By Eileen Klink
I take great pleasure in being privy to all things golf. The PGA show is my annual nirvana! And this year's iteration featured nearly 1,000 golf-related brands displaying their wares. From “Demo Day,” where I got to test the latest equipment firsthand, to numerous golf technology and accessory companies, every aspect of the sport was covered.
In my role as your golf “fashionista,” my focus was on the apparel and accessories segment, which occupied about a third of the approximately 1 million square feet of presentation space. I was really excited to see 151 newcomers in the fashion segment alone. My job is to bring my customers the “best of the best” as they compete for attention, so here’s a short list of the brands that caught my eye at the show.
Starting with the newcomers, my clear favorite was Coconads. Founded by the husband-and-wife team Colin (coco) and Nadia (Nads), who share a love for golf and fashion, their “Flutter” collection stood out on the runway at the PGA’s annual Fashion show. Featuring ultra-feminine, mix-and-match pink butterfly prints paired with white and pink hues and coordinating trim finishes, it was a display of sheer cleverness.
Shop: www.coconads.com
For every golfing enthusiast, having quality pants with plenty of stretch and pockets is a must. Enter the new Flairway golf line. Their flattering and form-fitting pants are constructed with compressive, high-tech fabric, offering the comfort of athleisure leggings in a pants style. The brand also offers a cute scalloped skort with tone-on-tone matching tops and coordinating scalloped sleeves.
Shop: www.flairwaygolf.com
The Striking prints caught my eye at the Sunday Swagger booth. This company is all about polos with personality, featuring bold and quirky prints. I loved this companies “his and hers” matching polo offerings which are perfect for couples wanting to turn heads on the course. They even offer coordinating prints in youth sizes, so kids can match their parents. That’s awesome.
Shop: www.sundayswagger.com
If you want to be the grooviest gal on the course, Made by Real Hippies has you covered. And yes, that’s really the company name. Authentically started by Richard Wiget, a Grateful Dead-era Oregonian who caught the golf bug, this company crafts eye-catching tie-dyed shirts that add a hip and rad vibe to golf apparel.
Shop: www.madebyrealhippies.com
Byrdie Golf Social wear brings a mix of resort and retro to the table. Their sleeveless dresses and breezy prints, drawstring waistbands, and contrasting undershorts are perfect for a cruise, summer getaway or golf course. The plaid “worth” skort and coordinating “Range” vest pay homage to old Scotland with their beauty and attention-grabbing designs.
Shop: www.byrdiegolfsocial.com
While not newcomers to the apparel industry, lululemon and Spanx made their debut at the PGA show in 2024. The collision of athleisure wear and golf wear was evident in their offerings, providing golfers with high-tech, stretchy and comfortable fabrics in tops, pants, skorts and outerwear that easily take you from yoga class to the driving range.
Shop: www.lululemon.com and www.spanx.com
TravisMathew (now owned by Callaway Golf) continues to bring fresh ideas to the table. Having launched a women’s collection in 2022, their women’s wear was available at the PGA show in 2024. Blurring the lines between leisure wear and golf, their trendy hoodies, pullovers and cardigans with matching tanks can effortlessly pair with joggers or jeans.
Shop: www.travismathew.com
While not newcomers, some show-stopping brands deserve mention. Swing Control, known for sporty golf wear, is now infused with fresh designs by their new designer, Nancy Robitaille. Their “tummy control” pants and skorts, characterized by wide waistbands has a huge and loyal following and now features even more fresh innovative designs with sophisticated prints and even ruffle details.
Shop: www.swingcontrol.com
Kinona, with its new quilted jackets and vests, monochromatic prints with hints of color, and bold and playful patterns, remains a perennial favorite. The abstract bloom print of the new and shorter “Scooter” short adds a touch of freshness and draws in the pickleball set to their customer base. A Kinona fashion update from founders Dianne and Tammy is a must for a complete PGA show experience.
Shop: www.kinona.com
One of the farthest-traveled exhibitors to the PGA show is Famara Golf from England. Founded by Liz Harwood, a skilled artist who has brought her paintings to life in her fabrics. Hers is art-inspired sportswear, and her new 2024 collection is breathtaking and unique, a highlight of the show. Sheer sleeves in her dresses and tops run right to the collar in a flattering way. Her collection is a must-see, must-wear.
Shop: www.famaragolf.com.
I’ll conclude my story with Golftini, known for crafting the darndest, cutest golf skorts for several years now. Visiting founder Sue Hess in this year’s booth, I discovered her collections of stretch ankle pants in signature prints and patterns, coordinating polos, vests and sweaters to complete the beautiful Golftini look. Oh, and they even have a men’s line now? Well, that’s a tale for another day, you lucky guys.
Shop: www.golftiniwear.com.
My eyes were brimming with excitement and my feet ached for days from navigating the aisles…all in the hopes of discovering the latest fashion trends from the 2024 PGA show.