JL S/S 2010 Preview

(Lookbook photos the property of J. Lindeberg)

It's all in the details for JL spring/summer '10 gear. The Trevone pant and Tivone short feature contrast pick-stitching along the pocket with a strip of matching fabric lining the pockets. Very cool and totally unique in the golf market.

 

They've also redone two of our favorite JL warhorses - the Lachlan and the Lewis - in cotton instead of polyester, which is always a preferable change for us purists.

We're also really digging the color schemes. Love that electric blue running rampant through the collection (the bold stripe sweater pictured above is a personal favorite) and its powdery blue counterpart. The bright red and the cruise green/softer green combinations are bold and sophisticated. The several shades of brown keep things grounded; while whites, grays and blacks are expected and work to fill the bottom end.  

With continually great clothing and the addition of their new golf shoe, JL is looking head-to-toe-tough heading into next year. What else should we expect from the company that started this whole 'modern golf style' thing?

Shop JL at Trendygolf or the JL US Webstore. 

-KC 

6 hours in Cary, NC - Peter Millar Spring/Summer 2010 Preview

When the kind folks at Peter Millar were generous enough to extend the invitation to their office/showroom/warehouse in Cary, NC to hang out and preview the new 2010 stuff, I happily obliged. First of all, I hadn't been to the Carolinas since a brief stint living in Charleston and secondly, PM happens to be one of my favorite lines out there - I love the philosophy that Chris Knott has about clothing and I like being around a team that has a real passion for what they do. 

At PM they toss around phrases like "easygoing affluence," "attainable luxury" and "prestigious without being pretentious" - but they mean it.  These guys are all about their customer living the good life and creating the best quality clothing made of the finest materials that can be had - all with a carefree and very Southern mentality that consistently reminds us all to slow down; that life is to be enjoyed. 

PM clothing has that Italian sensibility for form and function and those same blasts of color that inspired Knott in 2001 when he sought out to create a cashmere sweater collection that stood apart. Add that to the mantra that beautiful clothing can be indicative of your success and station without being obnoxious and you have the winning philosophy that PM has ridden for the past 8 years, as their collection has grown to a truly lifestyle brand - encompassing the entire men's wardrobe from tailored suiting to boxer shorts. 

But now that the pleasantries are out of the way...a few things I did while in Cary. 

-Learned about the naming process for PM's outerwear styles and shirt colors...Hint: it's not that technical. Your favorite jacket for fall 2010 may be the namesake of a popular grilled sandwich. 

-Got shat on by a bird while eating pulled pork nachos in downtown Raleigh. ("It's good luck!" - says Millie, PM's Marketing Director.)

-Heard from Scott that PM has recently inked a deal with NBC to provide clothing to their announcing teams for golf and a few other special programs, which means Johnny, Dan and the boys will be looking a lot better next season. Maybe we'll see something besides a navy blazer or sport coat - For JM, let's bring back those glen-plaids and houndstooths of his youth. 

-Found out that tracking down a size Small in the giant PM warehouse is like looking for Tiger Woods at a Target. 

-Got excited when Chris got into his pitch about PM's new "tailored" distinction as an additional option in sizing and styling on selected polos and trousers, which will trim the silhouette down significantly. Look for that in Fall 2010. 

As far as the spring 2010 offerings, I'm loving the sun-washed collection of polos and pants, a few of the new shoe offerings (bit drivers in very Milanese colors and great looking boat shoes) and the genuine crocodile belts. (All pictured above.) As always, you can expect fantastic sweaters in various styles and the softest cotton golf shirts in the game.

Peter Millar knows and loves its' customer. The company's ability to keep making quality clothing that reflects current market demand while sticking to what has made them what they are is one of their greatest strengths. 

Thanks to Chris, Scott, Millie, Mike, Marcus and the rest of the team for a great day in NC.

-KC 

Closet Case: Ian Poulter

(Photo the property of Getty Images)

We're slightly color blind after a quick go 'round in Ian's closet, courtesy of FootJoy.com. The session in the garage is just staggering, with all those custom Icons. FootJoy treats Poults very, very well - and vice versa of course, as Ian takes a moment to plug FootJoy's new MyJoy program for the flagship shoe. Quick turnaround time for custom shoes? Now that's something to be rosy about...Kind of makes us think of Ian's Valentine's Day-hued, pink and red, Icon wingtips. Will there be more heartbreak for Ian in 2010 or will he bust through for a Tour win? Only time will tell...

