“When anyone is outrageously dressed in the effort to attain comfort…it casts a slur on the whole society of lady golfers…”: The evolution of women’s golf wear in Britain 1890-1940.

Description

The clothing worn by women to play golf during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was largely dictated by wider society’s ideas about what was considered to be appropriate clothing for women. Up until the twentieth century, the clothes worn by women to play golf were therefore merely an extension of their everyday wear, indeed they were often modified daywear rather than sports clothes designed for the course. During the early twentieth century, that changed with elite clothing manufacturers beginning to develop specialised golf clothing and by the interwar years these items of clothing had become accessible to the masses. This talk will discuss the evolution of women’s golf clothing during the period 1890- 1940, highlighting key developments in women’s golf fashion during this period and the people and ideas behind the se developments.