Women Golfers More Beautiful Than Ever

By: Nancy Berkley

Every January for the past 10 years, I have traveled to Orlando for the PGA Merchandise Show. It's where manufacturers launch and display new clothing, equipment, golf carts, gadgets - you name it - connected with the game of golf.

After all these years, I have become pretty good at spotting trends. After spending three days in January 2015 at the Show, I am happy to report that women's golf clothes have never been more beautiful. Women golfers will welcome the originality, sophistication, variety and elegance of the new designs. Almost as important is that I observed a visible and subtle loosening of the dress code for women's golf.

What's driving this change in women's golf? In my opinion there are four main reasons.

First, the number of female golfers in the U.S. including junior girls, is holding steady. Some research, in fact, indicates that the number of female golfers is increasing. That upward trend encourages designers and manufactures to invest more in designing women's golf clothes. And, as the designs "cross over" from golf to fitness to lifestyle clothing, the market gets bigger.

The second factor driving the new styles is all about fabric. Almost all women's golf clothing that I saw at the PGA Show uses new softer synthetic high-tech fabrics. The newer fabrics allow designers to add gentle folds and soft pleating detail to skirts and skorts not seen previously.

Women's tennis showed off its new look years ago. Yoga and fitness attire has been overhauled by brands like Lululemon and Lucy. Finally, women's golf designers got the message that it's okay to play this very old and historic game called golf wearing new stylish clothing. Brava!

And, each golf apparel designer seems to be finding their own new look. For example, the GolfHER line has an easy pull-on skort with a row of pleats at the bottom edge that will not interfere with your golf swing. The Bette & Court fall line has a flattering skort with a flared bottom that will look good on sizes 6 to 16.

The Jofit line has introduced softly flared skorts with an overall pattern that shouts "fun." And the Jofit line blends and merges their golf lines with their lifestyle and fitness clothing.

Three foreign-based designers are good examples of the use of new fabrics in new ways. And although their clothing is a little pricier, they are setting trends that other manufacturers will follow - probably at lower prices.

One good example is Golfino, a German company based near Hamburg which has been selling well in many private clubs. Golfiino's women's pants are sharply tailored to fit like a jean but are not a "jean," which at many courses is not permitted. The pants (also in Capri length) come in many new colors and use a fabric with a nice comfy stretch to it.

Another Golfini design offers a slimmer stretch pant with a light flannel-fabric lining for extra warmth. I think I may need a pair for cool days in Colorado this summer whether on the golf course or just out for dinner.

A French company, KJUS, with its U.S. base in Boulder, Colo., is new at the show this year and was very busy! Most women golfers avoid bulky vests in cold weather. But the new KJUS vest - part soft down and part stretch fabric - is not bulky at all and both practical and comfortable.

KJUS combines a silky stretch fabric with down on the front of the vest (as shown in photo of orange vest). And as if that is not enough, a diamond-shaped fabric insert on the back (shown in the photo of the green vest) uses a stretch fabric that permits the golfer to make a full, unrestricted swing. I am going to keep my eye on this company.

Another company to watch is Chervo, an Italian manufacturer with roots in the ski industry. Their golf line introduces metallic fabrics in both bottoms and tops. The fabrics are unexpectedly light and would be comfortable on the course, or for that matter - anywhere!

A third factor driving women's golf fashions is a subtle relaxation of the game's historic and formal dress code. For example: When Annika in the Cutter & Buck collection designs a sleeveless golf shirt that has only a hint of a collar, she is sending a message. When standard polo shirts (round collar with short sleeves) are featured in the Show's fashion stage, it sends a message.

When Addidas displays a razorback fitness-inspired golf top but with a collar, that's news. And whoever thought a golf shirt would have a peplum - a ruffle at the waist? Well, Addidas featured that at the Show and it's on their website.

When GGBlue, an increasingly popular designer of women's golf fashions, shows Capri-length tweed tights with a matching handsome zipper jacket, I think I would like to wear that on the golf course on a cool day - and then go right to the gym. The blending of fitness fabrics and design into the golf industry was predictable.

