There was a time when the words “golf” and “fashion” seemed contradictory. Let’s face it: ill-fitting khakis leave something to be desired sartorially.

Well, think again.

Golf fashion is having a moment, and it’s not just players who are noticing. In April, the Wall Street Journal published a story about the trend: “Women’s Golf Clothes Are Finally Getting Good. Even Non-Golfers Want Them.” And fashion site Fashionista.com took notice, too, writing about “The fashionification of golf clothes – for all genders” in 2023.

This week, the U.S. Women’s Open will return to Lancaster, bringing nearly 2,000 golfers and thousands more spectators to Lancaster Country Club. While the competition is center stage, fashion is a way for the players — and spectators — to express themselves.

And, thankfully, options have expanded in modern times — a reality the Wall Street Journal attributes to a record number of women golfers, a trend that started in 2020.

Here’s the latest in women’s golf fashion that we might see on the course — and a guide to help you freshen up your wardrobe if you plan to attend, too.

Dresses and skorts

Historically, golf attire has roots in Victorian fashion. Thankfully for today’s players — and their range of motion — you won’t see petticoats or crinoline on the course.

But, dresses and skorts — or, skirts with built-in shorts — are especially popular in golf fashion currently, says Mary Parker, designer of Calia golf, a fashion-forward brand by Dick’s Sporting Goods. And that trend goes beyond just golf.

“Dresses and skorts are having a moment right now,” Parker says in an email. “Though they are traditionally silhouettes we see in golf, you are seeing a lot of non-golf brands getting in on the country club sports trend with the rise in popularity of golf, tennis and pickleball.”

Calia was founded as an activewear brand by Carrie Underwood in 2015. She left the brand in 2021. In 2022, the brand launched its first golf collection and introduced its “Calia Collective,” or brand ambassadors — which included golf correspondent Alexandra O’Laughlin.

Bright colors and patterns

Bold and bright colors are a defining feature of golf clothes and have been part of how players show their personalities for decades.

“Many golfers use color to stand out and express themselves on the course,” Parker says. “One color we are seeing a lot of this season is green, which feels true to the sport.”

Thomas Mattaini, owner of Pull the Pin in the Golden Triangle shopping center on Lititz Pike, agrees. While the store is known primarily for its club-fitting services, it also stocks apparel and other gear.

“My focus on ladies’ clothes is to try to offer as many color varieties as the men get,” Mattaini says, “so they feel like they have a choice to express themselves a lot more than just the blues, purples and pinks.”

Pull the Pin’s roots date back to 2008, when the business was known as Golf, Etc. Mattaini, who worked at the store under its previous owner, took over the business in 2020 and changed its name in March of 2021.

At Pull the Pin, Mattaini stocks clothing from FootJoy — a band that’s part of Acushnet, which also owns industry giant Titleist — and Bad Birdie, a brand known for its loud, fun options.

He selects items from the brand’s “specialty drops,” or colors and varieties that go beyond the basics. Recent shoppers may have seen an orange-centric line from FootJoy that hit stores in April. Mattaini also says that in the warmer months, he sees a lot of red, white and blue options for Memorial Day and Fourth of July golfing.

Beyond color, patterns are another way for golfers to show their personality on the course. And we’re not just talking about madras shorts from Old Navy ads of yore. Calia’s current offerings include a lavender, watercolor-style pullover with built-in UV protection that evokes cotton candy clouds, and a white, pink and blue golf skort with an abstract art-worthy pattern.

And Bad Birdie’s website has numerous fun prints, from blue-and-white checkerboard to cats and even snakes.

For those who aren’t ready to fully commit to a loud pattern, Mattaini says he has noticed a rise in patterns that give what he describes as an “embossed look,” when seen from far away, it looks like a solid color, but the detail of the more subtle pattern is revealed on a closer look.

“For people who lean more toward solid, that’s been very popular,” Mattaini says.

Fun details

In some cases, details you’ll see on golf apparel are borrowed right from mainstream women’s fashion.

For instance, pleated skirts have had a major comeback, with stars like Taylor Swift sporting them with a casual, oversized shirt for a cool-girl daytime look, or with a black bodysuit and knee-high boots for a night on the town.

That trend has carried over to the world of golf apparel, for both players and spectators.

“I think we will see a lot of pleated skorts from spectators at the tournament,” Parker says. “It’s something that we saw while attending men’s tournaments this spring that I believe will translate to the women’s tournaments as well.”

Back in October, French player Celine Boutier — whose style Parker describes as “classic and timeless” — wore a wine-red Lacoste pleated skirt at the LPGA’s Mayabank Championship.

Pleats are popping up on tops, too, like on Calia’s pleat-back, full-zip jacket.

You could also draw a line from the “coquette” trend of embracing ultra-feminine elements like florals and bows to apparel brand Golftini’s pink-and-black ruffled skort. Available in two lengths, the piece looks like it’d fit in as well on the green as it would at “Mean Girl” Regina George’s lunch table on Wednesdays.

Another example of golf clothes with a feminine feel is Calia’s flutter-sleeve polo.

“We are taking silhouettes or details not traditionally seen in golf and bringing them to life in a way that is still very functional for women on the course,” Parker says.

Boosting confidence

As a golf professional, Mattaini is excited for the U.S. Open to return to Lancaster. While his store won’t have an official presence at the event, he says it’s likely he and other employees from the shop will be there to catch the action.

“I think it’s going to shine a light on how great women’s golf is right now,” Mattaini says.

And while he’s built his business on award-winning golf fittings, apparel can be an important part of the equation, too.

“Everything with my business goes back to our core mission of helping our players — men or women — play with more confidence,” Mattaini says. “Whether it’s a new driver or a new polo, we want you to feel more confident going onto the tee.”