Skip to content
Antigua's new performance cotton line is moisture wicking and geared toward active wearers.
Antigua’s new performance cotton line is moisture wicking and geared toward active wearers.
Author

Cotton’s durability and flexibility make it the most popular fabric for apparel in the U.S. But with golf in a synthetic fabric cycle, certain manufacturers are hoping to regain some market space by touting cotton’s benefit. 

“Cotton is more comfortable, but what happened is everyone is doing more these days,” said Gavin Heap, managing director of The Loden Group, manufacturers of Martin and Fennec golf apparel. “Everyone now has more constrictions on their time. That’s where tech (apparel) has evolved. Many people are more interested in the convenience factor versus the work it might take to feel, smell and look a bit better with a cotton shirt.”

Other golf garment producers, such as Bobby Jones, Antigua and Vstrm, tout cotton shirts and bottoms but are aware of the high-tech trends. In response, some apparel manufacturers are combining the quality look and feel of cotton with the convenience of a poly blend synthetic shirt. 

“That’s the next evolution in the knit shirt world, and that’s what you can do with cotton – give it more easy care characteristics yet keep all the things we love about cotton,” said Andy Bell, president of Jones Global Sports. “It could be a blend to give it easier care capabilities without compromising feel. As rapidly as technology has moved in the last 10 years, it will find a way soon.” 

As part of its spring/summer collection, Antigua has merged moisture-wicking synthetic filaments with cotton fibers to produce a blend of shirts it’s calling a performance cotton line.

“It combines the moisture-wicking features of our proprietary Desert Dry moisture management technology with the natural fibers of cotton to create a performance product that offers the best of both,” explained Ron McPherson, president and CEO of Antigua. “By engineering fabrics utilizing synthetic micro-filament yarns and blending them with fine natural cotton fibers, it offers the look and casual comfort of cotton while maximizing the wicking properties of a performance fabric.”

Besides feel, cotton has a high tensile strength that makes it less likely to rip or tear, whereas poly fiber shirts can easily snag. Also, cotton can hold up to one-fifth of its weight in water before feeling damp and there is typically no foul odor worries, even on the hottest days.

“One of the major issues with polyester, as everyone who wears it knows, is the stink factor,” Heap said. “That’s because the sweat and odor that goes into the garment stays in the garment. It never passes through like with cotton, as it washes completely out.”

Paul Grangaard, CEO of Allen Edmonds, adds: “Hard as the fabric and chemical companies have tried, there’s still no better feeling than wearing and washing natural cotton. In my experience, a lot of performance shirts are anything but. Try washing the locker-room-socks smell out of them after a sweaty day. It’s impossible.”

Another advantage of cotton is its head-to-toe range.

“Versatility is what makes cotton shine,” Bell said. “It also resonates off the golf course. Far more people prefer wearing cotton to the office and social outings than polyester. Cotton plays an enormous role in most areas off the course, so you’ll see just as much, if not more, cotton garments as polyester in any golfer’s closet. Cotton delivers. It can take you anywhere you want to go.”