Blog: travisMathew Arrives In Style

Leave it to travisMathew to roll a custom painted (and logo'd) Volkswagen Type 2 van onto the showroom floor at this year's PGA Show.  Normally, if I see a Type 2 on the street I think of two things: hippies and THE LIBYYYYYANS!  But I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that travisMathew found a way to make the unrefined look classically stylish; after all they did transform Bubba Watson from a pleated-pant-and-sail-mast-shirt-wearing-scrub to a tailored and polished pro (hey, Bubba: urwelcome!).  In fact, just about everything about their booth was on point - from the eye-popping paint job on the van, to the remixed Beach Boy's tunes playing subtly in the background, to the travisMathew branded water bottles and bottle openers (which has proved its utility on a number of occasions now).  The Cali-cool vibe was definitely well executed.

I was lucky enough to get the invite into the travisMathew booth for a sneak peak at the 2010 lineup.  The thing that struck me instantly was how much the line had expanded over last year's.  There are 25 new shirts shipping in 2010 complemented by 15 styles of pants and shorts, a handful of outerwear options - including rain gear - dozens of t-shirts, hats and, of course, the signature TM belt buckles, which will have 9 different finish options. 

I managed to snap a few pics of some of the new pieces.  My shoddy photography doesn't do the fabrics justice, but it should give you a little idea of where the brand is going this year.  The color palate features lots of deep blues, teals, chocolate browns, khakis, creams and variations of greys, ranging from charcoal to a nice light heather.  Most of the shirts are 60/40 cotton/poly blends, but they also mixed in are a few styles featuring a jersey-soft 100% combed pima cotton as well as a few 100% Drytech polyester versions, which will be perfect for summer.  My only criticism on this year's offering is that there were not more styles that featured technical fabrics that are breathable and wick moisture.  I know that sentiment will probably offend cotton and style purists, but from a utility standpoint where I live cotton just isn't wearable on the course from May until September, unless you want the back of your shirt to look like a Rorschach test.

But what the line lacks in technical fabrics is more than made up for it in its attention to detail and its function.  Many of the new shirts like the 'Double-Double', 'Stitch', and 'Dub' feature great contrast stitching on pockets, plackets and sleeves.  They also pulled off a fashion risk that rarely works in my opinion - reversible garments.  The 'Re-Verb' shirt can be right-side-out for a seamless look or flipped inside out to reveal contrast stitching and a pocket on the left chest.  Perhaps my favorite piece in the entire collection is the 'Magestic' short which features a classic looking golf short when worn one way but goes all Optimums Prime to turn into pool/beach-ready board shorts when flipped inside out.  They're really clever without being campy.  On a more traditional note, I really took a liking to the grey 'McCord' and blue heather 'Mally' pants.  Both are jean cut (five pocket style) and have a nice weight to them that will be great for Spring and Fall.

2010 promises to be a big year for travisMathew with the greatly expanded line and the signings of Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba, Billy Horschel, and Arron (no longer dresses) Baddeley.  Like it's team of players, the new offering is youthful but not young.  It's simply a versatile, well-made lineup that will turn heads much like its cherry Type 2 V-Dubya.  Yep, travisMathew has arrived.

That's right, brotha! And if it isn't 10:30 where I am, I just set my watch ahead a few hours. That usually takes care of it...

Yeah, this is the year they blow up, for sure.  I'll look into whether or not they're into Canada yet...