The Athletic has live coverage of the second day of the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Is a golf shirt just a golf shirt? Or can it be something more?
Sure, you could say that golf fashion is staid, conservative, predictable. But maybe golf fashion is actually less one-note and more an endless variation on a theme. A golf shirt can say “I’m a killer” or “I’m a company man” or “I’m a character.” A golf shirt must be a few things (collared, sleeved), but it can be many things. (Just look at my husband’s closet!) The world fell in love with “tenniscore” last year. But what about golfcore!?
Perhaps no week of the golf calendar outside of The Masters is a better opportunity to obsess over golf fashion than the Ryder Cup, bringing together the best golfers across the USA and Europe.
Before LIV Golf came to be, Ryder Cup uniforms were a unique thing in the golf universe, a famously individual sport. Usually, it’s the caddies in matching uniforms, but at the Ryder Cup, the players shed their individual styles and don a team concept. Ryder Cup fashion has run the gamut of the golf-aura zeitgeist over the years, from argyle addictions to patterned pants to wacky wingtips. And, of course, sweater vests galore. (Or should we call them sleeveless jumpers? Knitted tank tops? How about whoever wins this year gets to dictate what we call those golf-course staples.)
This year, the team uniforms tell the story of European craftsmanship and American tradition; they tease the history of tournaments stolen from foreign soil and unify men who make their living by going it alone.
Are we waxing too poetic about uniforms? Yeah, probably. But where’s the fun in pretending not to care? This year’s Ryder Cup uniforms are both form and function, and we’re here to dole out our judgments.
But first, here are the details on each team’s 2025 look.
Team USA: What’s more American than Ralph Lauren? (And stripes. LOTS of stripes.)
Despite the fact that many Americans still pronounce Ralph Lauren with a French flair (it’s “LORen,” folks, not “LorEN”), the brand is quintessentially American, outfitting U.S. Olympians since 2008 and Ryder Cup Team USA now for the seventh time.
Ralph Lauren is providing the U.S. squad’s uniforms, outerwear and tailored suits for the opening ceremony and welcome dinner, plus outfitting all caddies, spouses and partners of the U.S. Team.
“Your look emphasizes your performance,” U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley said. “Especially in the Ryder Cup, you are representing your country, and your uniform emphasizes that. Putting the Ralph Lauren uniforms on, you feel proud, and you feel ready. Look good, feel good, you know.”
Look good, feel good, play good 🇺🇸
Captain @Keegan_Bradley was live on the @TODAYshow to give everyone a first look at the official Ralph Lauren U.S. Ryder Cup Team Uniforms 🏆#GoUSA pic.twitter.com/Y5POT96plz
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) August 18, 2025
Each day features a different design, but of course, perfect for “slideshow dressing,” where each outfit looks cohesive if you were to make a PowerPoint presentation based on this article to show your friends (a normal, cool thing to do!).
Where to get the look: The Ralph Lauren Ryder Cup collection is available online.
Team Europe: Italian design house Maison flex
The Team Europe uniforms are designed by Italian luxury fashion brand Loro Piana, a maison headquartered in Milan known for its fine Italian textiles and fabrics like cashmere, wool and linen. The maison first outfitted the European team in 2016 and notably created the look at the last Ryder Cup, hosted on its home soil in Italy.
The luxe 2025 designs remind me of elite boarding-school uniforms or stealth-wealth elegance — a contrast to the brassy stripes and patterns of Team USA’s gear.
Or, in the assessment of a comment on Tattler’s Instagram post about the Loro Piana golf capsule: “They googled private golf course attire.”
Where to get the look: The Loro Piana Ryder Cup capsule is not available for sale online and can only be found at select high-end retailers. Their golf capsule for men and women is available on their website, where something like a cotton vest will set you back $1,460. Luxe living!
Best and worst Ryder Cup looks
Two of The Athletic’s golf writers, Brody Miller and Gabby Herzig, helped me make picks for the best and worst looks of the 2025 Ryder Cup. We chose from the player uniforms and the larger Ralph Lauren and Loro Piana brand collections, plus a few special selections from the merch store.
