GolfThreads: PING Apparel AW'18 Collection
The reboot included a new business team with years of golf industry experience and a new British design team with a keen eye for fashionable looks and razor-sharp fits.
Knowing there was more to top-shelf golf apparel than modern designs, PING simultaneously launched its new Sensor Technology Platform to help players comfortably perform their best in a variety of conditions. With SensorCool, SensorWarm, and SensorDry, the brand’s apparel technology rivaled the innovation and performance on the equipment side of the business.
Fast forward a couple of years and PING’s design team faced new challenges for the AW’18 Collection. With the game becoming more athletic, designers were charged with creating apparel that provided warmth without bulk, delivered a high-level of performance, and moved freely. “Warmer, softer, drier,” quickly became the mantra for the team during the design process. As a result, PING selected three key technologies (Primaloft insulation, Zegna Baruffa Italian Merino wool, and Pertex) from its Sensor Platform to protect players from the cold and wet conditions of fall and winter.
Primaloft got its start in the world of outdoor sports. Its high warmth to weight ratio and water resistant nature makes it perfect for insulated jackets, sleeping bags, and gloves. The fact that it is also lightweight and possesses a soft hand feel means it checked all of the “warmer, softer, drier,” boxes for PING’s design team. As an added bonus, Primaloft easily packs down to fit in the side pocket of a golf bag.
PING designers turned to Primaloft’s Silver Active Insulation for the Norse Zoned Jacket on the men’s side and the Oslo Vest in the women’s collection. On both pieces, the insulation is strategically placed to keep the core warm while allowing the arms to move freely during the swing. Built for cold temperatures, the Norse Zoned Jacket and Oslo Vest can help players extend the season into late fall and early winter. For days when a lighter layer is needed, PING created the Norse Primaloft Fleece for men. Using Primaloft’s Energy Series performance fabric, it delivers the warmth of a mid-layer piece while resisting moisture and drying quickly.
Wool sweaters are an integral part of any golfer’s fall wardrobe and PING has added three new men’s styles to the mix for AW’18—the Pax full-zip, Sanford half-zip, and the Knox hooded full-zip. These aren’t your grandfather’s golf sweaters, though. All are constructed from a 100% extra-fine Zenga Baruffa H2Dry K-Wool® and easily transition from the course to a night on the town. While Baruffa wool is no stranger to the fairways, the revolutionary H2Dry treatment makes it a more practical option for high-performance situations. Perfect for a round on the links, H2Dry K-Wool is breathable, elastic, uncrushable, and machine washable.
For ladies, two new jackets take center stage. The Ria is a versatile and casual softshell jacket with a hood. While it is certainly has a home on the course, this lightweight, 100% polyester jacket can easily transition to the yoga studio or the street in style. For rainy days on or off the course, the Mette Jacket highlights PING’s SensorDry technology. This fully seam sealed rain jacket is completely waterproof and has built-in stretch.
From a fashion standpoint, PING’s AW’18 Collection offers a range of modern and sporty looks in a host of trendy colors for the season. For the men, the Coastal Links color story with icy blues and shell pinks allow for an easy transition from summer to fall. The grassy hues in the Grounded Greens story work well with black and greys to bring a fresh, contemporary approach to fall. For those preferring dark colors, the Dark Matter story pairs ultra-dark navy with ink, black, and shades of grey to create stealthy looks from head-to-toe.
In the women’s palette, shades of indigo and rich reds bring a serious wow factor to the Refined Romance color story. The Red Bud story creates depth and sophistication as a grape hue is combined with black and asphalt for clean silhouettes. The final color story, aptly named Blue, sees dusky shades of powder blue paired with blue indigo and navy.
PING’s AW’18 Collection is arriving in golf shops now.