PGA Championship 2026: The biggest style moves from Aronimink

The PGA Championship at Aronimink gave us one of the clearest snapshots yet of where golf fashion is heading next. Heritage storytelling, quiet luxury, relaxed tailoring, and old-school layering all took center stage in Philadelphia this week, while a few lingering relics from the slim-fit tech era continued to overstay their welcome. From Min Woo Lee’s retro color blocking to Justin Thomas embracing understated elegance, the style conversation around this major felt sharper and cleaner than ever.

New Philly Legends

Philadelphia doesn’t lack legends. There’s Mike Schmidt, Wilt Chamberlain, and Saquon Barkley, just to name a few. We can add a couple of more names to the list courtesy of FootJoy, which unveiled its first installment of its Legends Series at Aronimink.

Dubbed the “1776 Collection,” the opening drop celebrated the craftsmanship, grit, and history woven into Philadelphia’s identity. The limited-edition Packard and Marquis models arrived in a white and grey palette inspired by the city’s historic architecture and landmarks. Subtle patriotic details carried the theme throughout, from embossed stars on the inner lining to red and blue spikes and Liberty Bell branding on the heel tab. The timing also lines up with America’s upcoming 250th birthday, giving the collection an added layer of significance without feeling overdone.

The remaining two Legends Series drops are expected around the U.S. Open and Open Championship, and if this first release is any indication, FootJoy has a strong summer ahead.

Quiet Luxury Has Entered the Chat

There’s a big style shift taking place on the fairways right now. Loud prints, technical fabrics, and slim-fits are trending out. The energy has moved toward quiet luxury, and nobody on Tour is leaning into it better than Justin Thomas.

JT has exchanged the tapered performance pants for luxurious wool dress slacks with subtle textures and a fuller silhouette. He’s back in FootJoy Premiere Series shoes after spending time in the more athletic HyperFlex line, and his color palette has become noticeably more refined. Cream, taupe, charcoal, soft grey, and black have become staples in the rotation. One thing that has remained is his Cashmere sweaters, which feed into the quiet luxury vibe.

Overall, JT is dressing with confidence and maturity, like someone who understands proportion, fabric, and restraint without needing the validation from branding. In other words, he’s standing out by not standing out.

V-Neck Sweaters

The golf sweater had a serious week at Aronimink. Quiet luxury has played a role in the resurgence, but so has golf’s growing fascination with heritage style. For years, crewnecks and hoodies dominated the layering conversation. Now the V-neck sweater is quietly reclaiming space in the rotation.

The V-neck’s roots run deep in the game, from cricket sweaters to Arnold Palmer-era layering and Nick Faldo’s classic Pringle knits, but the modern versions feel cleaner and more wearable. Shallow necklines, relaxed fits, textured cottons, and lightweight wool blends give them a sharper look without feeling stiff.

That being said, the V-neck is the trickiest sweater to style. The polo underneath can completely elevate or ruin the look. The deeper neckline needs a polo with a longer placket and a more structured collar that can hold its shape. Keith Mitchell and Stephan Jaeger are doing it best right now.

Width & Angles

There is a lot of talk about width and angles in golf course design, and Min Woo Lee did his part to carry over the width and angles discussion to golf fashion.

Chef Woozy took a cue from Tommy Fleetwood’s playbook and slipped on Lululemon’s new wide-leg Daydrift Trouser. Even though it technically sits outside the brand’s golf category, it’s quickly becoming the preferred option for players moving away from the slimmer ABC Trouser fit. A wider waistband, internal drawcord, and fluid technical fabric of the Daydrift give it a relaxed shape that moves naturally from waist to shoe.

When it comes to angles, Lee paired the trousers with a nylon track jacket featuring angular color blocking that felt straight out of late-’90s football culture in the best possible way. Color blocking is quietly creeping back into menswear, but the players getting it right understand restraint. One strong color, one grounding neutral, and a clean silhouette. That formula still works. The navy, white, and red combination here was on point.

The only adjustment I would’ve made was the pant length. The relaxed fit deserves a fuller break, but Min Woo was literally stepping on the hems.

Adidas Signs an Unlikely Brand Ambassador

Not all golf fashion heroes wear capes. In fact, some of them wear shorts, which is why Adidas signed Forrest Fezler to an endorsement deal. A brand inking a golfer to an apparel deal seems fairly normal until the story takes an unusual twist. Forrest Fezler passed away in 2021.

Nonetheless, Fezler is remembered for a rare moment in golf fashion history when he stepped into a portable restroom on the 72nd hole of the 1983 U.S. Open wearing pants and, in true Clark Kent fashion, emerged in shorts. The move made him the only player in major championship history to post an official score while wearing shorts.

Adidas used Fezler’s rebellious moment as the launch point for its new Ultimate365+ shorts campaign. The brand even unveiled a commemorative statue of Fezler in shorts outside Philadelphia’s historic City Hall in Dilworth Park. While Wednesday’s conditions at Aronimink were far from ideal for shorts, Adidas players wore patches honoring Fezler’s contribution to pushing golf style forward.

Off Base

The ‘polo-over-a-white-compression-base-layer’ needs to be retired permanently. It’s one of the last surviving artifacts from the slim-fit tech era, and at this point, it feels completely dated.

Yes, fashion rules are looser than ever right now, but layering short sleeves over long compression sleeves still looks awkward. It instantly brings back junior golf tournament energy from the early 2010s. What once read as serious golfer style now feels overly technical and visually cluttered.

Modern golf fashion has shifted toward ease, drape, and tailored comfort. White compression sleeves under a polo interrupt the proportions of an outfit and pull attention away from the fabric and silhouette.

Here’s to more sweaters and wind jackets, and fewer base layers.

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