2019 Masters. It is by no means a strong
representation of what others are wearing, but an example of how
fashion has changed in 22 years.
In fact, it was in the 1990s that heralded some of the sport’s
most iconic looks from some of the most adroit golfers of all time.
There was two-time major winner John Daly, whose collection of
kaleidoscopic trousers nearly eclipsed his blonde mullet. Spaniard
Seve Ballesteros liked a bright pink V-neck along with a
compilation of pastel coloured trousers that were more of the
Italian style of cut. Or there was fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel
Jimenez who was rarely seen without a Cuban cigar on the fairway,
sporting a phenomenal selection of indie-style striped polo shirts.
One that springs to mind today is McLauren’s
biscuit beige, orange and teal-striped cotton polo shirt.
There’s this preconceived idea that strict dress codes chartered
by a long history of snooty member officials doesn’t allow one to
dress with pizzazz and panache. While the dress codes are put in
place in good faith, there is an abundance of ways to be eccentric
and experiment within the parameters of the code, if you choose
wisely. And there is no better place to peruse your golf attire
selection for this summer than at TheRake.com.