-KC

Monday Makeover: Spencer Levin

(Photo the property of The Associated Press)

Spencer had a lot of attitude when he burst on the scene in the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock. The little dude had steam coming out of his ears after a poor putt, chain smoking and wowing crowds with impressive shotmaking on golf's toughest setup. You'd think that as a pro, the charisma he displayed in that oversize visor and flipped collar would translate to a personal style second-to- none. Well, at JT's Shriners event in Vegas, the only thing stylish about Spencer was his first round 62 - his clothing was the fashion equivalent of a big, wet divot. 

His trousers appear to be garden variety khakis and they fit pretty horribly. Spencer is slight enough to wear a slim golf trouser and look really sharp. Last I knew, he was wearing Dunning, but he's in Adidas here so maybe things are currently up in the air. In any event, he needs to visit a decent tailor or pick up an off-the-peg, trimmer pair like JL's Nicolas or RLX's Green pant. 

The whole look is bland and lacks punch - inject some much-needed color with a bold shirt or texture with a patterned/striped dark trouser. 

Spencer is a 20-something in a old man's gaucho belt. It looks like he picked it up at on the discount rack at Larry's Golf Universe. Get that man a thicker and more youthful offering - if he's with Adidas now, they should have him in the "3-stripe" silver buckle - he needs to be wearing a belt like eventual winner, Martin Laird. (59 Belts, Scottish Flag)

Bottom Line: Friends don't let friends wear bad clothes. Spencer, call us, buddy. The KC is always open. No need to drop the ball on your wardrobe choices next time...(Yes, that's an alternate headline for the above photo.) 

  

Daily Inspirations

(All photos are sourced from various sites. The KC takes no credit nor claims ownership of any of them.)

"Layyyer Brah"

You know all those fall layering techniques you're seeing in the magazines and on the streets? You can most certainly bring them to the golf course. Lots of apparel manufacturers are seeing the importance of transitional pieces for the golf course that can easily take you to the clubhouse and beyond - creating a truly 'lifestyle' collection. Two of the best at this are J. Lindeberg and Ralph Lauren...No shocker given their menswear pedigrees. 

I was messing around in the JL showroom this morning and put together an example of a pairing I utilize quite often for cooler morning temps on the course. The quilted jacket/tech vest/polo combination. The jacket gets thrown on as you leave the house, keeps you warm on the way to the course and perhaps, on the practice tee. The jacket then comes off to give you room to rip that first drive down the center, leaving your core warm in the tech vest. The vest may well stay on the entire round during the fall, or you may opt to stuff it in your bag as the round goes on.

The great thing about layering with zippered garments, like above, is you're never pulling something over your head. Golfers are a superstitious bunch and if they open with a few birdies, may not want to remove that sweater or other item for fear of jinxing the hot start. It's easier to slip out of something than commit to the removal of the hat, sunglasses, etc. Just a thought...

There are several other combinations you could mix in here. A cardigan could replace the tech vest, as could a V-neck sweater. You could even replace the outer jacket with a V-neck sweater, keeping the vest underneath like Luke Donald did at the Masters this past year. (Netting him an honorable mention for KC's Best Midseason Look, might I add...) 

This segues us nicely into Ralph Lauren RLX, you can see several of their takes on layering here, in my preview of spring/summer 2010. I was, as always, very impressed with the lightweight layering pieces RL had in store for next year, they practically invented this stuff on U.S. soil. 

You can buy all this stuff online or at a fine golf retailer nearest you...I've always wanted to say that. 

-KC

Star Spangled Banter

(Photos the sole property of Getty Images, Reuters Photos and AP Photo)

The USA made us proud this past week at the Presidents Cup. For the first time in years, it seemed like we had a genuinely cohesive unit out there. Congratulations to Freddie and the boys. 

At the KC we were very impressed overall with both captains' apparel selections. Clothing seems to be improving in quality and detail every year in these team events. Genuine appreciation should be given to the Greg Norman Collection, Ashworth, Elevee and the rest of the providers. The following will be a quick recap of days 2, 3 and 4. 

Day 2 (Photos 1+2): Loved the Internationals khaki ensembles with the diamond-patterned, powder blue polos. Very crisp, very professional, very European. The US was just "okay" in multi-stripe shirts and charcoal trousers. The pop came from the red hats, which seemed kind of out of place with the rest of the look. 

