MOVING INTO THE 1970’S
ARTICLE BY SARAH PROCTOR
Moving into the 1970’s, a time where women were pushing gender equality very hard, and golf was no exception. The unisex trend started here as more and more women began to wear pantsuits, fitted pants and even platform shoes as part of an attempt to power dress and be more equal to their male counterparts.
Dresses fell out of favour for a while as pants and shorts became the new hero, with lengths getting shorter and shorter – finally! Polyester was the fabric of choice and bright colours were officially in – it wasn’t uncommon to see women on the first tee sporting red or yellow trousers, with a coordinated blouse. But for every fashion trend there is a counter trend, and the 1990’s saw a quietening down of colour into more subdued tones. The classic pleated khaki bottom was the new entry into the fashion arena for women’s golf. The oversized polo shirt was the golf top of choice for the fashion-conscious golfer.
However, women’s golf fashion was not subdued for long and moving into the 21st century saw colour coming back into the game.
Women started to push the boundaries of standard golf attire by choosing clothing that felt more fashion right in fabrics and fits that could perform just as well as they did.
Moisture management fabrics and garment technology also advanced a great deal in an attempt to offer performance enhancing features. With this technology h,owever, it can be argued that the functional focus on fabric contributed to some of the golf apparel on offer losing its femininity and fashion appeal, a balance that is critical to the success of any golf clothing collection.
In the last 20 odd years, women have gravitated to athletic styles for the course that can be worn BEyond the game of golf; outfits that balance functionality with femininity, comfort, and fashion appeal.
Professional golfers have also influenced fashion and paved the way for many a new trend. (AKA Player driven sports fashion). There is a celebrity spin-off as well where golf fashion becomes a reflection of personality and golfers become recognized for the way in which they dress, whether it be a certain brand, colour choice or even an accessory.
LOOKING GOOD DOES COUNT
Aside from the practical and visual importance of a women golfer’s wardrobe, there is also an emotional element that underlies how women approach their outfit coordination – and not just for golf either. Looking good does count and fashion style has a powerful impact on how women feel. Simply put – when you look good, you feel good and you play better – true to golf and beyond. The right outfit can help you feel more confident when you need it most ; it can serve as both armour and inspiration.
The long and the short of the evolution of ladies” golf fashion over time can be condensed as follows –
Hat’s off to the pioneers of old for persevering, hat’s off to all the women who kept pushing the boundaries in what they wanted to wear, hat’s off to the brands and suppliers for responding to ladies’ fashion and other global trends and merging with golf and finally hat’s off to all women who play golf
– a force to be reckoned with and no more a man’s only game!
In more recent times, as much as the hard lockdown Covid period changed the world, it also caused a more radical shift in how people live their lives and changed their perspectives on what is important. Golf actually saw a growth in this time which has been a continued trend in line with the global movement into well-being, health and spending more time outdoors.
SO HOW DID THIS INFLUENCE FASHION?
Well, golf fashion takes its cue from ladies’ fashion and over the last few years, loungewear and relaxed dressing have come to the fore. Mixing sport with leisure pieces as part of comfort and a budget-friendly consideration has also influenced golf fashion, as has the global active trend of being able to wear sportswear on the streets – welcoming the legging to the world of golf. Knee-high socks are a more recent entrant into ladies’ golf fashion – a throwback to the 1950s, proving that fashion does work in cycles.
Ladies golf fashion today, can really be anything we want it to be, respecting a few dress code rules of course. We can take advantage of our “fairer sex” position and style up a storm, make a statement and conquer the world, one shot at a time.
