Malbon co-found Stephen Malbon recently told Golf Monthly "You don't have to dress like you're a tour player if you’re not one.
"Yes, you have to wear a polo and tuck your shirt in and wear a belt. Got it. Other than that, wear whatever the hell you want, be comfortable."
It got me really thinking about the direction of golf fashion. I used to think of myself a bit of a traditionalist - I was strongly anti-golf hoodies, not fond of trainer-style golf shoes and generally preferred to stick with less-controversial clothing when on the course. Those were my opinions a few years ago and to say my views on golf fashions have softened in recent years would be an understatement.
Now, if you see me on a golf course on a chilly day, I'll likely be wearing a golf hoodie. My favorite pair of golf shoes I can also wear to the pub on a Saturday night. Brands like Malbon are pushing a new more casual and inclusive fashion into golf and, after a bit of time and persuasion, I'm all for it. At Golf Monthly we have been lucky enough to test out a lot of Malbon gear of late and our very own Joe Ferguson, part of our testing team, is a big fan as well.
In fact in a recent review of the LS Windshirt, Joe said;
'I for one am a huge fan of the brand and its progressive attitude towards golf fashion and opening the game up to a youth that may not have considered it ‘cool’ before. I actually wrote a piece staunchly defending the brand and Jason Day’s clothing choices that provoked a very strong reaction shortly after the Masters.'
I couldn't agree more and it is great to see the brand has produced some of the coolest pieces of golf clothing and accessories in recent years in collaboration with a whole host of notable brands - Coca Cola, Formula One, Levi's and more. I've picked a few of my favorites for this piece but you can view more for yourself on the official Malbon website - you'll be surprised how many unique collaborations the brand has produced!
A Malbon modern-twist with a classic golf shoe brand, the Traditions model pictured here might be the most visually appealing golf shoe I've ever laid eyes on.
Not only are they a damn good-looking golf shoes, they're also extremely comfortable. Genuine Leather with 'Stingray Textured Panels' mark the outsole helping provide a premium but unique look to a traditional shoe. Indeed they feature a vegan stingray leather saddle and contrast underlay, emulating the barbs of the stingray's spinal blade.
The FootJoy Traditions come in two separate colorways as part of the collab along with a pair of FootJoy Stormwalker XT golf shoes available for $300. All we need now is some of the FootJoy apparel to get the Malbon collaboration treatment!
I'm a big fan of what Adidas have done in golf fashion recently. It feels like the brand have really committed to growing their more casual golf-wear - the type of clothing that can be worn easily both on and off the course.
You best believe my interest was peaked when I saw the Adidas x Malbon collab. I could have picked the whole collection but I refrained and told myself to only pick one. I went for the Go-To DWR halfzip pullover for a number of reasons but mainly the loose, flexible fit that allows for ultimate mobility through your swing. It's also water repellent, helping you stay dry during those sharp unexpected summer showers on the links.
The collab with Adidas is probably the largest on the Malbon site at the moment with a range of polos, pullovers and sweaters available including the iconic Adidas Superstar and MC80 golf shoes.
I'm a very casual Formula One fan and not invested enough in the sport to ever buy fitting merchandise. However, this Malbon x F1 collab could be my avenue into F1 fashion. If you've read my past work or know anything about me, you'll know I love golf clothing that can be worn both on and off the course. I see it as cheating - if I buy shoes that can be worn to the pub as well as one the course then, in my eyes, I've purchased two pairs of shoes for the price of one.
The Spokes Crewneck is far from the boldest look in Malbon's collab fashion but that's OK for me, I'd happily wear this for my morning round before heading to the pub to watch the football afterwards! It's my favorite piece of a collection that includes a range of t-shirts, hats, hoodies and an awesome Malbon x F1 letterman jacket. The Malbon golf ball logo with an F1 helmet on is also really cool.
I also love merch of classic brands - Coca Cola, Guinness - that sort of thing.
The Malbon x Coca-Cola Ice Cold Painters Hat, crafted from durable twill, features bold Ice Cold logo embroidery on the front panels and the classic Malbon 'M' on the side. It's a pretty simple hat and that's what makes me like it so much. The only reason I haven't purchased one yet is because I already have far, far too many hats...
The hat was one of two on offer as part of the collaboration. Other options include a lovely 'Polar Vest' and a range of hoodies and slick chest-pocketed t-shirts. I am also a particular fan of the classic old-school Coca Cola branding on the jackets in the collection as well.
Malbon have joined forces with Beams to make this lovely driver headcover. I've picked this specific one because Christmas is rapidly approaching and if someone special in your life is a New York Yankees fan... then this is a fantastic gift to get them for the holiday celebrations.
The headcover is crafted from luxury leather for both durability and style, embroidered with the Beams Buckets logo on the front and the Malbon logo on top. If I could afford to collect headcovers, this would be part of my collection. Maybe one day...
The pinstripe is my favorite of four headcovers in the collection which include hybrid club and putter options. Malbon also joined forces with the Beams logo to produce some very cool hoodies, sweatshirts and polo shirts as well.
Next I wanted to include the Undefeated collab as well although I will admit there were several others I could've included, such as the New Era hats or Palm Tree Crew collection. I went with Undefeated as the combination of the Malbon ball with Undefeated logo really looks cool and in the collection itself not only do you get t-shirts and hoodies, but also accessories like towels, golf bags, a travel bag, and even a printed golf ball with the Undefeated logo.
I do think my favorite item in the collection is the t-shirt pictured above though. I love a black t-shirt and the logo stands out without being too much. You can also get the shirt in two other colors as well.
I'll admit - I'm not a big art guy, so had to google who Keith Haring was. Roughly 2.5 seconds after I clicked search, I recognized his art. I then googled his foundation and learned of the fantastic work they do providing grants to children in need and those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Haring's work often revolved around important political and social issues including anti-Aparthied protests and awareness around drug use. To this day his famous 'Crack is Wack' mural of 1986 remains a landmark along New York’s FDR Drive.
A light touch of his artistic flair in etched on the side of this slick black and green golf bag which I will likely be purchasing after my second glass of wine on Christmas day. It's my favorite piece from a collab that includes a wide range of t-shirts, shorts, hoodies, headcovers and more.
OK, so i'm not an art guy. However, I am a big music guy, so a Ghostface Killah x Malbon collab certainly peaked my interest.
The rapper was one part of one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time, the Wu-Tang Clan, before pursuing a successful solo career. I'm a music guy, yes, but thanks to the slightly unnaturally big head I'm regrettably not a big bucket hat guy. That's not because I don't like them, but more so because I look like an idiot whilst wearing them. That said, I'm glad to report I've ordered this for myself and look forward to wearing it on the course in the summer months!
The bucket hat isn't the only product to catch my attention in the collab, with some really cool clothing items, headcovers and golf bags available as well.
I'll finish with a lovely shoe from the Malbon x New Balance selection. It's one of the smallest collabs on the website at the time of writing, with only three variations of their famous 550 shoe. However, these of 550s that can be worn both on and off the golf course which is a big plus.
As I mentioned previously with my u-turn on golf hoodies, I used to be a traditionalist with golf fashion, meaning casual golf shoes like these didn't really appeal to me.
I then realized that when you buy a golf shoe that can also be worn on nights out or other similar occasions, you're essentially getting two pairs of shoes for the price of one. I have a lot of golf shoes now, way too many in fact, but I justify the unnecessary number I own by said logic - if you have a versatile golf shoe, it's worth the purchase!
