2013 Golf Chic (pdf version) - Ladies European Tour

Tennis set the trend a few years backfor fusing fashion and sport, with someof the ladies on the pro circuit perhapsbetter known for what they did off courtthan what they did on it: Anna Kournikovasprings to mind. Her status as a fashionicon made her one of the best-knowntennis stars worldwide, despite her neveractually winning a WTA singles title.Golf too now has its stars that add thatextra bit of sparkle to the game and whoshine not just for their brilliant playingskills, but also their style. On the men’sside, a defining moment was when JesperParnevik stepped out at Royal St George’sduring the 2003 Open wearing a pair oftight pink trousers. To say it caused astir is an understatement. On the ladiescircuit Belem Mozo, Beatriz Recari andMaria Verchenova are just some of thenames who have brought ladies golf tothe attention of the non-golf media. Thisclamour for glamour by the media hashelped spark an interest in golf clothingand fashion like never before.One of the designers who has been at thecutting edge of this change in culture andcouture is Chris Mattsson, from AbacusSportswear. She has been the inspirationand one of the driving forces behindthe Swedish company that has seen itgrow, in the last 10 years, from being afledgling local brand to one of the majorplayers on the global stage. Besidesbeing the official clothing partner of theEuropean Tour and the Asian Tour, AbacusSportswear has also been responsible fordressing the European Solheim Cup Teamsince 2007 – one of the highlights of Chris’career. ”Without doubt the best momentwas when the European Team won the cupin our clothes at Killeen Castle in 2011.That beat everything,” she says. ObviouslyChris, along with plenty of others onthis side of the Atlantic, is hoping theexperience is repeated when the twoteams battle it out in Colorado this year.The advances in technical fabrics and thedevelopment of traditional materials havehad a huge impact on the way golf apparelis designed and crafted to handle thevaried weather conditions that are part andparcel of the game. As well as providinghigher levels of functionality, these newfibres and textiles also offer designersthe freedom to be a bit more expressive inhow garments look. Nowadays, materialsare not only breathable, wind proof andwaterproof, but they are also amazinglystretchy which makes them incrediblypractical and comfortable to wear – a farcry from the unyielding cottons, heavywools and bulky tweeds of former years.Golfers play in all weathers, as Chrisexplains, with each presenting differentchallenges. “While we all like playing inthe sunshine, spending too much time inthe sun can offer up its own problems –particularly with the increasing concernsof skin cancer. This is something we havereally focused on in our latest Spring/Summer collection, creating clothing thatoffers protection against UV rays. We haveused, for example, the natural fibrefound in coconut shells –Cocona® – which contains activecarbon and protects against UVradiation. By combining bamboocarbon and microfibre, wehave successfully wovenanother wonderful fabricthat protects against UV raysand also reduces the risk ofunpleasant perspirationodours.So now you can enjoy the lovely weatherand fully focus your attention on otherthings, like how to get out of the bunker!”Abacus Sportswear has also introduceda patented StretchLite material thatis highly breathable and keeps youcompletely dry, but also, as its namesuggests, is incredibly lightweight andstretchy. This means you can swingunhindered even when it’s pouring down.“Finding solutions that offer suchfreedom of motion is what lies atthe heart of any good golf clothingbrand,” explains Chris. “So it isimportant to listen to the players,to what they want, what they findgood about the clothes and how thegarments are performing… or not.”Fortunately for Chris, she is able toget lots of insights from some of theworld’s best. Abacus Sportswearhas been a partner to England Golf,and to the German, Norwegian andDanish national teams for severalyears. “I listen to what the playershave to say, their comments aboutthe clothes, and find their feedbackreally useful. The input we get fromthe officials we also design for isalso very valuable.” One exampleshe cites is the new jackets for theR&A referees which have “lots ofpockets for all their equipment andparaphernalia. The feedback fromthem and the players has been reallygood, which makes me think we can’tbe doing too bad a job.”There’s little doubt Chris’ loveand passion for what she doesis reflected in the popularity ofher designs. But has this passionfor fashion always been there?She actually started off studyingeconomics because of concerns overwhat the future of an arts careermight bring. The lure of fashion wasjust too great and, thankfully, shetook the plunge to follow her dreams.“My grandmother was a seamstressand my mother a buyer for H&M.Fashion and textiles is in my bloodand I quickly realised that economicsjust wasn’t my cup of tea.” And we’llall drink to that.What does she attribute the brand’ssuccess to? “In terms of our ‘look’, wecombine timeless Scandinavian designwith the highest level of functionality –aspects that have become our trademark.We strive for boldness in colour andexpression, and are not afraid to challengetraditions,” adds Chris. “The success of theabacus® brand stems from our attention todetail. It is in such detail where the qualityof our garments and the love and care ofour craftsmanship really shines through –adding that little bit extra to each item ofclothing we produce.8889