When one thinks of fashion on the golf course, do you get the image of the bad fashion of Rodney Dangerfield in loud plaid pants and a Hawaiian shirt that doesn't match? Or maybe Tiger Woods now wearing regular clothes without endorsements on them (did you notice that?). Do you think of only movie images, or professional golf players? It's OK to admit it if you do, but believe it or not there is also something known as "golf chic" for the regular golfer who wants to look good and play well. Golf chic clothes are clothes one can wear on the golf course that are both fashionable and utilitarian, meaning you both look great and also have enough comfort and freedom of movement so that your clothes do not interfere with your game. For the man, this is the fun part. Out of the suit and tie and liberated somewhat by less restrictions, golf chic is really enjoyable to wear, but there is also a "dress code" to follow that is helpful rather than annoying when you come to understand it. Let's talk about the options from top to bottom. Through the pioneering efforts of the golf pros such as Ben Hogan and others, it is certainly OK to wear a hat while playing golf. And Walter Hagan brought the Aussie-style straw hat into prominence, so there are a variety of hat choices you can make. Beside golfing and baseball, where can a man wear a hat in a casual setting? The golf hat is both stylish and serves some very useful functions, such as keeping the sun out of your eyes when you are making that critical shot, and more importantly reducing the chance of the negative effects of excessive sunlight exposure (skin cancers, heat stroke, serious dehydration, etc.) Sunglasses too, are superb and required accessories. The most popular sunglasses are the sun blocker types that reduce UV radiation and give a clearer view of the golf course even under harsh glaring sunlight conditions.
Moving on to the golf shirt, this is where the best choice is a understated robust short-sleeved t-shirt or cotton knitted tee, that displays a small logo of a frog, alligator, sports brand logos like Nike and Puma, or designer brands like Ralph Lauren's polo logo, Tommy Hilfiger or something similar. These type of shirts have little significant design differences except for the tiny logo difference, as to almost represent a kind of uniform. Almost every label has one of these type of shirts so just select the one you like, that feels the most comfortable. Don't be afraid to pick the one that is hot pink or bright yellow, as this can always be played off as an attempt to distract your opponent to gain the competitive edge. If you do go with a very vibrant color of shirt, make sure you don't cross the line with also excessive patterns on the shirt. Unless you are actually in Hawaii, do go for Hawaiian flower shirts and certainly avoid tank tops.