Golfweek

Underscoring its growing push into the golf category, Oakley Inc. announced Feb. 1 the signing of Yani Tseng to its team of global brand ambassadors.

According to the company, the world's top-ranked female player had been using Oakley products since early in her career. Now, with an endorsement deal in place, Tseng will represent a broader array of Oakley products. In addition to wearing Oakley sunglasses, Tseng also will wear apparel from the new Women's Active Collection.

Said Patrick McIlvain, Oakley's vice president of global sports marketing: "… With Yani, the ride has been incredible. We're pleased to further our support as she continues to make her mark on the world of golf."

Tseng, 22, already has five major championships to her credit. In 2011, she was honored as the LPGA Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

With his matinee-idol looks and swashbuckling play, Arnold Palmer in his prime struck such a pose that he launched his own apparel line long before he became a legend.

More than 50 years later, the fashion statement he made back then is inspiring a whole new collection, and it very well could land the King a new generation of fans.

In fact, making the Arnold Palmer brand resonate with consumers, primarily ages 16 to 35 – who more than likely never saw him play – is the mission of Arnie, an apparel-licensing deal initiated by Arnold Palmer Enterprises. The new line features modern interpretations of styles that Palmer sported through the 1950s, '60s and '70s, which happened to coincide with three distinctive fashion eras.

Using the timeline concept not only allows the apparel brand to chronicle Palmer's career for new consumers, but naturally promotes variety among the collection, according to Geoff Tait, creative director of Arnie apparel.

Said Tait: "We put our heads together and asked, 'What tells the story of this iconic man?' Lucky enough for us (his career spanned decades) and obviously things change over time, including in the fashion world, and we parlayed what was on the runways ...

Once an iconic golf apparel brand, Ashworth, in its last years as an independent company, became what's dreaded in the business: nondescript casual wear.

Now, it’s back to being tour authentic.

Beginning this PGA Tour season, it will be difficult for viewers not to see Ashworth on tournament broadcasts. According to company officials, Ashworth has recruited approximately 30 tour pros to wear its apparel. Among them are Justin Leonard, Rory Sabbatini and Johnson Wagner, who already has a 2012 victory with a win at the Sony Open.

The big tour push continues the revival of Ashworth, which was in ailing fiscal health before TaylorMade-Adidas Golf bought it in 2008. Considering that the company’s acquisition coincided with the economy’s downturn, Ashworth’s turnaround has taken longer than expected, TaylorMade officials say.

“Our timing was impeccable, as they say,” joked John Kawaja, TaylorMade’s executive vice president. He can laugh about it now, in part, because Ashworth’s apparel and footwear sales in the U.S. are projected to grow about 20 percent this year. Internationally, Kawaja said, some markets are forecasting single-digit growth while sales in Japan are expected to grow three-fold.

Refinement and tweaking of product ...

Creamer makes Sundogs even more easy on the eyes

Mid-morning Saturday, the lines curved around three sides of the Sundog eyewear booth as Paula Creamer greeted fans and signed autographs. The LPGA superstar not only wears the technologically advanced sunglasses, but, together with creative director Michal Hrk, is very hands-on with the design process.

Given Creamer’s pink wardrobe, one might assume that her designs would be heavily rose-colored. Instead, her personality shows through in other ways. On the “Iconic” style, details of her life are etched into the earpieces (there is a Pink Panther, a queen of hearts design and flowers and vines).

“Kind of her own personal story,” Gary Makar, Sundog marketing director explained.

The Creamer line, which features six new models for 2012, is heavy in aviator styles that Creamer became interested in designing before she was scheduled to take a ride with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in September 2010. It’s a style she frequently sports on the course.

Creamer has been with the company since 2006, and other Sundog players include Louis Oosthuizen, Pablo Larrazabal and Mike Weir. Sundog is notable for its Mela-lens (short for melanin lens) technology, which provides both eye ...

Considering the volatile nature of the golf apparel business, which companies often enter and leave just as quickly, it’s no surprise that FootJoy took its time deciding whether it wanted to be a part of it.

But after intense research, which amounted to a veritable “white paper” on the $1 billion wholesale apparel category, FootJoy made its call. With insight gained from 3,000 consumer responses and 314 one-on-one interviews with trade partners, FootJoy is confident there’s an opportunity to be had amid the chaos.

“It’s a fragmented category,” said Andy Jones, FootJoy’s vice president, gloves/accessories/apparel, worldwide. “If you look at golf clubs or balls, if you get the top eight companies or so, you’re going to have 90 percent-plus of the business. In apparel, there could be 200 companies. There’s no one player who has 50 percent share.”

For spring, the company has unveiled its first lineup of FJ Performance Golf Apparel with which it’ll make its foray into the market: Four color-themed collections. All performance fabrics. No cotton. Designed for the serious golfer. (At this week's PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., the company also is debuting four ...