Best: Team USA’s No-Stripes Saturday
From Brody Miller: “While I generally find most U.S. outfits under Ralph Lauren quite awful, I just want simplicity and a slight retro feel in a Ryder Cup fit. Please, fewer stripes. For that reason, I do like the U.S. Saturday outfit with the strong simplicity and white collar. If only we could change the ugly USA logo.”
The USA logo really does look like a telecommunications company’s branding.
Worst: Team USA’s Monday practice polo
(Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
What is this, doctor’s office art from the 1980s?? A third-grader’s paint project? Cultural appropriation? Either way, no thanks.
According to Gabby Herzig: “Ralph Lauren went with some retro designs this year for the Americans, and I like their thinking, but there are some strong vintage Ryder Cup styles that they overlooked in the design process.”
Best: Team Europe’s sartorial trash-talk
(Carl Recine / Getty Images)
The lore behind Team Europe’s practice gear goes so hard: Each of the four practice-round uniforms pays homage to one of Team Europe’s four historic away wins, with a color referencing a past uniform from a European team that won on American soil. “We know how difficult it is to win away Ryder Cups. This is proof that we’ve done it and we’ve done it many times,” said Luke Donald, the 2025 European captain.
Herzig is loving it: “So far, I have to say I’m enjoying the European team uniforms, especially the diverse color-scheme. Salmon! Why not?”
Worst: Team Europe’s safety-vest Wednesday vibe
(Carl Recine / Getty Images)
Maybe it’s just because it’s yellow, but this polo makes me feel like I should ask them for directions or why my internet is out. White collar, yellow shirt, gray sleeves? We’re doing too much here, folks! It’s giving Easter-egg utility vest.
Best: Tommy Fleetwood’s style improvisations
(Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
You might say this is too similar to the yellow ones above, but somehow, this time, it works! And we got a sweater vest! Herzig says, “It’s hard for Loro Piana to do much wrong. I particularly liked Tommy Fleetwood adding a real sweater vest over his polo on Tuesday.”
Best: Justin Thomas’ shoe game
(Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
I mean, this is the perfect blend of form and function, team pride, and a sharp fashion statement. Love.
Worst: Team USA’s Friday uniform looks like it’s going sailing
It’s giving French sailing club. I actually would wear this, and I’m pretty sure I did in college in 2010.
Best: Team Europe’s fan club, “Guardians of the Cup”
(Carl Recine / Getty Images)
A group of Team Europe superfans from Nottingham started meeting at Ryder Cups in 2010 and dubbed themselves “Guardians of the Cup.” Their fashion is fun and eye-catching.
Worst: Team USA’s fan club, “The Marshals”
‘The Marshals’ at the 2023 Ryder Cup. (Alessandra Tarantino / AP)
Also in 2010, a group of 13 friends from Minnesota gathered to support Team USA and came to be known as “The Marshals,” wearing USA-themed hockey jerseys and Viking helmets.
Far be it from me to yuck someone’s yum, but this takes me out of the whole “golfcore” vibe I’m looking for at an elite tournament. Are we at a Vikings game? The Harlem Globetrotters? A 4th of July celebration gone weird?
Best: This $600 Americana fever-dream bomber jacket
Out of my price range, but boy do I want this Jeff Hamilton-esque embroidered Satin Ghost of Americana Past. The outline of New York state on the back, the pissed-off-looking eagle, the New York City skyline, the cursive lettering that looks handwritten, the crossed golf clubs (lol) forming an imaginary New York State coat of arms?? It’s so over the top, and it’s perfect.
Best AND Worst: This flawlessly ugly visor at the Bethpage merch store
They had it as a weird looking visor at the Ryder cup merch store today pic.twitter.com/6KZEv3ht4N
— Hutch (@jhutcher) September 23, 2025
The famous “Warning” sign at Bethpage Black was turned into headwear. Because why not? Add it to my wish list.
So what’s your verdict on this year’s Ryder Cup fashions? Vote in our poll below.
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(Photo of Tommy Fleetwood: Carl Recine / Getty Images)
