Once upon a time in fashion, Bermuda shorts were not only considered to be in style but they were thought to be a symbol of female liberation. When the LPGA was founded in 1950, hemlines above the ankle were as daring as women could go to ensure a level of modesty expected during that era. But the organization, along with its 13 founders , set a new set of rules for women in sports.
The establishment of the Tour came during a time when the prescribed behaviours of women in society, especially as athletes, began to shift. Gender roles and gender expression drove the world's perception of women, and how women dressed was so closely connected to their respectability.
Honour, virtue and status ruled the game's attire standards, but with influential figures like Babe Zaharias, who embraced her rather boastful, tom-boyish style, and Marilynn Smith, who wouldn't be seen in public without a string of pearls, golf's style evolution has taken many shapes over the years.
Golf, unlike other sports, doesn't demand its participants to wear a specific uniform. However, golfers are still expected to adhere to a certain dress code. As the game progresses, so do the limits of what is considered acceptable on-course apparel. Golf has moved into a new era, one where the intersection between fashion and functionality has never been more apparent.
Throughout the LPGA Tour’s 74-year history, we have seen the trends of the decades come and go. Let's take a closer look at female golf’s fashion history and how players have flaunted their best fits while traipsing the fairways.
