It is generally accepted that the game of golf developed in Scotland where 12th century shepherds knocked stones into rabbit burrows, on what is now Scotland’s famous St Andrews golf course.
By the end of the 19th century the game had become well established and carried it’s own fashion statement of tailcoats, breeches and cravats. After the First World War golf started to attract more affluent players. The functional knickerbockers or short pants that ended below the knee, heavy tweed jackets and shirts with neckties and tweed caps, necessary for protection against the weather, were replaced by more fashion conscious designs. Formal outfits featured “plus fours” or knickerbockers with 4-inches/10 cm of additional length. The extra leg length allowed the trouser bottoms to be tucked into patterned, long golf socks. The shirt and tie remained but a knitted cardigan or blouson could be worn on cooler days. By the 1930’s the plus fours were being replaced by flannel trousers particularly in warmer climbs. The 1933 US Open played in Illinois in June that year was a major influence on what was worn due to the heat.
Ladies also had a golf style, but that was more in tune with street wear than the men. They usually chose the one-piece shirt-dress or the two-piece dress, such as the 1920’s design we have for a Ladies two-piece outfit.
