For women, looks are as important as the game itself. Hence, ladies golf clothing will need to look good first, regardless of the brand that will satisfy her needs at a good price.
Five years ago, fashion companies introduced in the market the golf clothes for women which were actually an immitation of men's shirts, except they were smaller. Not surprisingly, it was rejected by women golfers who resented clothes that didn't fit their curves. Today, womens golf clothing are designed with fabulous styling which can flatter any woman's demand. Shirts fit, flatter and have all the technical and luxury perks.
In the past 4 years, women's products have jumped from 1% to 5% of overall sales in the corporate market. The women's segment is growing every day, not only in the cloth segments, but also in the segment of other accessories, gears and equipments associated with golf. The critical emphasis for women's golf clothing is styling which must parallel comfort.
Women also have a bigger presence in golf hence the market is seeing more golf clothes geared specifically for them. Ashworth is offering a plethora of new ladies' golf clothes for 2005 - increasing its offering from seven styles in 2004 to 18 styles this year. Annika Collection also offers an extended range of golf clothes with sporty designs styled for athletic performance. PlayDry Ribbon Collection introduced in 2005 presents a trim polo with the placket trimmed with striped ribbon which has become a big trend in fashion now.
The PING Collection incorporates fashion and technical features, with an emphasis on performance in their golf clothes. Key technical trends include Dry Fiber Dynamics with Lycra for the freedom of movement and comfort, as well as products featuring UV Protectant to absorb harmful UV rays.
The Liza collection 2005 includes highly glamorous silhouettes golf clothes and casual looks from pretty floral prints to plaids and graphics based on the four elements - Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. Water shows lightweight cable knits, soft stretch knits with sporty stripes, smart A-line skirts, and fitted Bermudas in the lines of 1940s women fashion icons. Earth spells confidence with distinctive feminine polo shirts with unique detailing such as oversized buttons, cap sleeves, pocketing and contrast detailing. Fire collection is emphasized through bold colours like red, blush, apricot which are blended with unique prints such as stripes, seersuckers and florals. The Wind collection is the culmination of comfort, protection and style. These also have unique detailing like off-centre reverse zips, hidden zip pockets, double zip front jackets, and racerback polos.
The 21st century technology also brought about specialized golf shoes for women, which are light, had breathability and stay dry. For optimum fit, a woman's golf shoe is made around a different fibreglass last, or mould, than a man's.
Today, the ladies golf clothing embraces a vast array of clothes and accessories, both stylish and practical aiming to please the eye and improve the game performance.