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A Quick Review of VUGA Golf Polos and Shorts


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Most human beings like nice things. Nice things can mean different things to different people, but I learned long ago that "nice things" generally feel better, work better, last longer, and require less maintenance. Nice things add joy to your life, while cheap or poorly made or utilitarian things add no joy and, if particularly cheap or poorly made, sap joy from your life.

For example, in photography, great tripods with a nice ball head cost about $3,000 and up. Yes, there are $30 tripods out there… which in a pinch can "work," but they will break. They'll be frustrating to use. They'll stick. They won't handle adverse conditions well. They'll be frustrating to use. And even though you can buy a hundred of them for the same cost as a lower-end pro model tripod… you're going to hate every minute you spend with your $30 tripods.

The golf world has plenty of apparel options. You can buy the stock lines from Adidas, Puma, Titleist/FootJoy, Callaway. They're all pretty good, and they're pretty well made, but they're targeted to a slightly less discerning market.

You can also spend $500 on a polo shirt, hand-stitched by a blind monk from the silk spun from genetically modified silkworms curated over centuries by a family of sherpas to spin the finest, softest, most luxurious silk… Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit here, but the point is, you can spend as much as you want, too, and that market exists.

Between the mass appeal market and the high-end market, though, exists a few brands like VUGA, LinkSoul, and others.

VUGA's mission seems to be to create high-end clothing at a reasonably mass market price. Affordable luxury. These are my words, not VUGA's. If I quote the VUGA site, they'll say "The VUGA brand represents superb craftsmanship, comfort and the highest quality fabrics." Then they'll "encourage you to become a part of [their] lifestyle."


@mvmac and I like to expose golfers to different brands, particularly when they have something great to offer. In the past that's included grips from PURE or shoes from TRUE. In each of the reborn Newport Cup events, we've sought out a fresh new clothing company. In 2015, it was Linksoul. In 2017, PING introduced a nice line of clothing.

In 2019, that brand is VUGA.

In testing out the clothing for consideration, I received three items: two shirts and a pair of shorts.

The first shirt is from the Carmel collection:

Eaton_Engineered_Stripe_Polo_Navy_img1_b

Turn heads with the Eaton engineered stripe polo. Strategically positioned yarn dyed stripes, constructed from proprietary moisture-wicking anti-odor fabric. Finished with contrast self-fabric collar and placket, three-button...

The second was from the Augusta collection:

Astor_Polo_Green_img3_240x.jpg?v=1550766

The Astor polo combines performance and function for maximum comfort. Finished with contrast internal collar stand and placket. Three-button set-on placket and yarn dyed stripe rib sleeve. Custom logo shell buttons. Fabric...

The shorts are a pair of black Prescott shorts:

Prescott_Short_Black_img1_1_240x.jpg?v=1

Prescott Short features light weight textured solid, 2-way stretch fabric. Flat front pockets with auxiliary cell phone pocket. Besom back pockets and signature reflective center-back belt loop. Fabric Description & Content...

I don't look as good as the models, so I'll include these images of each (you can click to view them at a larger size) for now, and include some photos of the clothes later on toward the bottom.

Eaton_Engineered_Stripe_Polo_Navy_img1_bEaton_Engineered_Stripe_Polo_Navy_img2_c

Astor_Polo_Green_img3_2000x.jpg?v=155076Astor_Polo_Green_img2_2000x.jpg?v=155076Astor_Polo_Green_img1_2000x.jpg?v=155076

Prescott_Short_Black_img1_1_2000x.jpg?v=


I'm not a clothing reviewer by nature - I can't look at the stitching and tell you what kind of stitches were used, or what kind of thread, or anything else. I can just tell you that the clothes are stitched, and that the stitching seems sturdy. I can see if there are any frays, or if seams don't quite line up, or things like that.

But, mostly, I'm capable of telling you how something fits, how something feels, and how something makes me feel wearing it.

Shorts

vuga_black_shorts_floor.jpgvuga_black_shorts_hanger.jpg

I'm picky about the shorts I wear. Though I favor pants when I'm playing myself, I prefer shorts when I'm walking around watching @NatalieB play golf, and occasionally when I'm going to be out playing myself and then doing something afterward like going to the beach, playing some disc golf, or something else where pants aren't necessarily a great option.

I'm also shaped a bit oddly in that I have a large butt but a relatively thin waist, which means that my options often involve a waistline that bunches up under a belt, or a waistline that fits but which pulls tight against my manly bits as my backside pulls the shorts out that way.

The VUGA 5-Pocket Prescott shorts maintain a slimmer profile (nobody likes baggy, puffy shorts) while fitting well around the waist and just below the waist, without squishing any "bits," without a partial wedgie, and overall still looking great.

The Prescott shorts are 97% polyester and 3% spandex, with a 100% polyester lining. They feel like many modern "tech" shorts, which also means they dry quickly, resist staining, and are less prone to wrinkling than cotton shorts, silk shorts, etc.