Ian Poulter, a long-time Cobra staff player, is expanding his endorsement duties to the company’s sister brand, Puma Golf.

Beginning this season, Poulter will wear Puma footwear and belts, and continue to use Cobra equipment.

By tapping Poulter, Puma adds another marquee name to help increase its profile and credibility as a legitimate golf brand. Puma, which acquired Cobra in 2010, has steadily increased its footprint in the golf category, and its marketing stable includes Rickie Fowler, Lexi Thompson, Anna Nordqvist and Johan Edfors.

“Ian’s worldwide presence on multiple tours will help drive home Cobra Puma Golf’s core message to enjoy golf through innovative, performance products with a stylish edge…,” said Bob Philion, president of Cobra Puma Golf, in a statement.

Initially, Poulter will wear Puma’s new Neo Classic Pro-Type shoe. This model won’t be immediately available to consumers, but a limited release is scheduled for midsummer. Among the shoe’s features: a full-grain upper leather with brogue details in the formstripe; the company’s proprietary S2C Pro (Swing Speed Chassis Pro) outsole; S2 Quill Technology – a combination of directionally molded spikes and replaceable spikes for traction.

As part of his responsibilities, Poulter also will ...

Time and time again we mention how difficult it can be to look fashionable, yet functional. But we have found the guy that has seemed to conquer it all with Galway Bay Apparel. His name is Terry Prillaman, and at 58 years of age he has found his niche in the golf fashion industry, by following his passion for the game. Here is a quick Q&A we did with Prillaman.

• • •

Tell us a little about you and how Galway Bay Apparel came to be?

• My career has been in the investment business, but I’ve always followed sports fashions. I play year-round golf and have always disliked the bulkiness of cold weather apparel. I was purchasing a pair of $250 rain pants and realized that I still had to buy slacks and long underwear. It seemed that $350 for three layers of pants was too much. I searched for golf slacks that would look nice and keep me protected from the elements, but none existed. With no experience, but hopefully a good idea, the idea was born in June 2009. With the help of numerous experts in the fashion, technical, and manufacturing world, our first products arrived in November ...

While it was a tight race - with both teams looking strikingly sharper than in previous years - we still had to dig deep for a winner of the 2011 Solheim Cup Fashion Face-Off. And we weren’t sure if it was the smile on their faces, or the fire in their eyes, that had the Europeans coming out on top - for the second Solheim in a row.

Why the Europeans, you ask? Well, the Abacus attire seemed to fit the setting perfectly. They did a great job with keeping to the tradition of golf with the argyles and stripes, and with fabrics and accessories that were appropriate and could hold up to the toughest conditions - not to mention looking quite dapper in the meantime. You can always leave it up to the Europeans to dress appropriately, but you cannot always count on them for style - this time you could! They won our hearts with the violet infused practice-round outfit and capped it off with the subtle, yet patriotic boldness of the European Union stars during the final round.

On the flip side, we had our highly spirited American gals, who looked well put together in their Antigua gear. Unfortunately, what lost ...

• Click here for Complete Coverage from the Solheim Cup

It’s time again to assess the Solheim Cup girls in the most important way of all – the Fashion Faceoff.

Every other year we make a point of crowning the Solheim “Fashion” Cup Champions. I think it is going to be a particularly tough decision this time around. Why? Because both the Abacus and Antigua brands have done a terrific job with styling their players, and we just cannot get enough of all the fun outfits.

While the actual Solheim points race is close, we have to say wardrobes race is a dead-heat, as well. Between the opening ceremony outfits and the Round 1 uniforms, we are stumped on who is going to come out on top on the fashion front.

Although the European gals are sporting the somewhat conservative yet traditionally elegant Abacus line, it is going to be pretty hard to surpass the flashy and always exciting American team decked out in their Antigua gear. So it is going to be up to the girls to win us over with the way they wear each outfit.

Also, weather is going to be a vital factor to this competition and ...

Each year, a new fad takes over the golf course. Whether it is equipment, fashion or swing techniques – it seems that there is always something that everyone is talking about. Some may call it a fad; others may just call it the secret to a better game. But whatever it is, it will be the top-selling item of the year.

I’ve decided to try to pick this year’s fad – I think it will be the shoe. It started back at the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando, Fla., in January, where I saw a shoe booth showdown between two NCAA champions: James Lepp and Ryan Moore. They represent two casual and untraditional golf shoe companies that couldn’t, and still can’t, keep their shoes on the shelves. Lepp’s brand is Kikkor Golf (www.kikkor.com) and Moore’s is True Linkswear (www.truelinkswear.com).

I also saw Natalie Gulbis’ and Paula Creamer’s signature shoes from Adidas. They were a huge hit amongst both female golfers and fashionistas. It was a terrific marketing move and a fun way to incorporate our favorite lady golfers into our repertoire. It left us with a lot of pink and sparkles ...

