If you're in need of a wardrobe update, try one of these brands on for size - perfect for the boardroom to perfecting your backhand - in Exec Digital's April issue!
Is there such a thing as stylish sportswear? Hell yes.
Thankfully, the anomaly of eccentric golf pants and salt-encrusted swim trunks is a thing of the past, as least for some stylish gents. These two brands have perfected the sports ensemble that takes you from the board room to another type of board, or from the golf course to the water. Their looks are turning heads, creating year round lines that have helped men throw out their tired old sweat pants and eased the trouble of deciding what to wear.
Riviera Club
If the boys of Riviera Club had to describe this season’s look, co-founder Derek Buse says it’d be “what Frank Sinatra would wear to Coachella.” The laid-back Southern California vibe with a vintage spin might severely twist the classic Rat Pack style, but since being recognized by GQ as one of the year’s “Best Menswear Designer” (they lost out to Alexander Wang), the SoCal boys haven’t heard any complaints. After all, that elegantly fitted look is back (we probably have Mad Men to thank for that).
Founded in the American Riviera, the guys of Riviera Club take their homeland to heart – and are often spotted playing up their role as laid-back Cali boys with sun-bleached hair and GQ-good looks. But if you’re getting down to the nitty-gritty of the brand, Riviera Club truly emphasizes the base of its garments. Despite their laid-back exterior, the boys of Riviera Club know how to pick a good fabric. “It’s an organic process – and it all starts with the fabric,” says Buse.
Presenting their new line for New York Fashion Week last year, spring highlighted both a quintessential California boy and an established gentleman. Riviera Club’s new line, which hit the stores in February, was inspired by the desert, Palm Springs and “the lifestyle that goes along with it,” says Buse, suggesting supper clubs, leisure living and country clubs. “It’s a modern twist on really classic styles.”
Now that khakis, suit jackets, jeans (via collaboration with fellow American Riviera crew Lucky Brand) and screen-t’s are covered in the lineup, Riviera Brand is working on a golf shoe – with Mark McNairy. Expect the spiked sole beauty next month.
Travis Mathew
The game of golf has become much more modern – and not just in terms of the popularity of players and the youth of fans; golf’s major milestone has been its fashion formation. Travis Mathew is the main culprit, managing to fuse golf apparel with progressive sportswear. The golf brand has a fitted and relaxed Southern California style that practices what it preaches by teaming with golfers that match the brand’s easy-going aesthetic. “Inspired by fashion, sports, music and art,” says marketing director Leif Sunderland, “the Travis Mathew brand is a reflection of the cultures and lifestyles inherent to its Southern California roots.”
Bubba Watson, John Mallinger and Chris Kirk are renowned golfers, but also today’s golf style icons – blending the athletic comfort trends on the course with their own personal style found in Travis Mathew wear. But these guys don’t just play golf – the rising popularity of the game has likely come from younger players sporting golf looks on the course, at the beach, on the field and out at lunch. The demographic for the game has shifted over the years toward audiences as young as 16, while still attracting the over 50 crowd.
“We make clothes that you can wear straight from work to the golf course, and vice versa. We want people to feel comfortable, yet stylish in every aspect of their life. In sports, the more comfortable and ‘better looking’ you feel, the more confidence you have,” says Sunderland.
