Today's Highlights

• Don't waist an opportunity
• Fashion hits and misses from Accenture
• Tigers Back...

NEWS

Study gets women's feedback on apparel

Golf Datatech unveils its first-ever "Women's Golf Market Study," an independent, non-commissioned study designed to capture feedback on the female perceptions and experiences about the game, including apparel.

Glove It expands sales staff

Glove It expands its golf sales force with the addition of Bart Berning as national sales manager and four new territory sales representatives.

Technology at center of Ecco's new van

Ecco's new Comfort Tech Van to serve as the centerpiece of a nationwide initiative facilitating retailer training and enhancing consumer awareness of the brand's direct-injection technology.

U.S. turns to Sun Mountain

Sun Mountain is chosen as the official outerwear provider for the 2009 U.S. Presidents Cup team. The Americans will wear Sun Mountain's RainFlex line of outerwear.

FEATURE

Don't waist an opportunity

By Janice Ferguson
GPA Writer

Cowboys have been wearing ornate belt buckles since the Wild West frontier days, generally in the form of Texas stars, bucking broncos and longhorn steers. These icons are as much a part of the cowboy identity as boots and a hat.

That same sense of self-expression has spread onto golf courses at a rapid rate. Anthony Kim's mid-section sparkles when he wears his oval "good luck" belt buckle with shimmering initials "AK" made by Elevee Golf. Rocco Mediate's peace sign buckle made a greatly publicized statement during last year's U.S. Open final rounds.

Golf apparel manufacturers are using the chunky and decorative belt buckles to further brand their company name and logo - Nike's swoosh, Adidas' three stripes, Puma's leaping cat, and J. Lindeberg's conjoined "J" and "L" gets a lot of air time sitting on the trim waist of Camilo Villegas.

PGA Tour player Bubba Watson expresses his sense of fashion and self promotes with a custom belt buckle bearing his name in pink sapphires and black diamonds made by a close friend of his in Boise, Idaho.

We may or may not like assuming the role of "walking billboard," but that doesn't mean our golf ensemble should not interpret our sense of style and express who we are. Canadian-based Sligo has bellied up with its signature line of belts that complement its men's apparel line. The eye-catching belt features an interchangeable leather strap with a silver chrome buckle highlighted by one lime green and 14 white epoxy paint-filled circles. The black version has a gunmetal-colored buckle.

"Belts give a golfer a way to amplify and complete their look while identifying themselves as an individual," said Aaron Nudds, creative director for Sligo. "We design our belts specifically to the outfits created in our line using dark and light chromed buckles with multiple belt leather colors."

Women's belt buckles appear to be more subdued, but still provide a classy opportunity to don your favorite logo from head to toe, and right in the middle too. Lija's leather belt in black, navy, cocoa and white has a clean satin nickel buckle featuring the popular icon, and is one of the company's best-selling accessories.

"Belts are an easy, subtle way to accessorize and they've become a staple with LPGA tour players and amateurs alike," said Linda Hipp, founder, president and designer of Lija. "With fashion trending towards a focus on the waist and the shape of a woman's silhouette, belts are now becoming an even more important piece to complete and enhance an outfit. While belts can function as statement pieces for the wearer, they also present an opportunity for apparel companies to integrate more branded items into their lines in a way that is both noticeable and fashionable."

While belly bling doesn't appeal to everyone, it's safe to say that golfers are having fun infusing the trend into their on-course style, and taking an otherwise stodgy element of the game giddy-up a notch.