Much has been said lately about the evolving nature of golf style and the desire of many to drag golf clothes into the modern age. While many are looking forward, there's also an equally strong pull of nostalgia permeating all corners of golf. Different style tribes are advocating various concepts for what we should wear on and off course.
Regardless of your approach, we can all agree that golf clothes are more in focus now than ever. This has been abundantly clear over the past few months while visiting the global fashion cities of Paris and Tokyo, both of which have an emerging scene of new wave golf brands. While in Tokyo, we stopped into The Divot. Located in Shibuya's Sendagaya neighborhood (not far from Yoyogi Park), the store pairs vintage with golf-oriented menswear, which may or may not be being worn on the golf course. It was a cool place with an array of interesting artifacts, and we captured the scene with a Minolta TC-1 film point-and-shoot.
There's no city in the world more deadset on evolving style than Tokyo. The Japanese have embraced the idea that an evolved sense of style is about being open to new ideas and obsessing over the past. There's no place where this is more true or pushes the boundaries of inspiration than Japan. This is why designers from every brand in the world visit Tokyo to find inspiration and unlock creativity. This is true for every category, and not surprisingly, golf is no exception.
It was on a trip to Paris that the dots of urban golf started to connect. The influence and style of golf in big cities is diverging from those in other parts of the game. This was reinforced in Tokyo after visiting several golf shops and noticing the dual influences of streetwear and vintage. Yes, much of what we see in Japan aligns most closely with the golf streetwear scene in Los Angeles (there was even a Metalwood collaboration), but the new golf apparel retailers in big cities represent something different. These brands feel connected to global menswear and social media, not just the norms of endemic golf.
Seeing all of this, we need to remember that, in these times, there are many different perspectives on the game. What some might scoff at, others will obsess over. In all of this, it's important to appreciate that, and despite the sometimes tribal nature of golf in 2026, we all share a common love and connection through the game. We all have that bond regardless of the width of your pant leg, the fiber content of your shirt, or where you put on your golf shoes.