The styling is fairly basic, as single-color shorts tens to be, with angled corners setting off the front-side pockets. The rear pockets are flapless, with the left pocket having a button and the right pocket buttonless. The rear belt loop is a marroon-and-grey patterned one that sets itself off attractively from the plain black coloring of the shorts themselves. A nice touch.

The fifth pocket is in the front left pocket, like a change pocket on a pair of jeans. It's the source of my one complaint about this pair of shorts: it's a bit too low and a bit too wide (or the mouth is a bit too relaxed) that when I'd go to reach into the main pocket, my hands would often find the smaller fifth pocket. It's nothing a little spandex might not solve, to tighten up the mouth of the pocket, or by simply elevating the pocket higher. You can see above that it's relatively low and just above the main pocket.

The quality and craftsmanship of the shorts are quite high. Seams are perfectly even length along the whole line, even some of the tighter margin stitch lines. The buttons and little brads (near the pockets) are secured strongly. The belt loops are likewise secure. The fly zipper is high quality and operates smoothly, even if you tug on the zipper pull from odd angles. This is quality stitchwork with great lines.

Overall, these shorts are a big hit. They're lightweight, breathable, dry quickly, avoid wrinkling, and fit well in the right places. People shaped more normally than I am will have a bit more room up front without it being baggy, poofy, or sloppy, and people shaped like me will find that they aren't squeezed in the wrong places.

Shirts

vuga_blue_shirt_floor.jpgvuga_blue_shirt_hanger.jpg

vuga_green_shirt_floor.jpgvuga_green_shirt_hanger.jpg

While my big butt makes me picky about my pants, I can play golf in any pair of pants or shorts so long as they're not literally squeezing my thighs and calves to the point where I fear they're going to rip or something.

Shirts are another story altogether. Where the shoulder falls, how the collar sits, the length of the sleeves - it all matters. If my shoulders and arms are uncomfortable in a shirt, it's a constant hassle over four hours to adjust it before every drive, approach shot, chip, or putt. A big shirt provides ample room, but looks sloppy and has long sleeves that need pulled up frequently. A tighter, smaller shirt feels like it restricts movement of your arm across your chest or doesn't provide enough room to breathe in the armpits.

A perfect shirt fits where it should, but provides room and movement where it's needed.

The pair of VUGA shirts I tested are about as close to perfect as any of my other favorite shirts. They're narrow enough without being "athletic fit" throughout the chest and torso, with ample shoulder room, and perfect-length sleeves that don't require pulling up before hitting an important 7-iron. Other shirts require constant fussing, but not the VUGA shirts: whether you prefer them pulled up slightly on your front shoulder, or down and relaxed, the VUGA shirts will sit in place either way and let you make a swing without having to think that your shirt sleeve is restricting your shoulder or whipping about near your elbow.

The Astor green shirt from the Augusta collection (with black and white accents) is 92% nylon and 8% spandex. The incredible two-tone blue shirt with white stripes is 92% polyester and 8% spandex. Both shirts feature an extra band of fabric around the inside of the collar in an accent color that I believe helps to collect a little sweat and offer some breathability, adding to the comfort of the shirts.

The fabric is a stretchy, cool, breathable blend that really avoids feeling like some of the stiffer or slicker, shinier tech fabrics from some other companies. I've worn these shirts on days when the temperature and humidity have both topped 85 degrees and percent, and days when it's been 60° with a breeze. I've been comfortable in both: the shirts will keep you reasonably warm in a cool breeze, and are breathable even in high humidity that you don't have to worry about sweating through the shirt.

The VUGA shirts are also long enough to stay tucked in without being so long that you're tucking a foot of fabric into your shorts or pants. Whether tucked in or worn a bit more casually untucked, the length is great. Bending over, making an aggressive driver swing, or reaching to grab the top of the flag… the shirt stays in place.

And regarding the styling, which is as individual as anything gets… I'm a big fan of simpler shirts. I'm one of the last people you'll see in Loudmouth clothes: I like a simple pattern, a single color with accents, etc. These shirts look great. The blue has a great blend of bright and navy blue, with white accent stripes, and the green almost perfectly feels like Augusta National, with tasteful white/navy accents. These shirts look sharp and make you feel like a real pro.


Overall

I like nice things, and VUGA apparel matches its billing. These three pieces are all high quality, well-made, luxurious fitting and feeling clothes that add joy to my life. They fit almost perfectly well for making a golf swing, are comfortable in a wide range of conditions, and look great.

If you too like nice things, check out VUGA at 


VUGA clothing and accessories are designed for maximum performance embracing classic versatile style.
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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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The shirts seem more suitable for people with wide and short torso.  The length seems on the short side. what size shirt does the model have on?

Quality seems good from photos. Do you know of any promo codes?

 

TIA

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4 minutes ago, wavygolf said:

The shirts seem more suitable for people with wide and short torso.  The length seems on the short side. what size shirt does the model have on?

I wouldn't say so - my torso is pretty average and I wear shirts slightly tucked in, with some "poof" or "loose" at the bottom, whatever you'd call it. These shirts don't come untucked.

They're L shirts in the photos.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Note: This thread is 1645 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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