Fashion Insider: Taking a shot at an all-time best-dressed list
By Man in the Black Hat, PGATOUR.COM Fashion Insider
As I found out in my inaugural column here on PGATOUR.COM in August, everybody loves a list, especially when the list takes a stab at material as subjective as ranking the top 10 dressers in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
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So it was with great excitement that I read Jaime Diaz's thoughtful and sometimes unpredictable collection of his five best dressed golfers over on golfdigest.com.
While some might think it impolite to omit those who have made a significant contribution to golf's current state of fashionable affairs, Diaz made me think about those influences which are perhaps less obvious -- which is the key to any great list. By introducing individuals who don't necessarily come top of mind at first blush when one thinks golf style, Diaz has cordially opened the door to good-natured debate, which is more than half the fun.
Even Mr. Style himself, the right honorable Marty Hackel, weighed in with his take on Diaz's golf fashion leaders, so I thought it appropriate to toss the proverbial black hat into the ring to offer a rebuttal of sorts, keeping in mind that a list is just a list, and that there are no right or wrong answers.
Just like tyke soccer, everyone's a winner.
If you have yet to make the jump over to Diaz's five choices, here they are, in order of appearance: Tommy Bolt, Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Tom Weiskopf, and Adam Scott. Surprises on this list abound, but two jump off the page immediately -- Faldo and Weiskopf.
First to Sir Nick Faldo. Though he may have been unmatched when it came to focus, he wasn't exactly viewed as a trend setter worth remembering in his heyday, especially in that robo-golfer Pringle jumper. If one were forced to choose a contemporary alternative, and force myself I shall, Greg Norman would be the choice. After all, despite what we might think about his signature straw hat, the Great White Shark created an iconic golf fashion brand in the '80s and '90s, trumping Faldo in the fashion department, if not at major championship venues.
Next we move on to Tom Weiskopf, a mercurial talent who cut an imposing figure on TOUR. Like Faldo, Weiskopf doesn't come top of mind when I think golf fashion, especially during his prime years on TOUR in the 1970s. Despite Weiskopf's his love of cashmere, my nod for that '70s show would go to California golden boy Johnny Miller, who stood out in his check flared trousers, a precursor to the likes of Ian Poulter and Ryo Ishikawa.
Terrible Tommy Bolt is an interesting fashion study, and there's not much to quibble about here, aside from Bolt's penchant for throwing clubs. As an alternative choice from Bolt's era, I would submit to you the name Ben Hogan. Hogan was the personification sartorial perfection on the golf course, and his look continues to inspire golfers today.
Moving to Diaz's more contemporary selections, Fred Couples made Ashworth a household name in golf fashion circles just by the relaxed manner he goes about his business on the course. Has there ever been a more stylish walker on TOUR? I for one have always aspired to emulate his gait in hopes that it would somehow result in a game that reflected that of Freddie. For that reason alone, Couples sticks, though he could easily be bounced from the list for almost single-handedly making oversized golf shirts the go-to look for weekend warriors for the better part of the last 20 years.
Finally, we come to Adam Scott. The Man In The Black Hat took some heat for not including the ultra-stylish Aussie in the ten best dressed for the FedExCup Playoffs, and perhaps rightly so. My only wish for Adam in Aquascutum would be that they inject more color into his wardrobe in 2011, though by habit, yours truly is guilty of leaning toward a more subdued color palette, so he who lives in a glass house will refrain from throwing stones.
In the end, best dressed lists are among the more controversial of all lists, as no raw statistics with which one can build a case exist. After all, those who favour Nicklaus over Woods in the greatest golf of all time debate point to Jack's clubhouse lead of 18 professional majors, while those in the Woods camp point to the pace at which he has accumulated his current mark of 14, and project that over the next decade to build their argument.
Save for constructing an international golf clothing ranking system based on material type, trouser style, bespoke versus off the rack, fit and finish, and accessories, we'll have to settle for subjectivity.
So it is with that in mind that The Man In The Black Hat would have Couples and Scott in his top five, while replacing Bolt with Hogan, Faldo with Norman, and finally, Weiskopf with Miller.
But that's just me. Who's in your top five?
Black Hat Ticker
The popular notion of getting golfers lower to the ground through footwear was given a new twist last week by Oliver Wilson at the Dubai World Championship. Wilson, who wore the rather odd looking Vibram Five Fingers shoe during competitive play, had this to say about the experiment:
"I've had them for the last three weeks after my trainer turned up wearing a pair," he told PA Sports. "I practice barefoot sometimes and swing it better, so I'd thought I'd give them a go. They look horrific and I've had lots of comments, but they're good for you and I think the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. "You walk better in them and there's less strain on the legs, but I'm not sure I'll be keeping them on."
If you're still looking for a gift idea for that golfer in you life (and who isn't?), and you want to take things up a notch, have a look at look at the limited edition Mooka golf shoe from Royal Albartross. Touted as the world's finest golf shoe, Royal Albartross golf shoes are hand made in Italy over a period of eight weeks. Priced at £1000 (approximately $1500 USD), Royal Albartross will donate £200 ($300) to Bobs for Good Foundation who give children in South Africa hope, dignity and pride through a new pair of school shoes when they would otherwise risk injury walking miles, barefoot, to local schools.
The Man in the Black Hat is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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