If you're of a certain age, you remember those commercials vividly. They were love-em-or-hate-em pop-culture touchstones. One of the commercials focused on a group of guys out on the golf course.
I don't know if Dockers was making clothes specifically for golfers at that time, but I know that golfers were certainly wearing Dockers. A couple of more-recent surveys show that 70-percent of all men own a pair of Dockers pants, and that 80-percent of golfers do.
So it's no surprise that Dockers would bring back its Dockers Tour brand, a line of clothing - pants, shirts, shorts, outerwear - specifically for golfers.
The Dockers Tour brand was relaunched at the 2003 PGA Merchandise Show. In stores now is the company's 2005 Spring lineup, along with the Montego Mon lifestyle brand (also produced by Newport Sportswear, the parent of Dockers Tour) that offers silk golf polos, silk shorts and other silk items.
Dockers Tour manages to incorporate high technology - yes, there is apparel technology, just as there is driver technology - without breaking the bank. Many Dockers Tour pieces retail in the $40-$50 range.
Looks and feel? Well, 80-percent of golfers and 70-percent of men wouldn't already own Dockers if the company didn't offer attractive and comfortable pants and shirts.
All those elements are in display in the Dockers Tour 2005 Spring Collection.
2005 Spring Collection
The collections making up the Dockers Tour 2005 Spring lineup include the Core Essentials (basic pique shirt, Bel Air pants, Newport shorts), Tour Collection, Performance (which includes mock turtlenecks), Blue Label (which includes some full-button shirts) and Clubhouse outerwear (including sweater vests and half-zippered pull-overs).The Dockers Tour technology runs throughout the collections:
• Spot Lifter: The Spot Lifter finish is used on performance polos and various bottoms in the collection, including the Newport and Bel Air. The Bel Air pants are reflective of the Dockers Tour brand: performance-oriented, low-maintenance trousers that are wrinkle-resistant, stain-resistant and wick away perspiration.
Stain Lifter items in the collection are treated with DuPont Teflon, which helps stains to be more easily lifted away during the wash cycle.
• Stain Defender: The Stain Defender finish, which also involves treating with DuPont Teflon, can be found on polos and twill pants throughout the Dockers Tour line.
Pieces incorporating Stain Defender technology cause oil- and water-based liquids to bead up to minimize staining. Stain Defender fabrics are also antimicrobial and provide extra UV protection.
• Dry Ply: Another nifty feature is the moisture-wicking fabric called Dry Ply. Dry Ply moves moisture away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric, where it can dry more quickly. Dry Ply fabrics are also wrinkle-free, antimicrobial and offer extra UV protection.
Montego Mon Collection
The Montego Mon Collection is a sister collection to Dockers Tour. Well, make that half-sister. The Montego Mon and Dockers Tour collections have very little in common, by appearances, beyond their connection through Newport Sportswear.That's because Montego Mon offers, among other things, floral prints and silk shirts and shorts.
But wait, aren't silk shirts more expensive? Barnum Mow of Dockers Tour said that most pieces in the Montego Mon Collection are priced to sell at $50 or below.
"Montego Mon is a lifestyle brand that features a full collection of silk products such as golf polos ... printed silk camp shirts (and) silk shorts," Mow said.
"Value price points are stressed in this collection," Mow said, but the Montego Mon pieces "will make you look like you are worth at least several million dollars."
Pieces include short-sleeve, full-button shirts; long-sleeved, full-button shirts; golf polos; half-zippered pullovers; full-zippered jackets; jersey t-shirts; double-pleated and no-pleat pants and shorts; even swim trunks and sandals.
The variety of colors offered is impressive, from soft pastels such as peach and coral, to darker solids such as sapphire blue and navy. Floral prints are many and imaginative, incorporating palm leaves or tropical fruits in many different styles.
