The question I was asked most often at the PGA Merchandise Show was, “What’s caught your eye?”
Without a doubt, the answer at the top of my list was the J.Lindeberg Golf x Bespoken collaboration that resulted in a 12-piece English Mod-style capsule collection for Autumn/Winter 2015.
For those of you unfamiliar with Bespoken just know that GQ Magazine awarded the label the Best New Menswear Designer Award in 2013. Last I checked, the folks at GQ know a thing or two about men’s fashion, so if my word isn’t good enough for you, theirs should be.
See Also: J.Lindeberg Golf Launches the Luxe Collection
Bespoken was founded in New York in 2008 by London born brothers, Sam and Liam Fayed. They grew up working in their father’s business, renowned English shirt maker Turnbull & Asser, where they honed their craft. At Bespoken, Sam and Liam have created a line that features top-shelf craftsmanship while pushing a modern aesthetic with downtown sensibilities.
When designing the Bespoken for J.Lindeberg Collection, Sam and Liam turned to the English mod style of the 1960’s for inspiration. “We were really inspired by old photographs of the Beatles and Rolling Stones playing golf in the 60s and 70s. They took their personal style to the golf course, and it was interesting to us to see mod-style taken from London streets on to green fairways.”
The brilliance of the Bespoken for J.Lindeberg Collection is its sophisticated fusion of juxtaposing styles. It blends J.Lindeberg’s fashion forward thinking and modern golf silhouette with Bespoken’s Savile Row, high fashion point of view. One look at this collection and you’ll see a sartorial depth that you won’t find in other golf apparel collections. Classic looking glen plaid tartans are combined with modern taped seams, monochromatic contrast details, and refined fabrics, like Loro Piana stretch wool. The pieces are sophisticated and complex, yet simple and easy to wear.
“The taped seams on the tailoring and knitwear, as well as the polka dot print and tartans, are interesting modern ideas for the golf course,” said Liam Fayed. “We wanted the J. Lindeberg guy to have comfortable and functional garments, but lend a versatile sophistication to his wardrobe.”
See Also: Revisiting J.Lindeberg Golf’s Luxe Collection
‘Versatile sophistication’ are key words, as one of the biggest trends in golf fashion is wearing apparel on the course that doesn’t look like golf clothing. As I’ve said before, the days of over-styled golf kits are over. Effortless style is in and you’ll be hard pressed to find a collection that navigates between modern city life and the links as easily as this one from J.Lindeberg and Bespoken.
The showcase piece in the collection, in my opinion, is the water-resistant Loro Piana varsity-style jacket that will be a stylish addition to any fashion-conscious guy’s wardrobe. A knit blazer turned heads at the PGA Show and makes for a strong transition piece to take you from the clubhouse to the cube. Wool trousers with slim cargo pockets and cuffed shorts are unique pieces that are well tailored and easily move from course to street. Taped seam details put a technical spin on classic looking polos and knitwear. Rounding out the collection is a pair of stunning woven leather brogues with old school kilties from Nebuloni.
This is J.Lindeberg’s second luxury golf capsule collection. I wrote about the first one that was designed by JL’s in-house fashion team a couple of times last fall (here and here). The idea behind these capsule collections is brilliant as they allow JL to go outside the box to create collections that are unique to the world of golf apparel. Since they are independent from the label’s golf seasonal collections, they bring a different point of view to golf fashion.
Look for the Bespoken for J.Lindeberg Collection to hit retailers and high-end green grass shops in August of this year.
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