Follow live coverage of the final round of the 2025 Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters will never be cheugy.
It may be a crime of fashion to be overdone, outdated or, gasp, dressed in millenial-core for 51 weeks a year. Spectators shuffle in every which direction, creating a dizzying blur of rye green, seersucker and straw hats. Or the lesser-known but mighty crest for one of Scotland’s finest, North Berwick Golf Club? But you’re not sure if he is a member. But if he is a member, I need him to be my friend,” says Stephen Malbon, founder of Malbon Golf, a lifestyle brand that has partnered with PGA Tour pro Jason Day to stretch player fashion past slim-fit golf pants and shades of blue.
That’s the least of it. It is not to be confused with the Masters logo. These are very different things.
There’s already an exclusivity to the idea of purchasing Masters merchandise because it is only sold on site. When you get there, there are about 19 other elevations beyond what you can take home from the massive merchandise building, which contains 64 check out registers and 385 mannequins and sells everything from $400 cashmere hoodies to scented candles and gnomes. Now Augusta National has Berckmans Place and Map & Flag, two brand new and hot-ticketed hospitality venues that also sell their own apparel. And that’s different from the main merch. People are showing their social or economic status by wearing this stuff.”
For the women of Augusta National, there’s an understanding that you dress for the female gaze. Admit it or don’t, you’re scrolling Pinterest and TikTok in the months leading up the tournament to find outfit inspiration for your Masters outfit, which, if you’re attending Thursday-Sunday, will not be seen on an Instagram feed unless you film an “outfit check” in the parking lot. “If you wear a hat, it should just be a really good wide-brim hat because sun protection is key.”
“Wear something really cute that you wouldn’t normally wear, blow it out of the water. But then Shoulders turned around for the grand reveal.
She had painted her square-shaped crossbody purse by hand to look like a pimento cheese sandwich.
“I knew I was going to do this for about a month,” said Shoulders, an engineer from Little Rock, Ark., attending her second Masters. Round, flat-brim straw hats and monochrome matching sets have been two popular trends in 2025. Color combinations of Masters green — also known as Pantone 342 — and Butter Yellow, the season’s hottest spring shade, have been plentiful. Adidas Sambas are the tournament’s most popular shoe, with New Balance 327s coming in as a close second. Dixon, who has received hundreds of direct messages from Masters ticket-holders asking for outfit advice, coined a term to describe the style: “Augustacore.”
The local boutiques in Augusta make it their mission to capitalize on Masters week. The Swank Company prepares inventory with the proper color schemes and accessories for patrons in need of a last-minute shopping trip. The Peppy Poppy says that Masters season is their second-most profitable time of the year, behind only Christmas.
“Masters style is always going to be the same: Something green and something stylish and comfortable to walk around in,” says Dawne Byrd, owner of the Peppy Poppy.
The fashion circus at the Masters feels like it could get old really fast, but somehow, it just never does. There’s a sense of, if you’re at Augusta National, why wouldn’t you go all out?
“When I told my sister that we were going to the Masters, her first question was ‘What are we going to wear?” says Kiara Dowdell, who was wearing a matching cardigan with her sister, Alexis Vega.
The players and their sponsors participate in the frenzy too, with pre-planned weekly scripting and outfit choices that they wouldn’t make at any other golf tournament. For example: Cam Smith wore a four-way stretch blazer during Wednesday’s practice round. It was the result of a drunken conversation with the man who makes said blazer.
The tournament participants are focused on the task at hand, but they’re also aware of what’s going on around them.
“When you’re walking the golf course, everyone looks like they’re having a good time. “It’s kind of like a horse racing event when everyone comes out and they’re wearing some really nice clothes. So naturally, the patrons, in all sorts of ridiculous ways, are going to treat it like a one-of-a-kind opportunity. And that allure will never go out of style.
Illustration: Demetrius Robinson The Athletic; Photos: Andrew Redington, Richard Heathcote Getty Images; Rob Schumacher, Kyle Terada USA Today Sports,
