Slice of Lifestyle: Fall's Hot Flashes

by Katharine Dyson

LPGA superstar Annika Sorenstam lets her hair down in these comfy Cutter & Buck togs.

I hate her.

She’s wearing a pair of Cutter & Buck capris with just the slightest flair at the bottom, probably a size 4, a perfect fit without a sliver of celulite showing. Her spandex-laced top clings just the right amount, falling at her waist and showing a bit of firm tanned skin when she’s in her backswing. But then, she’s just 19 years old.

So what’s a girl to do who, well, remembers when the Beatles were singing “Yellow Submarine.” Well, for starters, she can hit the gym and let up on the snacks. But I prefer the easier route: Pay more attention to what I wear on the course, which typically has been mostly khaki shorts or pants and the same-old, same-old polo-style shirt … the kind someone usually gives me at an event with a huge logo stitched on it.

I like to tuck my shirt in, but let’s face it, sometimes it just feels, well, more comfortable pulled over my slacks. Am I trying to hide something? You bet. So it’s great to find a shirt you can wear out that just looks like it wants to be out. Like my electric blue prima cotton knit with three-quarter sleeves, self collar and v-neck made by Fairway & Greene. The bottom has a band around it with side vents, and it looks great worn over my Lija black glossy capris.

So what else is new for fall? Looking at clothes that look sexier, fit better and feel great, the following designs feature tapered styling, off-center zippers — like in Lija’s black Wind Pro jacket — and the use of spandex or Elasthane or some other stretchy thing that helps retain shape and nip in a bit, all details that add a twist to classic with funky fabric designs.

Cutter & Buck’s skorts — such as the Lucia, which comes in a subtle bittersweet plaid, a small lined pattern in browns and tans with just a touch of coral — offer a slimming flat front with two side vents, and the skort falls perfectly just above the knees. Paired with Cutter & Buck’s Spectator Polo in coral, which picks up a color in the plaid, you’ll like that the raglan-cut sleeves are longer, yet the shirt looks smart with two little buttons on each cuff. And there’s enough spandex to hug without revealing that extra bit of, ahem, good living.

Slap a name like Annika on a piece of clothing and the price seems to go up — and the styling gets more edgy. But once you try it on, you have to have it, so it doesn’t matter. Take Cutter & Buck’s long-sleeved mockneck shirt from their Annika line. It features piping on the sleeves, shoulder and side panels, along with a touch of spandex designed to give anyone a trim look. The ThermaTec New Mock not only makes you look like you’re au courant with its sporty design but has just enough metallic to keep you cool in hot weather and warm in cool weather. And Cutter & Buck’s quilted vest with hidden zippered pockets and fleece lining, along with their WeatherTec Tour Jacket with two-tone styling, are flattering ways to ward off fall chills.

I’ve been a fan of Linda Hipp’s Lija retro and hip golf clothes for women since this Canadian designer first hit the runways. Her fabrics are great with just enough stretch to make them fit perfectly, and details like slightly dropped waists, flap pockets with buttons and upbeat plaids keep her designs on the cutting edge. Her L’Amour three-quarter sleeve polo with tapered fitting enhanced by Spandex and four large retro-looking buttons in the placket, is the perfect basic and comes in blush, petrol and plum. With Lija, besides great tapered fitting, fabrics and styling, it’s all in the details — small buttons, large buttons, zippers and wonderful fabric contrasts and patterns that look like Pointilist paintings or Picassos, and shirts with argyle diamonds on one side.

Lija offers Coffeebean, a three-quarter sleeve polo with just one large button closure, and there’s a vintage paisley print polo with cap sleeves, beautifully fitted and tightened up with Elasthane. Graphic wavy, a blue-and-tan print polo and Cube polo print, which looks like someone threw a bowl of confetti on the fabric, are two other avant garde designs. Any of these worn under Lija’s Powersheild jacket, which also tapers and hugs with spandex, creates a great look.

Accessories like belts, shoes and hats can be the finishing touch to send you out to the course with a great look. Take Green Friendly Belts, superbly designed with a slick divot tool and ball marker camouflaged in the belt buckle. My first belt was brown ... it goes with everything. But I liked it so much, I now have one in Robin’s Egg and Lily Pad.

And don’t forget shoes. A recent houseguest forgot her golf shoes, so I loaned her my Sport Temp Eccos with the swooping accent lavender trim. “Do you really want these back?” she kidded after our round. “They are too comfortable.” No way. I couldn’t part with them, so she just told me she bought her own. I’m getting another pair: Ecco’s Spikeless E with its electric-color zebra stripe. Now the hard decision is which color to choose. FG