But U.S. golf facilities and golf industry leaders have been slow to loosen the dress code for our game. In contrast, many European countries do not have strict dress codes. In Sweden, for example, women wear tanktops on the golf course to get a sun tan during their short summer.

In my opinion, it just doesn't make sense to lose women golfers over historic dress codes issues. Somewhere there is room for sensible changes.

Which leads me to the fourth reason why women's golf is more attractive than ever: The LPGA players are leading the way in the best fashion ever seen on the women's Tour. I decided to look at the dress code for the LPGA Tour. Here is their dress code as explained on the LPGA.com website:

"Yes, the LPGA does have a dress code. We allow sleeveless and collarless shirts to be worn during play. There is no specific length requirement on shorts or skirts. Denim, cut-offs, workout clothes are not allowed."

How many golf facilities in the U.S. even come close to the dress code adopted by the LPGA? That's something to think about. Why can't ordinary women golfers wear the clothes our female golf stars wear? Why can't I wear the new Adidas leggings and matching golf skort on my golf course? The dress-code dichotomy (Tour vs. recreational golf) does not exist in the men's world of golf. It may be time to "Lean In" as Google's Sheryl Sandberg suggests.

Turning from clothes to other items: Among the three miles of booths and displays are several that feature golf accessories.

One particular line of women's handbags and accessories caught my attention: Buco. They are new to the Show and well-priced for pro shops and women's golf-event prizes. The metallic-treated leathers are especially attractive. The BUCO owners confirmed that they were taking lots of orders.

But I can't end this article without describing one more product from the Show. And it is not golf apparel or even equipment. Instead it shows the growing influence women have in the marketplace.

About five years ago, I found a product at the Show that was primarily marketed for men. It was a money-clip made by M-Clip. There were many designs on the clips, but they were almost all very masculine. I urged the owner to make designs for women because money clips are actually a very convenient way for women to keep a few credit carts clipped together so they are easy to find in our pocketbooks. The M-Clip owner made a special money-clip just for me. I use it every day and love it.

This year I visited the M-Clip booth and learned they were launching "M-Clip Lady." One of the new women's clip designs that I ordered has a golf-ball design on it. The M-Clip Lade makes a great tournament prize for women as well as a new gift item in any golf shop. But the real take-away is that manufacturers are realizing that more women are playing more golf and those women are their potential customers.

And more good news for women: A new website for women golfers was just launched at the PGA Show. Watch for my future article about www.golfforher.com. I was part of a group of a dozen women that collaborated for almost two years under the leadership of Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation, to bring this unprecedented and helpful website to market. This new Internet resource is for all women golfers from brand-new golfers to serious competitive golfers and offers a weekly newsletter. Visit the site and register for the first newsletter available January 30, 2015. GolfforHer.com also has an excellent social media component. When you see a photo or read an article you like, spread the word on Twitter and Facebook. Not only will women golfers look more beautiful on the golf course this coming year, they will be able to influence the growth of the game like never before.

There's no doubt about it: 2015 is off to a good start for women's golf.

Nancy Berkley, President of Berkley Golf Consulting, is an expert on women's golf and junior-girls golf. She is a frequent contributor to www.cybergolf.com/womensgolf. Her book, "Women Welcome Here! A Guide to Growing Women's Golf," published by the National Golf Foundation, is an industry reference on marketing golf to women and spotting trends within the industry. She offers information and advice about the golf industry on www.berkleygolfconsulting.com and is often quoted in national publications. Nancy is a member of the World Golf Foundation Women's Committee that will be launching a comprehensive new website for all women golfers at the PGA Merchandise Show in January 2015 in Orlando, Fla. She is a featured speaker at PGA Section meetings and at national conferences. She was a contributing editor of "Golf for Women" magazine and a founding advisor of "Golfer Girl Magazine." Her interviews with women in the golf industry now appear on www.golfergirlcareers.com. Nancy lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Harvard University and Rutgers Law School. After a business and legal career, she decided to write about the game she learned and loved as a teenager. She describes herself as a good bogey golfer with permanent potential.

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