Day 3 (Photos 3+4): Total U.S. domination. And we don't mean solely on the scoreboard... The off-white/gray argyle, cashmere sweaters were possibly the best piece of the week. The INTLs looked classic in blacks and creams, but couldn't match up. 

Day 4 (Photos 5+6): More argyle, this time for the Internationals who just killed it. Their look yesterday was everything a team event 'uniform' should be: flattering, contemporary, appropriate and fun to wear. The US wore red shirts/hats in homage to Tiger's Sunday winning practices - and really looked quite sharp in the process - but definite edge to Greg Norman's side. 

We loved the classic inspiration of the apparel at Harding Park. More modern touches like sterling team belt buckles on the INTL side were paired with bold argyle, color-blocked and patterned polos. On the US side, as can be expected, there were lots of stripes and patriotic red flashes, but the best came when the bolder colors of the flag were left alone; iconic grays and whites - reminiscent of the gulls that circle the Bay Area - won the day. It was fun to see newer brands like Elevee alongside classics like Ashworth and Greg Norman and it was nice to see the quality and thought put into all the pieces worn. 

Here at the KC, we sometimes get so caught up in "what we could have done better" that we forget to sit back and see the successes and the strides that team looks have made through the years. We can only assume, with next year's Ryder Cup, that this progression and focus on quality and fit will continue.

-KC  (Proud golfers, Americans and style observers)

 

Presidents Cup - Day 1 - Apparel Watch

(Photos the property of Reuters Photos/AP Photo and Getty Images)

Day 1 team looks - quick recap: slight edge to the Americans, which is rare in recent years. I liked the professional look of the gray pinstriped trouser with the bold, red sweaters. Classic.

The International's polo shirts were a bit busy for my taste and I think, in team events, simplicity is going to succeed every time. The Sunday yellow shirts look really clean and fantastic - looking forward to those.

Obviously, fit varied by player and remained fairly consistent with their usual wardrobes on Tour; Camilo had his trademark shorter, bicep-hugging sleeves, Tiger could fit Y.E. Yang in his pants with him, Anthony Kim favored trimmer, younger cuts, Ryo's personal style continues to shine through, etc. etc.

Play-wise, the Americans look tough, but part of the reason why these team events are so thrilling, is you can just never tell...

-KC

Diamonds are Fore-ever?

(Photos the property of The Associated Press/AP Photo and courtesy of the Apparelwire.com)

It's argyle everywhere at the Presidents Cup; where the International squad will sport the pattern two, and possibly three, days during the competition. The Americans, to their part, have already looked sharp in soft blue argyle sweaters during practice rounds. The remaining American looks will center around the typical trifecta of red, white and blue. (Gray on Day 2)

Above are the clothing selections for both teams; Greg Norman and the ol' INTL boys have provided a more complete day-by-day scripting, whereas you'll kind of have to wait to see what Freddy and Ashworth pull out of the closet daily for the Yanks.

I love these damn events - I'm so giddy...I feel like Billy Payne on Masters Sunday. Match to watch on Thursday, you ask? Tiger and Stricks vs. Ryo and Geoff?! USA!USA!USA!

-KC

More Shoes, More News

FJ SPORT
NIKE Tour Premium
FootJoy ICON

Adidas Tour 360 LTD

(Photos the property of Nike Golf, FootJoy/Acushnet and Adidas Golf)

 

Nike's Tour Premium got the go-round from British Open champ, Stewart Cink, in the TOUR Championship just over a week ago and was introduced to retail stores on Oct. 1.  The shoe is definitely a new and more elegant approach from Nike, who has strongly favored sportier designs for many years. The tagline is "Old World Craftsmanship Meets New World Performance" which everyone seems to be going for recently. (FootJoy took inspiration from traditional FJ models throughout the years for the ICON.) 

The quality levels seem to be matching the performance/stylistic levels in terms of importance with new design - which is really a win-win for consumers. These days your product really needs to stand apart to garner attention from golfers who are spending less and expecting more. Welcome to 2009 in the retail world. 

We suppose you'd like to know what we think of the shoe? Well. It's nice enough looking...specifically the all-white. We're quite scared Nike heads may not gravitate towards it. We know a few big Nike fans and we can tell you that they won't buy this shoe. It isn't spicy enough, it isn't sporty enough. 

