Korean golf wear is the most interesting thing happening in the sport’s clothing, and it took me a while to work out why. It is not that the clothes are louder. It is that they are designed as outfits first and sportswear second, which is the reverse of how western golf brands work.
The signatures are consistent once you look for them: matching sets, a much higher waistband, cropped or fitted tops, pleated skirts worn shorter, strong colour blocking, and sun protection built into everything rather than added on. Visors are worn wide and low. Sleeves are either full or absent, rarely in between. The UV protection list shares the sun protection instinct, and the Japanese golf wear edit is the neighbouring tradition with a very different mood.
Worth knowing before you copy it wholesale: some skirt lengths that are standard in Korea will not clear a traditional European or American dress code. Our guide to the best golf apparel covers the equivalents that will.
A matching white top and skirt with a wide brimmed visor. The set is the foundation of the whole style, and the visor is worn wider and lower than western golfers wear them.
A cropped navy top over a high waisted pleated skirt. The high waist is the single most defining detail here, and it changes the proportions of everything below it.
A pale pink matching set with white trim at the collar and hem. Contrast trim is the detail Korean brands use constantly and western brands almost never do.
A sleeveless top worn with separate full length sun sleeves. Coverage as a choice rather than a fixed feature, and it is how most Korean players handle a hot round.
A navy and white colour blocked set with a clean seam at the waist. Blocking is used structurally here, to mark the waist rather than to decorate the fabric.
A mint pleated skirt with a fitted white top. Mint is arguably the defining colour of Korean golf wear over the last few seasons and it shows no sign of leaving.
A full length sun shirt over a pleated skirt. Sun protection is not an afterthought in this style, it is designed into the base layer of nearly every outfit.
A lavender matching set with a visor in the same colour. Matching the visor to the set is standard here and it is the fastest way to make an outfit look intentional.
A cropped black top with high waisted white trousers. Trousers are less common in this style but the same proportions apply, and the crop is what makes it work.
A pale blue set with darker piping along the seams. Piping is a small detail that reads clearly from a distance, which is exactly why it is used so heavily here.
A yellow matching set with white sun sleeves underneath. Two tone in a very deliberate way: the sleeves are visible and treated as part of the outfit rather than hidden.
High waisted shorts with a fitted top tucked in. Shorts are cut higher and shorter than the western equivalent, and the waistband is wide enough to hold its shape.
A coral pleated skirt with a white long sleeve sun shirt. Colour below and white above, which is the reverse of the western default and looks fresher for it.
A beige set with brown trim and a brown belt. Neutral Korean golf wear is quieter than the colourful version and it is where the tailoring shows most clearly.
A navy sun hoodie with a white pleated skirt. The hoodie is worn fitted rather than loose here, which is the detail that separates it from a western sun hoodie.
A striped matching set in navy and cream. Stripes are used more sparingly here than in western golf wear, and always with the stripe running the length of the body.
A purple pleated skirt with a grey fitted top. Purple appears far more often in Korean golf wear than anywhere else and it works beautifully against green.
A cream set with gold zip pulls and buttons. Hardware as a detail is a Korean golf signature, and it is the cheapest way to make a plain set look expensive.
A matching set, matching visor, sun sleeves and UV gloves. Complete coordination is the point, and every piece is doing sun protection work at the same time.