Addison Bay’s Golf Looks Are Everything But Monotonous

The lines between women’s golf wear and tennis wear can seem quite blurred, as the styles for the course and court are quite similar. Both boast polo shirts, skorts, dresses and pleated skirts- though golf can come with the added touch of colorful pants, argyle socks, and Tam o’ Shatner flat caps (if we’re talking about golf in the early 20^th century). Women’s golf styles have evolved greatly yet can often seem monotonous in style, but Philadelphia based activewear brand, Addison Bay begs to differ. Its founder Marguerite Adzick has a selection of golf wear that’s anything but monotonous, giving sartorial variety to women out on the golf course.

If we look at women’s golf wear over the years, we see a vast change. When golf was invented in the 15^th century, it was a sport only for men. It wasn’t until another 4 centuries that women were accepted to play the sport publicly. The 1900s saw less fashion restriction for women. Out went corsets and sleeves on shorts, and in came stylish matching skirt and cardigan sets, while the hem lines of skirts started to rise. Women’s golf wear graced the front of Vogue magazine. By 1950, the skort was introduced on the golf course, which made it easier and faster for women to play golf.

Ralph Lauren, Adidas, L’etoile, Lacoste, Tory Burch, Bogner, S.S. Daly, The Garment and The Upside are some of the brands that have tackled men and women’s golf wear and accessories. It’s no doubt that men’s golf wear is bigger than women’s, but, women are playing golf more than ever, therefore the market for women’s golf products are increasing. It’s a space valued at $3 billion for 2023, and is expected to increase by a CAGR of 6% from 2023 to 2033, according to Fact MR. So, by the end of 2033, it is predicted that golf wear will be a $5.4 billion industry. Golf style is very much at the forefront of Addison Bay’s thinking because it’s a growing space.

Adzick refers to the golf looks for her brand as, “elevated and polished, with a focus on fit and function.” It takes on average of 7 months to build a solid golf wear collection, and while Addison Bay isn’t strictly golf wear, Adzick and her design and production teams put a lot of time into creating the golf looks. “It took us years!,” says Adzick. “We really took the time to listen to our amazing customers on what they were looking for, aesthetically and functionally, before rolling out our first collection. We launched a few foundational pieces and have since designed and produced more based on feedback. We truly love hearing from our customers and perfecting our assortment.”

While women’s golf wear isn’t overly saturated the way other modes of fashion is, it wasn’t a space Addison Bay was looking to take on. “We didn’t have plans to design into golf or tennis and it really came from our customers asking for fashion forward pieces in this space – spoiler alert, we listened! Based on demand, we knew there was a hole in the market and we were excited to put the Addison Bay twist on traditional golf and tennis wear,” she says.

It also helps that Adzick plays golf. It’s a sport she does more for fun, but she’s not going to wear just anything when playing with friends and family. “When I’m playing golf, I want to be equally functional and fashionable. I have to be comfortable while I’m on the move, but I care about how I look on the course and beyond. Addison Bay golf was born from the idea that activewear can go beyond the course and where fashion forward doesn’t mean less function,” she says.

Some of the most featured golf wear looks include the Everyday Crewneck that works as a pullover for those breezy days on the golf course, which goes for $168. The looks in the collection are made from a few types of textiles that range from active pique, luxe spandex, and lightweight performance fabrics, like the Links Golf Skort in navy with horizontal white stripes for $108. The Courtside Polo comes in white and multi stripe for $98. The Sleeveless Courtside Polo is featured in four colors and perfect for those hot summer day games for $88. The Pebblebeach Golf Skort comes in three colors and has built in undershorts and an exterior ball pocket for $128. And the Key West Polo is a long-sleeved navy polo that’s perfect for mid-autumn, where a pullover would be too much, and costs $108.

“From a design element, stripes are our thing,” says Adzick. “We love playing with various widths and colors to create aesthetically flattering and appealing styles. Golf is no different and we’re having fun incorporating stripes and modern details into our golf assortment.”

One thing that’s missing from the collection is a more diverse selection for cooler and cold months. But, that’s done on purpose says Adzick. “We are keeping our golf assortment tight for now with plans to expand as the golf business continues to grow. Expect to see more golf dresses, third layers and outfit mixing and matching this Resort,” she says.