Equipment
Maide’s new apparel collection excels from top to bottom
When Maide launched just over a year ago, the rookie golf apparel label had a very simple, but audacious goal in mind — design a great-looking pair of pants that will fit better than any other trousers in your closet.
If Bonobos, Maide’s parent company, does one thing really well, it’s pants. The company has at least 45 varieties of cotton twill, corduroy and wool trousers that aspire to achieve a made-to-measure fit at ready-to-wear prices. Branching out into golf seemed like a no-brainer, especially considering many of the company’s executives are avid golfers, including Ian Velardi. As the Director of Design at Bonobos and head designer for Maide, Velardi is responsible for fabric and trim sourcing, garment development and color direction for both brands.
“We built such a healthy business with Bonobos and we have this built-in customer base,” Velardi says. “I think a lot of our Bonobos customers are golfers and it just made sense to cater to them (especially since we’re known for our pants). Plus, we didn’t see anything out there in the market that was indicative of being the ideal golf pant.”
The new Fall 2014 collection from Maide is what software engineers would affectionately describe as being fully baked. The Spring collection of past years had pieces that played well together, but the colorful light sweaters and golf shirts always seemed like a secondary consideration. The new collection is thoughtful and all grown up. Pants continue to be the strength of the line, but the new sweaters and outerwear pieces designed by Velardi haven’t missed a detail, blending a sophisticated style with all the performance and fit a Maide customer has come to expect from the brand.
Vintage golf inspirations are the brand’s DNA. The brand is designed to appeal to a customer who cares about what he wears to the course, but doesn’t want anyone to think he has a team stylists consulting him. If you want to identify with a style icon, think of a young Arnold Palmer. Or a Davis Love III. Or an Adam Scott.
“Our idea of the customer is based on a person who lives in the city and is fashion-conscious, but is also active,” Velardi says. “He wants to look good and be comfortable, but doesn’t want to look like their dad on the golf course. He wants to wear something that has more attention to detail and especially attention to fit. It’s still rooted in classic American feel, but is modernized.”
The best-selling Highland pant ($108) which combines superior fit with standout performance thanks to a breathable poly fabric has been updated for the season with a new button enclosure, more subtle branding and new colors that include khaki, black, navy, grey, white, stone, sapphire, deep pine and toasted coconut.
The pant comes in two fits: slim and standard. The slim fit is a little narrower overall, noticeably tapered through the leg. The standard fit is far from boxy; it’s actually a little trimmer than the Polo RLX line and features a slit zipper on the bottom of each leg, allowing you to adjust the drape as needed. Both editions of the Highland pant feature a curved waistband that promotes a snug, but comfortable fit. A silicone strip sewn into the waist keeps your shirt from riding up and out of your pants as you’re swinging a club. The pockets, which tend to be a forgotten-about feature for most golf apparel brands, are also well thought out. There’s ample room in both the front and back pockets for stashing scorecards, tees, balls and yardage books.
As good as the pants look (and they look great), they perform even better. The poly stretch fabric allows complete freedom of movement and there’s never any bunching or sagging. They’re the kind of pants you can wash repeatedly, never bother to iron and yet depend on retaining a fresh-off-the-hanger look.
Not to be outdone, Maide also offers a trouser made from premium Italian cotton with a hint of stretch. The Palmetto ($138) is a step up the style ladder. The pants are classically tailored and feature adjustable tabs at the waist in place of belt loops. These pants are more than capable of handling a round of golf. Pair them up with one of Maide’s new fall sweaters that are designed to keep you warm without adding bulk. The Duke of Argyle cotton v-neck ($88) takes an age-old fashion trope and reinterprets it into an understated diamond knit pattern. Maide also offers a slightly more performance-oriented crew-neck they affectionally call the Dew Sweeper ($98) made from a blend of Woolmark Coolmax and extra-fine merino wool.
Velardi loves the challenge of designing active apparel that doesn’t scream golf clothing.
“We have this idea that we like to call stealth tech,” Velardi says. “Our clothing is not overly technical like say the stuff from Puma. Ours are in the fibers — the stuff you can’t see. This way you can still perform but you’re not going to look like you’re wearing really technical clothes.”
Within the new collection, the lifestyle influence is unmistakably imprinted on outerwear. The brand strikes a bold move introducing a navy blazer ($298). It’s a stylish two-button jacket made from 100 percent premium Italian cotton knit piqué that can survive being unceremoniously rolled up in a ball and shoved into a golf bag. It’s a great accessory to have on hand and slip into at a country club or an upscale golfing event.
Maide’s other outerwear piece, a golf vest, is wearable on and off the course. The Wescoe ($168) is Velardi’s favorite item from the new collection and that isn’t surprising. The outside of the vest is a poly shell that is water-resistant and wind-proof. The inner lining is 100 percent cotton. It’s actually pretty warm for a light-weight jacket.
