Ponying Up for Spring

Newport Bluffs - by Polo Golf
Coral Gables - by Polo Golf
American Golfer - by Polo Golf
RLX Golf
Navy and White Spectator - by RLX Golf
The Bold Colors of RLX Golf

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The KC was fortunate enough to be invited down to that venerable address, 650 Madison Avenue, on Wednesday morning to preview the S/S 2010 Ralph Lauren golf collections. 

What I found was inspiring - No surprise, RL has their finger on the pulse of any market they find themselves in and 2010's golf offerings are a perfect display of this knack to consistently "get it."

The size of the scope their several collections encompass assures there will be something for everyone - from the conservative, but aware customer who grew up in country club settings - intrigued by modern twists on proven, cotton classics - to the brash, technically savvy urban dweller who needs his latest golf gear to keep up with the advances and progressive cuts of his streetwear.

 

The crew at Polo Golf have put together a multi-faceted collection that I was elated to find drew serious inspiration from some of golf's legends, not to mention storied clubs and resorts. The first grouping presented was the iconic American Golfer - which takes classic pieces and reinvents them with updated fits and finishes. 

The standouts for me in this area were the Heritage Lisle polo - undeniably Polo Golf, but done in un-mercerized cotton (incredibly soft) and featuring a slightly streamlined cut from what they've offered in recent years - and the Polo Golf short done in a subtly cropped hemline that I found particularly pleasing as most of the shorts being released from more modern golf apparel houses tend to fall at the knee or below. 

The Coral Gables grouping is inspired by the early/mid 1900's resort life at the storied Biltmore Hotel; a time when people dressed for the club and dressed well. The collection thrives on light layering pieces, trousers with seriously sophisticated drape (Think Hogan and Hagen) and a nautical color scheme of blue, navy, white, cream and soft yellow.  

Finally, the Newport Bluffs collection is the Purple Label equivalent of the clan and gets its thunder from the scenic landscape of Newport, RI and the Newport Country Club. Here you can find elegant items like a dune-colored cardigan with a belted D-ring back, another great selection of pants and shorts, including a particularly beautiful, pinstriped gray cotton pant - a lightweight version of Tom Watson's gray flannels at this year's British. A KC favorite piece is a lightweight jacket in dune with a 2-way zipper, high-necked collar and leather and suede detailing. (Pictured, far left.)

All in all, the Polo Golf Spring 2010 collection is above and beyond RL's call of duty - they've got the iconic pieces, the undeniable Americana and some much-needed surprises and technical re-tooling. Like anyone, the KC loves an old dog; but an old dog with a few aces stashed up its sleeve is going to win out every time. Polo Golf is not afraid of that new customer who may be arriving at the brand for the first time or a consumer revisiting to see just how they've responded to the ever-changing fashion landscape. Good things, ladies and gents...good things...

Meanwhile, over at RLX Golf, the design team is firing for that aforementioned urban dweller or hip suburbanite with a sense of what looks good, works well and how to carry that attitude to the course. First and foremost, the KC was excited about RLX, because like Polo Golf, we love what they've done in the past - but we also had high expectations for what they'd be churning out a decade into the 21st century. 

What they delivered is a dynamic collection, heavily based (as you might expect) in boldness of color, design and technicality.

KC favorites include the trim Apex pant with venting system (seen above in raspberry,) the packable Rotator jacket - one of the lightest and form-fitting pieces in all of golfwear - and super lightweight cashmere v-necks that are cut shorter and designed with minimal banding at the base to cut down on bunching. (It's all about fit and functionality at RLX.) 

The entire collection is tailored with an undeniably 'menswear' feel. The color palette of the spectator collection in navy and white shows classic sophistication with modern detailing - think cricket sweaters and argyle vests done in an ultra-lightweight cotton with a deeper V and slimmed-down proportions. 

In today's fashion world its all about quality pieces, top-notch fit and construction and timeless pedigree. No one know this better than Ralph Lauren and the 2010 S/S golf lines offer the best of the best for hackers, club pros, touring studs and everyone in between. 

At the KC, we get excited for great clothing and I left RL with a smile on my face. It surely will make the impending hole in my wallet burn much less...    

-KC