• Birdie
• Puma
• LIJA
• Duramed FUTURES Tour
• Snappy Gator in Connecticut
• Ooma in San Francisco
• Eye of the Needle in Palm Beach

Hello, Birdie

Before the late 2005 launch of fashionable women's golf apparel line Birdie, any woman who could actually get a one-below-par "birdie" score on the links probably was dressed more like a biddy than a chick. But thanks to Birdie founder and longtime golfer Kate Sutton, golf clothes "don't have to scream 'golf.'" In fact, nongolfers have been known to buy the cute duds just because they look so good.

Birdie clothing is perfect when you want to "play nine holes and then have a martini."

"I noticed that there was no stylish clothing for women to play golf in," says Sutton, who is based in San Francisco. "It seems like a lot of companies take the men's line and put it into women's sizes - it's boxy and traditional."

While big athletic brands such as Puma had their own golf apparel collections, and the Canadian designer LIJA offered fashion-forward choices, Sutton says she still felt something was missing in the marketplace. "I set out to make a functional yet fashionable clothing line with clean silhouettes and lots of color," says the 27-year-old Sutton. "I wanted it to have a certain balance so you could wear it on and off the golf course - play nine holes and then have a martini or go to dinner."

Halter dresses, Bermuda shorts, bright color-blocked skirts (in both solids and print), and tops such as sweaters, tees, tanks, and key-hole neck polos round out the Birdie collection, which is inspired by "the personality of Palm Springs." Some items are marked with the company logo: a simple, graphic bird. The pieces are made of wicking and stretch materials - perfect for long days in the sun. "It's made with technical fabrics, but they still have a nice feel to them," says Sutton, who notes that two pieces in her collection, the boy shorts and the pleated skirt, have been particularly big hits, especially when worn together. Accessories include a driving cap, gloves, and a dual-compartment bag. Made of PVC-coated canvas, the sprinkler-proof bag even has removable pads on the bottom for easier cleaning.

Birdie, which is worn by Duramed FUTURES Tour player Ashley Gomes, is available at resorts and retail stores throughout the country, from Connecticut to San Francisco to Palm Beach, and will go on sale at Birdie.com this fall.

Can the clothes help you score an actual "birdie?" Probably not. But bad golf has never looked so good.

Posted on August 14, 2006