Old dogs, new tricks etc.

(Photo borrowed from Getty Images via DayLife.com)

I caught an hour or so of the Byron Nelson yesterday and I was taken with particular interest by Stuart Appleby's golf shirt. He was wearing a rather nice fitting, white colorblock polo with a fuchsia detailing across the back and shoulder. My immediate reaction is always to look for a logo to identify the apparel sponsor, but in this case, I already knew: Stuart wears Cutter and Buck. 

Now, I had long ago written off C+B from my peripheral based on illicit memories of garbage bag sized shirts that required me rolling up the sleeves several times to reach my desired length. When I was at the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, I played in a local tournament and finished 2nd, scoring roughly 350 dollars in pro shop credit. Due to their selection ranging from Cutter to Buck, I was saddled with several new shirts and such is how my dilemma and ensuing write-off of the brand commenced. 

That being said, back to yesterday's sudden curiosity - I immediately cued up the Cutter and Buck website. 

It appears that the line of CB Drytec poly-blend polos, with their younger and more modern styling, is their answer to the evolving demands of guys like Stuart. I checked out the selection and the shirts seem to settle somewhere between Adidas Climacool and Bobby Jones - if that makes any sense. There are some distinctly successful designs, like the shirt Stuart wore on Thursday, but many are predictably uninspired. The question remains the fit - has C+B cut their new offerings in that overly generous way that I remember aka was Stuart wearing an XS? Or does new attitude manifest itself into new sizing? I'll have to delve into further recon to bring you an answer to that question. 

As many of you are familiar, Cutter and Buck - to their credit - has also released a collection in the past few years called CBUK - which offers slimmer fits, more aggressive detailing and aims at the younger golfing set. But the offerings are honestly quite limited and I can't help but think when I look at CBUK, "If Fred Durst played golf...." (He very well may...)

I'm always happy to hear that classic apparel companies are updating their collections to meet the needs of modern golfers, but you can't swim the English Channel with one hand on the dock, mate. Jump in, get wet, put the proper people in charge and churn out some successful clothing. Stuart's shirt on Thursday was a glimpse into what could be. Make it so. 

-KC