Sport evolves. Nike evolves. That ethos is behind the new Nike Golf Club apparel collection for the modern golf athlete. Golfers lives have changed, and they need clothes that work as well on the links as they do everywhere else. If you wouldn’t wear it to meet your friends, you won’t find it here. “There’s nothing wrong with all the wonderful traditions around golf, but for so long, we let rules dictate what people should wear,” says Kelly Tweeden, VP/Category Creative Director of Golf.
Golfers, just like other athletes who blend training and life, want to express themselves on and off the course. “The idea of putting on a costume to play golf is an old idea,” Tweeden says. “You train in the gym, you go to the course, you practice, and then you come home and hang out. Why should you have to change five times?” The Nike Golf Club Collection is one in which performance and personal style go hand-in-hand.
A roster of Nike golf athletes, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Thorbjorn Olesen, Michelle Wie and Cheyenne Woods, epitomize the contemporary spirit of golf in a new look book. “The style of golf has definitely changed over the past 20 years, when it was big baggy polo shirts and pants” McIlroy says, current World No. 1. “It’s become much more relaxed, it’s not as stuffy. I love having clothes that can work on the golf course but also off the golf course, especially when traveling all over the world.”
Personal Style for On and Off the Course
The Nike Golf Club Collection offers key items for mixing and matching to express personal style. One of the hallmarks is the Nike Swing Movement Polo, which has a tailored fit and a retrofitted Nike Golf logo. “We wanted the logo to be a signal that we’re going to push the boundaries,” Tweeden says.
The Nike Dot Shorts are a radical departure from traditional golf pants, but with fresh polka dots as a pattern, they still playfully nod to golf’s history of graphic pants. “I’m pretty sure that most guys would say that it takes some pretty bad weather to make them put on pants,” Tweeden continues. “You want to wear what feels right to you, what makes you feel like yourself, and the pant is not that defining style anymore.” Shorts are a bold move, but one that makes sense. “When I was an amateur, we always played in shorts,” Olesen says. “I loved it.”
The Nike Golf N98 Track Jacket and Nike Golf AW77 Full-Zip Hoodie, styles borrowed from Nike Sportswear, provide even more lifestyle edge – perfect for layering on the course, the airport, anywhere. “Living out of a suitcase 35 weeks out of the year,” McIlroy says, “you don’t want to bring a lot. Stuff that can double up is pretty important.”
An easy colour palette of black, white, and gray makes the collection adaptable and interchangeable. “It’s the simple idea of removing color to create a powerful effect,” says Tweeden. “We’re not in the business of decorating, we’re in the business of innovating.”
Look Good, Feel Good, Play Well
Golfers are first and foremost athletes, and they require innovative apparel to meet their performance needs. The bulk of the Nike Golf Club apparel collection is made with Dri-FIT technology, to keep players cool on and off the course. “Innovation is the thing that always improves performance,” says Tweeden. “Dri-FIT transfers moisture from the skin to the surface of the material, so it keeps you feeling drier than regular fabrics like cotton.” Even headwear, like the Nike Golf AW84 Adjustable Hat, is made with Dri-FIT material.
Fit is a key element in making apparel perform as well as it looks, especially for a generation of athletes who push the limits of training. “Our players are getting more and more athletic, and they really are in top shape,” Tweeden says. “You want minimal distraction, you want close to the body, you want the best fit possible.”
“Through body mapping, we have data that tells us where sweat patterns are likely to form,” Tweeden says. The Nike Print Woven Shorts have interior waist tape and stretch fabric to help support a range of motion. The Nike Golf Lockup Tee has a rib crew neck with interior tape to provide comfort, and the Nike True Golf Cap has eyelets to provide airflow.”
With the new Nike Golf Club Collection, it’s no longer necessary to leave personal style at the clubhouse door
Nike Golf www.nike.com/nikegolf
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