Alex Elias Chris Frame, Director of Marketing at Holderness & Bourne, joined AE Golf News to discuss Holderness & Bourne, describing Holderness & Bourne as, “We’re not this corporate conglomerate giant. We are a small shop, where the owners are still heavily involved and very passionate about the day to day.” Frame continued, “The roots of the Holderness & Bourne started in the Met Area with four clubs: Somerset, Winged Foot, Wykagyl and Greenwich and is still owned by the original founders, Alex Holderness and John Bourne. It’s actually real people behind the brand. Alex and John design all our entire product line. Their shared passion for menswear and well-made apparel is what sparked the brand back in 2014. They have always put a focus on designing quality product and introducing fresh colorways each season. A strategy that has seen success. Before launching a product they always ask themselves if they would wear it, and if the answer is yes it's added to the line.” As Director of Marketing, Frame said, “In a world full of diluted, saturated golf apparel brands, to have them both involved in the brand is, in my opinion, our biggest strength.”
Frame said, “We've brought a tailored fit similar to some of the best shirting houses on Jermyn Street in London to green grass American golf apparel. Our fit has really helped us scale as a brand and receive high marks from our online customers and over 900 Green Grass wholesale accounts.” Frame continued, “Along with the fit, the implementation of the sewn in collar stays are unique to us. We’re the only ones producing this structured English spread collared design. It just kind of forms your face a little better and gives you this confident feel.” As Frame alluded to Green Grass Shops, Pro Shops that carry Holderness & Bourne, a question arises specifically unique to golf apparel. Although customers constantly purchase apparel directly from Holderness & Bourne’s website, many customers prefer to purchase apparel through a Pro Shop, as they would like a specific club’s logo embroidered on it. When Frame was asked about this notion, he responded, “That’s the business. We’re an apparel brand selling their logo. The better logo and the more weight it pulls, the more our product is noticed.” From a marketing standpoint, Frame noted how when consumers purchase a product from a specific Pro Shop, it benefits the online channel, as well, as Frame said, “Our sales team does a great job servicing some of the best clubs and properties in the country. We see some really nice direct website traffic from this green grass distribution channel. Oftentimes a member of a club or guest who made a shop purchase with an embroidered logo will come back to our website for a direct non-logo purchase.” Additionally, in regards to specific clubs and logos, Frame said, “Within the last five or six years, logos have blown up. From a content standpoint, I would say the Green Grass side of content, content pieces of Merion for example, is what customers have resonated with the most.” As Frame mentioned resonating with customers, he continued by addressing another avenue of connecting, saying, “We have really positioned ourselves as more of a Mid-Am Brand. We have some of the best relationships with Mid-Am players across the country and we see a lot of potential in that as the golf is competitive, but still relatable. We went to Sankaty Head last year for the Mid-Am and the content was amazing, as no other brand was there and it’s a great look into golf to view a guy working forty hours a week and still shooting -5 in a tournament.” As loyal Holderness & Bourne customers patiently awaited Holderness & Bourne’s release of bottoms, shorts have been recently released for the spring of 2022 and pants will be released in the fall of 2022. When asked about the decision and the announcement, Frame said, “It was a little bit of both listening to customers and understanding it was time. Alex and John really got into the details and it’s not uncommon to receive twenty rounds of samples. It took them forty rounds of samples to nail the collar, so yes, it was time for a category expansion into bottoms, but we also realized that we needed that based on customer feedback.” Frame continued, “We could have released it two years ago with a more inferior product, but we decided to wait and really dial in on the fit and fabric. It’s a performance-cotton blend with a country club-esque type of cotton feel.”
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Alex Elias Marty Hackel is the Fashion Director at Golf Digest. Golf Digest says, "He often emphasizes it's not what you wear but how you wear it." Directly from Hackel's website, "Marty Hackel, also known as Mr. Style, is an acclaimed stylist for men and women, best known for dressing the world's most celebrated professional golfers." What are your thoughts on players wearing less traditional outfits, such as polos featuring different designs or sweatshirts? To me, it's not what you wear, but how you wear it. I think all of these new trends are fantastic for golf. I am actually one of the few people that feel there is absolutely no need to buy golf clothing. To go out and shop for golf apparel is from the start a bad mistake. In my mind, what one should be shopping for is clothing that you’re comfortable in. There’s no reason you need to have per se a golf shirt on. I say that based on the fact that I think the golf industry, specifically golf companies that make golf apparel, have unnecessarily misled the golfing population into thinking that one, you need golf apparel and two, you need natural fibers. When you are shopping, what are you typically looking for specifically? Versatility. What I want are clothes that are practical and clothing that I’m comfortable in 24/7. I think comfort is important and I'm all for the Henrik Lundqvist concept of "Look good, feel good. Feel good, play good." Have you noticed that golfers tend to prefer buying a polo from a Pro Shop with a given logo rather than online? I think there’s nothing better than if you have a great round at a course that you want to celebrate, then buying a hat or shirt, but I think overall the golf industry has become overwhelmed with logos. I do think that once someone understand a brands fit, then they can shop online. Some clubs you can even buy the club's merchandise online, which I'll think we'll see more and more of that as we go forward. I, myself, when I go to purchase something, I want to pick it up, have it in my hands, and interact with it because I have polos, Alex, that are older than you and I love them! Still today, I'm wearing them because when I buy something I want something that meets my taste standards and has some longevity to it. As someone who has been a guest at numerous clubs across the country, what are your thoughts on clubs' dress codes? Absolutely ridiculous. I have arrived at Augusta in a pair of jeans and a sports coat before and no one has ever said to me, 'We'd appreciate it if you changed," yet I can't walk into other locker rooms with jeans on without clubs noticing. Tell me what's wrong with that picture. As long as you wear something in good taste and it fits you properly, then I don't think there should be all of these archaic rules. Everyone on the staff at Augusta National treats everyone the same way and treats everyone as if they're a guest of the club and in that way, they make everyone feel like they're a member. I think it's marvelous that the staff treats you like you're a member. Is there a golf fashion trend that surprises you or that you disagree with?
Yes, white belts. I think white belts are tragic. I have a rule of 36. If your waist is over 36 inches, if your age is over 36 years, then unless you're a crossing guard helping children cross intersections or a member of the University of Illinois marching band, there's absolutely no reason to wear a white belt. This misnomer that you have to match your belt to your shoes, I don't know who invented that, but with all deference to everyone's mother who told them that, I don't know where she got that information and I think it's ridiculous. |
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