The dreary weather at the Ricoh Women’s British Open at the acclaimed Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland, has swept in a ray of sunshine on the fairway fashion front. It has forced the ladies to be a little more inventive with their wardrobes.

And by inventive I mean how to make pants look cute, sexy and fashionable. Of course, we still have the basics down to a tee with the usual cute earrings, perfect hair, snazzy manicures and more.

Have you ever wondered how to make those cold-weather days on the course look good? If so, make sure you tune in to this weekend’s British Open fashion show. The temperature is expected to be in the 50s and lower 60s, so this means plenty of trousers, sweater vests and creative over-lapping.

What we took from the first couple of brisk rounds was a guide to give you fair-weathered players a reason to hit the links on bone-chilling days. Besides, we need to toughen up like our friends across the pond.

Here are our favorite bundled-up looks thus far:

1. Elegant minimalist: Morgan Pressel

Although there isn’t anything minimal about her vibrant orange, dangling earrings and perfectly ...

Bright colors, traditional plaids, functionality - and of course, pink - was the motto this past week for 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer.

We got a sneak peek into Creamer’s wardrobe and we are just flat-out jealous!

Not only is the color palette perfect for Paula but also for the event’s site -- the prestigious Broadmoor Springs East Course in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the weather is sunny 265 days of the year. This must have been a stat the fashion connoisseurs at Taylor-Made Adidas Golf (TMAG) anticipated.

Despite the stormy weather, we did get to see a lot of Creamer's wardrobe, while also showing off plenty of dazzling accessories.

Creamer also just informed us through her Twitter feed that she is wearing her “Signature Paula” shoe. She says: “The shoe looks great in blue.”

The question is: When can we get our hands on a pair? Lucky for us, Brittany Smith, who handles public relations for TMAG, said the shoe is available now! It can be purchased at www.adidasgolf.com for $120. So you see, the pros don’t get everything.

What do you think of the look? Could you pull off this look ...

It’s early, but we’re anxiously anticipating the 2011 Solheim Cup (Sept. 23-25), which will be held at the breathtaking Killeen Castle in Ireland. Rain, sleet and wind are likely to be there, too, so we wanted to know what team captain Rosie Jones (also known as Ro-Jo) has in store for her fashionable team and how she plans on conquering the storms – and the Europeans.

How does it feel to be the 2011 Solheim Cup captain?

In all my years in this sport I never imagined a bigger and more fulfilling honor. It is currently our Olympics of Golf.

I also never realized how many roles I was going to have to fulfill. I am playing everything from psychologist to fashion consultant.

Speaking of fashion consultant, tell us a bit about how you landed three great brands – Antigua, Imperial Headwear and SunIce.

We were lucky to sign with these brands. They have been supportive and creative. The LPGA worked out the licensing agreement and then handed me the reins. It has been nothing but fun from here on out.

Hopefully I’m not jinxing things, but the odds usually lean toward wind and rain in the land of ...

You’ve heard it before: Women’s golf apparel has gone through a revolution the past 10 years. But has it really?

We’ve seen a drastic shift in designs, fabrics and styles. But it doesn’t feel as though anyone has really got it quite right.

There are the classic sporty lines, such as Nike and Adidas. With those two companies we always can step out onto the tee and feel confident and comfortable. But they’re not edgy enough to make a statement.

On the other side of fashionable fairway spectrum, we have companies such as IJP Design, J.Lindeberg and Loudmouth golf – not that they all go in the same category. They are the typical I’m-going-to-make-a-statement lines that have left country-club curmudgeons cringing at every bright, tight-fitting fabric.

From where I stand, there hasn’t been a fashionable yet practical line that has jumped out at me like Toby Tucker.

The greatest part about this line is that it has something for everyone – no matter your size, style, golfing ability or lifestyle.

Behind the clothes is Toby Tucker Peters. Her past shows how she’s able to straddle the line between fashion and function.

Peters was ...

If you are the golfer that isn’t quite ready for the crazy fairway fashion scene just yet, I think we found a way for you to add a little flavor to your wardrobe and your game – Hollas. We chatted with partner of Second Skin and Hollas Garment Company’s Don Nichols to get the scoop on how to perfect fashion and balance on the course.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at Second Skin/Hollas.

I’ve been in the golf business for 16 years. I started as a sales representative for Second Skin and later became a sales manager. In 2003, I formed Hollas to offer the perfect blend of function, fit and fashion. At that time, there was very little technical wear available that we felt met the criteria necessary for the market. The fashionable brands out of Europe fit too small and the North American brands were too sporty. We brought Hollas to market as a more balanced brand.

Not many people have heard much about the Hollas brand and what it has to offer.What are your strategies going to be moving forward in getting the word out on the street ...