While We're on the Topic of Fall Golf... How's Your Sweater Game Stack Up?
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Image Courtesy of Scott Schuman's "The Sartorialist"
Heading to the course in the morning on a crisp, fall day is one of the better feelings around. Of course, if you play a lot of fall golf, you'll need a few 'jumpers,' as the Brits say - or in the case of a certain golf clothing fanatic like myself, you'll probably own way too many... I have more cardigans than Mister Rogers. That being said, there is an enormous array of sweaters produced by golf apparel companies to suit every taste - whether you're striving to look like Tom Watson or Bubba Watson.
I like to wear slim-cut knits on the course and my favorite thing to look for in a long-sleeved golf sweater is a snug-fitting forearm. When there is excess material at the forearm, short shots and putts become a wrestling match between you and bunchy wool. I prefer to "set it and forget it."
Then there is the question of v-neck vs. crew neck. I found the shot above on the well-known blog, The Sartorialist and it felt very "golf" to me, even though the gentleman - shot on the street - is clearly wearing something resembling an oxford shirt underneath his sweater. I have to say, I usually prefer a "V" for golf, but after being inspired, I'm going to give one of my many crew neck, cashmere sweaters an on-course nod this fall.
What about material? Well, technical, blended fabrics are king in golf right now, but knits have stayed - for the most part - fairly traditional. Merino wool is commonly worn on the course and cotton and cashmere make appearances. Companies like Dunning, Lyle and Scott, Hugo Boss and Peak Performance blend cotton and Merino with Coolmax or water-resistant treatments for sweaters that look classic, but are meant to keep you cool and dry on the links. Obviously, stretch is also incorporated to many sweaters under the golf moniker, but it isn't essential as natural fibers move, well, naturally... Although the advantage of a stretch piece is that it will return to its original shape...
As far as looks go, this summer and early fall I've been liking and trending towards clean and classic - I haven't been wearing a whole lot of pattern and when I do, it's very minimal. I keep coming back to a certain Masters shot of Adam Scott -below- I think it's the most fashionable golf photo of the year, but don't quote me on that... The reason I like the shot above and the A. Scott photo are for how crisp the looks are and how well the clothing fits.
I've been wearing a lot of bright colored polos with dark shorts this summer and I'm attempting to carry that into fall - the below photos are kind of an example. (I've been digging the dark polo under the brighter layering piece.) Another reason I really like late summer/ early fall, is I can wear shorts with a sweater or a vest - my favorite combo. I did that several times this weekend and observed other golfers at my club do the same. Slightly cooler temps give you such a range to experiment with in the sweater department.
KC
(Photos are the property of The Sartorialist, The Khaki Crusader and Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.)
1 COMMENTS SHOW 1 COMMENTS
LDNTuesday, September 7th 2010 5:46PM
What is Scotty wearing there? Is he head-to-toe in RLX?! It's a great look. Good to see him playing well at the moment too. I've got a feeling he'll win The Tour Championship.
Keep up the good work on the blog. Look forward to the re-design.
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