FootJoy just released photos of their new SPORT model shoe, due out next February, and it's fair to say that Nike has its work cut out to keep up. No, FootJoy does not pay us...

Adidas, meanwhile, is going to grab the crowd looking for a sportier shoe, as it has been for years - so we're not sure this Nike Golf shoe really has a niche in the market. We wish Nike the best, but we think their shoe design is severely trailing the rest of their development in apparel, equipment and accessories - it just seems flat for such a dynamic company. We'd be interested to know what people thought of Nike as a golf shoe...Let us know... 

One thing these guys can agree on is a price, all (3) flagship pairs can be had for 250 clams - MSRP. Pricing on FJ SPORT to come. 

-KC 

State of the Union Address: Trousers

(All photos the property of Getty Images/The Associated Press/Reuters Pictures)

At the KC we are absolutely obsessed with how our trousers fit - it's an unhealthy affliction...In the game of golf, your pant is often the only seriously tailored item in your arsenal, so the fit is simply paramount. We like a very trim pant that is slightly tapered so it sits nicely, exposing most all of the shoe - if we're going to buy an expensive pair of golf shoes, you're going to get a good look at them - sorry...

In the past few years, bootcut golf trousers have become extremely popular. Extreme bootcut models are offered by nearly every manufacturer/designer of modern golf apparel. Think Sligo, J. Lindeberg, Poulter Designs etc. We feel the same way about a fuller-cut, bootcut golf trouser as we do about a similarly bootcut jean - not going to wear it. While okay on taller individuals, they have a tendency to make you appear shorter and squatter and should be avoided on the shorter set. We realize that mobility and comfort are important to nearly every golfer and many find a trimmer pant constricting. That being said, the width of the bottoms of some of these golf trousers is becoming comical.  

A pant that is cut slim throughout the hip and leg and flares slightly at the base is much more forgiving and makes a lot of sense for golf, as you get the benefits of a slimmer silhouette (avoiding the dreaded parachute effect) without feeling like if you bend down to analyze a putt, you're going to give the gallery the proper read on your arse.  

Tony Q'aja introduced the v-slit at the bottom of Darren Clarke's trousers several years back and now seemingly every other golfer is touting the advantages in drape that the option provides. Many companies have also added zippers on their trousers, which allow the wearer to create that "v" by opening the zips slightly, which results in that same break on the top of the shoe. Personally, we think the now infamous "Euro V-Slit" looks nice, especially on a slimmer cut trouser like Luke Donald's RLX Green pant in the above photo, but is more of an aesthetic touch than anything performance-related. 

The best looking trousers being worn on Tour these days, cut-wise, are on Henrik Stenson. His Hugo Boss pants are snug but not tight and the length is utter perfection - just hitting the top of the shoe. Honorable mentions include Luke Donald in RLX -the Apex cut is our favorite - Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Ryuji Imada. These guys are great models for the thinner set. For those with a little more girth, Phil Mickelson (Tom Ford) and Graeme McDowell (Q'aja Couture) are good guys to look for. 

Cuffs you ask? Pleats? While flat-fronts have become de rigueur with Touring professionals, especially those under 35, pleats are still around and appear to be making a resurgence for spring/summer 2010. (We may have even seen some JL pleated trousers, shhh...) Something very Hogan or Jones-esque about pleats, cardigans and other things we're seeing come back to the game after some time away. Might be a nice change to take a cue from the gentlemanly 30's and 40's after a blast of the high-octane 70's.    

Cuffs, meanwhile, are always acceptable - in fact, we'd love to see more cuffs on Tour. A nice, slim-cut trouser with a 2-inch cuff would look equally as beautiful in a gray cotton for summer or flannels for fall/winter. Many stylish members we see at clubs around the country are cuff guys and you can most certainly go with a cuff even if you're wearing flat-fronts. You can see a great example of this done by Milanese men. 

In closing, we think it's fair to say that when it comes to pant preference, ask not what your trouser can do for you, but what you can do for your trouser...If you find a pair of golf trousers on sale or otherwise and want them to fit a certain way, take them to a trusty tailor and let them go to work. There are no real "rules" and any that exist are meant to be broken and reinterpreted - find what works for you and please, above all...Enjoy it. Golf fashion is fun. 

-KC