Article - Why and How Golf Shirts Have Changed Over the Years
10 Jan 2018
Why and How Golf Shirts Have Changed Over the Years
Wrinkle-free material makes corporate golf shirts exceptionally neat and with the special qualities of the material, the body is kept cool even in the hottest weather. With the shirts you and your office team will look and feel the part. Add to such the benefits of branding the shirts and you have walking advertisement boards for your company.
With customisation possible, the shirts can be branded according to your company’s style requirements and, of course, the colours of choice. You thus get a unique image, while also providing a coherent look and feel for your employees. Of course, your employees don’t need to wear the shirts only to corporate sport events. Provide them with several shirts for wearing on their casual days. They will be proud to show-off their company spirit and at the same time increase your company’s brand exposure.
Increase brand exposure even further by handing out the branded corporate golf shirts to your clients, business partners and even for sponsorships. You can, for instance, sponsor golf events at your local golf club. Handing out the shirts to the teams you sponsor will certainly demonstrate your willingness to get involved with the community.
Why Golf?
It is still one of the leading corporate sports and investing in corporate golf shirts for your employees thus gives them ample opportunity to wear the shirts. Fortunately golf shirt designs and materials have evolved over time, ensuring that the shirts of today are extremely comfortable, wrinkle-free and durable.
Golf shirts have a long history, dating back to the 17th century when the golfers still struggled to find appropriate attire to protect against the wind and sun. The shirts were first used in Scotland, known for windy weather and spray from water intensive courses. The original attire entailed starched collar shirts and rather uncomfortable ties and equally uncomfortable shoes with knee height shorts. Many players also wore jackets because Scotland has never been known for warm weather.
The clothing changed over the years and by the early 1900s the golfers wore waist coats, knee height shorts and breasted jackets with stockings and golf caps, and more comfortable shoes. The shirt and necktie were still worn, but the players added the cardigan for the cooler days. The players eventually moved away from knee height shorts to trousers traditionally in the colours of grey or white because many golfers played in the mornings or during lunch hours and wanted clothing that could also be worn at the office. Fortunately the tie was left behind for the sake of comfort.
The casual look only came in during the thirties because of a heat wave that coincided with the US Open. The golfers opted for lighter clothing, which certainly helped them to focus more on the sport during the warm weather than on the need to cool off.
The styles we have grown accustomed to come from the forties when the long sleeves made way for short sleeved golf shirts and casual trousers with spiked golf shoes. The corporate golf shirts of today can be worn at the office, on the golf course or even to business luncheons.