The vest features a packable hood and snap pockets, plus a hidden storage pocket in the back. It’s versatile enough to handle just about anything Mother Nature throws at you this season apart from a good, old-fashioned downpour. From a performance standpoint, The Wescoe is extremely comfortable to wear and swing in a club in. It’s going to make believers out of many golfers who tend to struggle to find a jacket that mimics the comfort of a golf shirt.
“We paid a lot of attention to the shape of the arm-hole so that it gives you a lot of good arm movement and mobility,” Velardi says. “The shoulder point-to-point is pretty narrow so that it doesn’t overhang and get in the way of your swing.”
Maide’s fall collection is available for purchase directly through the Bonobos website. The parent company launched in 2007 as an e-commerce-driven retailer focused on delivering a world-class fit and superior customer service. In 2011, Bonobos expanded its services offline, opening a handful of showrooms called Guideshops where customers could work one-on-one with a stylist to experience the brand in person.
In keeping with the company’s expansion opportunities, Maide can also be purchased on the web at Trendy Golf and Trunk Club. The brand has also developed relationships with New York Golf Center, PGA Tour Superstore and a growing list of exclusive green grass shops including but not limited to Shinnecock Hills, Medalist and Aronimink golf clubs.
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Whats in the Bag
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
- Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9)
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Spotted: Nate Lashley’s Ping PLD “Wolverine” putter
Ping PLD putters have been a very common site on profesional tours. Pros seem to gravitate toward the PLD line’s custom options and precision milling. We have seen the PLD line expanded over the years, but we haven’t seen too many, if any, large mallets.
This week we spotted a PLD putter in Nate Lashley’s bag that has a similar look to the old Ping Wolverine head shape. This putter is a large mallet with the famous “claws” on the outside and oval center that housed the alignment aid.
Nick’s putter has the PLD logo on the back but also looks like it might have an insert installed on the face. It is hard to tell but at the address picture, it looks like the face is a lighter material than the rest of the putters. The putter is center-shafted and should be face-balanced with a high MOI for stability and forgiveness on mishits. The sole is completely milled and has no markings of name or technologies that might be present in the head. A single white site line is on the top of the putter for alignment.
Nick’s putter is finished off with a chrome steel shaft and a Super Stroke Zenergy Flatso 2.0 grip in black and white.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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Sean P
Nov 17, 2014 at 8:24 am
Wish we could get this in the UK, looks good.
nikkyd
Nov 14, 2014 at 11:37 pm
Wow! My $20 izods shorts from the mens department at jcpenny have green rubbery silicone stuff on the inside of the waistband too! I want to know what brand the big boys like els, mickelson, weekly, dejong wear. That skinny slack look looks terrible on guys like me. And uncomfortable too!
nikkyd
Nov 14, 2014 at 11:40 pm
I may add also, the best golf outfit i ever did see, was worn by kevin costner in Tin Cup. In the scene where he qualifies for the open. With a 7 iron. Now thats an outfit. Not loud, but nice looking and probably better yet…comfortable
Pat
Nov 14, 2014 at 5:53 pm
100+dollars for a pair of trousers??? I’m not rich by any stretch of the imagination but I’m not dirt poor either. Even if I had the money to throw away on this brand I would rather spend it on golf lessons. This proves that golf is definitely for the wealthy and is becoming more out of reach for the “common” man.
Arnold P.
Nov 14, 2014 at 3:01 pm
The fit looks a little too much like skinny jeans for me. I’ll stick with my tailor.
Tip o'kneel
Nov 14, 2014 at 2:33 pm
A silicone strip SOWN into the waist keeps your shirt from riding up and out of your pants as YOUR swinging a club.
Ron R.
Nov 14, 2014 at 3:00 pm
You’re. Smartipants.
Tip
Nov 14, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Look, if I’m going to be subjected to product pushing, then the least you can do is proof your work. If I put this in front of a client, I’d get laughed out of the room.
Btw…the pants are a nice pick up if you have an opportunity…
Drew R.
Nov 14, 2014 at 2:11 pm
I love the Highland pants and maide sweaters. I would prefer if they created some shirts with moisture wicking materials.
Jamie Eck
Nov 14, 2014 at 1:12 pm
I just got a pair of these pants and they are great. My favorite part is the material they have around the inside of the waistband. It keeps your shirt tucked in at all times without feeling like it is pulling it down.
AZ Golfman
Nov 14, 2014 at 11:41 am
Being 6’5″, its always been hard to find good golf pants that fit well. Once i found out that bonobos sold 36″ inseam, my prayers were answered! i have several pairs of bonobos pants that i wear for work and golf and the fit is very tailored. I get compliments on them all the time.
Peter Kratsios
Nov 14, 2014 at 10:36 am
I have been playing golf for 10 years and have never been loyal to a clothing brand before this year. However, that changed when I bought a pair of the Highland pants at the beginning of golf season, and realized how much a quality pair of pants influenced the golf swing. I have several pants and even a few golf shirts from Maide.
Love what you guys are doing over there, keep it up!