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Alex Elias  As Holderness & Bourne has quickly emerged, Chris Frame, Director of Marketing at Holderness & Bourne, said “We’re not this corporate conglomerate. We are a small shop, where the owners are still heavily involved and very passionate about the day-to-day.”
“The roots of the Holderness & Bourne started in the Met Area with four clubs: Somerset [Hills Country Club], Winged Foot [Golf Club], Wykagyl [Country Club] and Greenwich [Country] 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 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, then it's added to the line,” said Frame. “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.” As Holderness & Bourne has a distinct fit, 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.” “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,” said Frame. As Green Grass is the overarching business, Frame said, “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.” With the recent news that Holderness & Bourne will begin releasing shorts, 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.” “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,” said Frame.
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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."
With patterns and hoodies emerging quickly, what are your thoughts? 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? 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." How would you describe the world of golf's obsession with logos? 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 some of the most prestigious clubs in the U.S., 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 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. |
