Black people golf too, and these Black-owned brands are made for the course
From beginner golfers to experts, Eastside Golf and Tiger Woods’ new brands showcase a new form of “Athluxury.”
While Zendaya’s latest film “Challengers” inspired some to pick up a tennis racket (or at least, some tennis whites), increasingly warm weather and sunny days have others ready to take a swing on the golf course. Regardless of whether you plan on picking up a racquet or a golf club, preppy athleisure is proving to be the trend of the season.
Eastside Golf, a Black-owned lifestyle golf brand, is helping golfers and non-golfers alike tap into the trend. Primarily known for its menswear pieces, this week, the brand expanded its mission to diversify the golf world to include womenswear.
“Since our early days, we’ve had women purchasing Eastside Golf items for themselves and asking us when we’d be entering the women’s category,” Olajuwon Ajanaku, Eastside Golf co-founder and creative director, told Women’s Wear Daily. “But we didn’t want to ‘shrink and pink’ our existing products; we wanted to create something authentic and considered. This is why we dedicated additional resources to bringing on designers with extensive expertise in women’s apparel to create items that are both fashionable and functional and equally at home on the street or in the clubhouse.”
The 20-plus piece collection includes a variety of pieces from tracksuits to skorts to cropped t-shirts, polos, dresses, etc. Based on insights women shared at the Masters Tournament, Eastside Golf created comfortable apparel as well as satin-lined hats designed to fit a variety of hairstyles and textures.
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“We are serving women who have, up to this point, not been served by golf apparel brands in the way they deserve — they do not have the clothing options that men do, despite making up a sizable, and increasing, portion of the golf-playing community,” the brand’s co-founder Earl Cooper added. “We are incredibly proud of the collection and hope to draw in women who are looking for golf clothing that is not just functional but fashionable and gives them the confidence to be their authentic selves on and off the course.”
Just as Eastside Golf strives to create pieces that are suitable for any lifestyle, Tiger Woods’ latest business venture hopes to do the same. Inspired by the signature red shirt Woods has worn throughout his career, the professional golfer’s “athluxury” brand, Sun Day Red, offers “performance apparel for those who share our passion for playing and love for competing — in golf and life.”
“Every detail has been meticulously designed, prioritizing the athlete first at every step, resulting in a collection that exceeds the highest standards,” Woods said, per Women’s Wear Daily. “Personally, I have loved wearing the products, and I am ready to see our brand proudly embraced all over the world.”
The launch of the new brands follows the ending of Woods’ and Nike’s 27-year-long partnership in January 2024.
“It’s me. I’ve worn red on Sundays, each stripe [in the logo] means something,” Woods said, discussing the brand’s launch and style, per Fast Company. “It’s the right time in my life … to be able to create my own brand, something that I live and breathe, and it’s authentic, it’s inspiring.”
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