Form, Function & Flair

The PGA Show has changed. A lot.

Ten years ago, the Orange County Convention Center was dominated by industry veterans and legacy brands. The focus was clubs, balls, and technology. Apparel existed, but it wasn’t the headline. Fast forward to today and, to quote a trusted source, the PGA Show in 2026 is “a fashion show.”

It’s important to point out that this show is absolutely massive and it’s everything about the golf industry all at once in the same room. This place is 3x the size of the Javits center (honestly might be 4 or 5x). Golf carts, simulators, club manufacturers, gadgets, tourism–not even scratching the surface here. Apparel is a slice of the pie–but it’s definitely growing. There is a dedicated space on the floor called THE RETREAT and it’s where all the hot and hip new brands can be found showcasing their stuff. It’s not invite only but you need to have some receipts. There weren’t many mens brands on this part of the floor that I didn’t know at all before the show. This is where the Fashion Show comparison originates.

For me, Capital F Fashion Shows push boundaries. They expand. They redefine. They complicate, at times, just to make some noise.

It is no secret that on any plane within the fashion industry that mens brands struggle to differentiate themselves. Can anyone present to me in less than 30 words on a structural level what separates Buck Mason from James Pearse or Todd Snyder? Sure their stories and vibe are different but that’s just marketing. I am talking about product. There are differences for sure but the point I’m driving here is that I don’t think they’re very different at all.

The same can be said for Holderness & Bourne and Peter Millar (who was not at the show this year, major flex). To the naked eye most of these golf brands, even the new ones, have very little that separate them on a product level. This is the nature of mens fashion.

One of my first takeaways from this year’s PGA Show is how many women’s brands there are and how much vibrance they bring to the show. They feel new and exciting. They push the boundaries. This is a fashion show because of the women’s brands, not the men’s. This is a symptom. Women’s brands offer a much wider swathe of silhouettes and textures in Fashion and in golf. Think of how many different shapes there are for women’s bottoms. The limit does not exist. Now do the same for men’s. Good luck getting past a dozen. If I were starting a golf brand in the next 365 days I would 100% have a women’s line. It’s fresh and exciting to see the designs that brands like SIERRA MADRE and WILLIAMS ATHLETIC CLUB put together. (W.A.C. is going to be a household name).

I don’t think that we’re inventing any new pants styles any time soon and that’s okay. I’m just saying that FORM is a rarely explored frontier in mens, especially in an industry as slow to move as golf. When was the last time your dad tried out a new brand for jeans, t-shirts, oxfords? IPA’s, Japanese whiskey, yard-work tools, absolutely. But don’t hold your breath for pops to try something new on his ass.

So FORM is hard to move around. In design speak that leaves FUNCTION and FLAIR as your remaining arenas. For what it’s worth, golf brands do FUNCTION very well. My dad told me about GORE-TEX 15 years ago, long before Jonah Hill and Pharell Williams rocked those graphic tees. Like its winter companion skiing, golf is a weather dependent sport and the apparel needs to prepare you for those conditions. So FUNCTION will always be a major component of golf gear. And the brands, especially new ones, that find sexy new ways to weave functionality into their product offering (natural performance fibers, engineers WYA), will win and win big, all the time. Just look at how Kjus has emerged as a major player in the space in a short amount of time. People trust their performance capabilities and the checks clear. Next slide.

FLAIR is style and story. How you shape yourself to a stranger. First impressions. In digital, story is everything. I can’t feel your product through my iPhone but I can get a feel for you in 30 seconds or less. Sad but true. FLAIR is arguably what matters most in 2026 and that’s empty and vapid and I don’t want to talk about that anymore.

I have written about the trade show topic before. This show is far more easy for me to analyze than PROJECT or MAGIC or Shoppe Object–it’s close to home for me. Golf x Style. Boo-yah.

Anyone acting like MALBON is radical or out of place in 2026 is either myopic or a moron. This brand is mainstream. Stephen, if you’re reading this TYFYS. Now we can move on from the CAN GOLF BE STREETWEAR conversation that we have all the time (which is regressive, why do we want to label everything all the time sometimes things are just cool?). The LA brands are getting their flowers from the upper crust, albeit slowly, but it’s about time.
If everyone hates Poly-Span so much why is it the only thing I see on Sundays? The golf buyer, largely, is 5 years behind, all the time. We’ve been over ABC Pants since Return to Work. The golf guys might never move off it. I think stretch STINKS but if 90% of the guys who shop love it than I’d have to be 100% stupid to not make at least some styles that appeal to that crowd. It’s just where the market is. Listen to the cash register if you want to live. Check out the Hudson 3-Button Polo, 5-Pocket Pant and Malta Short if you're a performance fabric guy.
Accessories are a major difference maker for brands. Lower minimums, easier to sell online, and they take on many different FORMS. Accessories will always be an arena within which to convey personality and taste. The best brands accessorize without being superfluous. Too much can be distracting. We added some of our own! Check out the One Under Cap for SS26.