What’s new for next season? Plenty. New spring lines will be colorful, sometimes outlandish, but at the same time, sophisticated. Next season will be determined, celebrating individuality and style with a multitude of trends that are dying to be worn. Many apparel manufacturers on the market will be offering innovative and fashionable clothing for your pro shops in 2019. Ensure you are well aware of trends, know what your customers want, what sold last year and how to effectively sell and merchandise your brands.
2019 golf apparel is about dazzling new colours, how it fits, feels, and moves. The tired old bromide, “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” might be true on a few different levels, but not when it comes to looking for the latest trends in the golf apparel business.
The annual PGA Fashion & Demo Experience held in mid-August in 2018 at the Nevada vacation and entertainment spot, is the place to be for the newest fashion trends in the golf business. It welcomes thousands of PGA pros, industry leaders and lifestyle specialty retailers from most of the U.S. states and 20 other countries, including Canada. It’s a jam-packed three days and gives us a sneak peak of what golfers will be wearing on the first tee to start the 2019 season.
For this upcoming season, it’s all about the “functionality” of golf wear – how it fits, how it moves, and how it makes you feel when you take back the club and try and hit a shot.
Sylvi Gagnon the fashion specialist with the BPG Buying Group in Canada says the new spring lines are colorful, sometimes outlandish, but at the same time, sophisticated. The dazzling new colours include scarlet red, green apple, turquoise, sun yellow, purple and orange. She thinks pink (soft or hot) will be one of the pillar colours next season.
“There are so many apparel manufacturers on the market offering innovative and fashionable clothing,” she told Pro Shop Magazine. But she also had a warning to buyers: “Whether you like it or not, keep in mind you are not buying for yourself. You must understand and define your customer. Look at your current customer base. Check out your competition. Analyze your products. What sold and what didn’t. Evaluate how your customers can benefit from products you will be buying. Defining your customer will get you a better return on your investment.”
In 2019, Gagnon says prints and graphics will be undeniably hot at sales and a wide selection of silhouettes that have already taken over street styles will also be very popular. There will be several colour trends for spring/summer collections, too. It will be used for impact and livening up the golf wardrobe.
In 2019, Gagnon says prints and graphics will be undeniably hot at sales and a wide selection of silhouettes that have already taken over street styles will also be very popular. There will be several colour trends for spring/summer collections, too. It will be used for impact and livening up the golf wardrobe.
Golfers will be wearing bright pinks, neon greens and luminous yellows, she says. As a strong complement to all bright, white is a truly staple color and is always flattering. For the more conservative players, sage, cobalt and Egyptian blue are easy and wearable shades. Apricot, tangerine and shades of red are also popular. Black is making a storming comeback touching nearly every upcoming trend for the season, she notes, and next year, she predicts it will be all about the contrast between dark and light colors. That means feminine pinks, purples and baby blue appear in women’s collection. Gold and silver glitters and fantasy sequins adorn certain pieces for a glamorous look.
She notes that stripes are still in but checks and plaids patterns are taking over as the “IT print”.
She also says greater focus for both men and women is being put on tailoring, structure and fabrics. Expect more tight fitted garments, slimmer pants, shorts and skirts with stripes along out seams. Look for clean sleek silhouettes for a better fit.
And yes, multifunctional yarns will dominate. The focus will be on materials that last longer, perform better and have a sense of natural protection. Key functions include: cool touch technology, moisture management and UV protection. Power stretch and comfort are important to this sector. Green fabrics and organic inspired knits born from special technological process will also be popular. Basic sports fabrics are jazzed up with glossy and shiny effects.
Gagnon says Ricky Fowler’s association with Puma Golf is another example that wearing the right outfit correlates to playing top level golf. “They (Puma) have taken the brand to a new fashionable direction by pushing style boundaries,” she says.
While Vegas is on the cutting edge of change in the industry, Canada’s top golf apparel manufacturers and distributors are always looking to leapfrog into the next golf season. Some have joined with Pro Shop Magazine to give readers a preview of what’s hot in the golf wear business next year.
