Kate Korngold Is On Par With Featherie, a New Junior Girls Golf Line
Despite golf being a traditionally male-dominated and buttoned-up sport, it has seen explosive growth amongst women and younger demographics in recent years.
According to the National Golf Foundation, women represent 37 percent of junior golfers and are the fastest-growing demographic of U.S. golfers since 2019. A pandemic surge in junior developmental programs targeting women has helped girls represent 38 percent of all golfers under 18.
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While this growing interest amongst women and younger girls remains a positive step, the fashion and retail industries that outfit them have yet to catch up.
Enter 14-year-old Kate Korngold, founder of Featherie. As a longtime golf player since Korngold was four, she launched her brand with her family at the PGA golf show in Orlando, Fla., after experiencing frustration in finding appropriate golf apparel that adheres to the strict golf clubs and course regulations.
As a New Yorker, playing golf in the winter is cold and Korngold was desperate to find any proper golf pants and clothing that was geared toward teen girls. She told WWD that she was extremely frustrated that girl junior golfers feel like a major afterthought in the golf industry. “I was playing with the boys, and I was beating the boys, but why should I have to wear boys’ clothing?” Korngold said.
After encouragement from her parents and tired of waiting around for someone else to fill the gap in the market, Korngold set off to create a brand for herself: a Generation Alpha girl tween/teen golf player. She named her brand Featherie after the “featherie,” the original performance golf ball that revolutionized golf in the 1600s. (Korngold similarly hopes to be a disruptive force within the youth golf space.)
“Featherie is premium golf attire that has been thoughtfully designed for female junior golfers,” Korngold said. “It’s stylish, sophisticated and refined. The materials we use are luxurious, high-performance and sustainable. Because my generation is focused on taking care of our planet, it was important to me that we use recycled, ethically sourced fabrics as much as possible.”
Acknowledging that health and wellness are important to her core consumer audience, Korngold selected fabrics that are UPF 50+, AZO-free and PFAS-free. The brand’s prices range from $84 to $189. Featherie exclusively outfits girl serious golfers aged 10 to 19 years old and for those who want “a touch of sophistication and style” to look their best and be “confident on the course.”
As a golfer herself, Korngold said she knew exactly what she wanted out of her brand’s clothing. Performance-ready clothing and designs that kept “both athleticism and femininity in mind” were paramount. The fabrics selected are stretchy, breathable and dense weave to ensure non-transparency.
“In our debut collection, the pieces all come in neutral hues, so they aren’t too distracting,” Korngold said. “The fit of the clothes is more a traditional fit, but they aren’t designed to be tight or restrictive. All the tops in the collection were designed to look stylish either untucked or, in a more traditional club, they can easily be tucked in.”
In many ways, Korngold is looking to level the playing field for junior girls golfers — who share her frustration in being ignored. The first collection is a series of essentials to appeal to a wide range of her peers. Already looking to expand on it for her next collection, Korngold already has ideas up her sleeve with different styles, new colors and functional components in the works.
“Featherie is about more than just golf clothing — I hope it’s message of ‘Never Doubt Your Power’ teaches young girls, just like me, that we can do anything.”
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