U.S. Was Best Dressed, Too

In a bit of sartorial triumphalism, the U.S. Ryder Cup team dressed like Tigers on Sunday -- red golf shirts and dark trousers, reminiscent of Tiger Woods's victorious style -- and it worked. Their horizontally pinstriped red shirts completed a subtle red-white-and-blue theme for the day.

Anthony Kim wore a white belt with his red shirt and navy pants (right, click to enlarge), completing the patriotic symbolism. But white belts look odd when worn with dark clothing top and bottom. They cut the silhouette in half, calling attention to the waistline. Fashion faux pas notwithstanding, Kim played beautifully.

The European team wore zippered, rather than buttoned, polo shirts all week. For the final day, they chose white shirts with color inset panels, kind of like swooshes under the arms. These looked great on young athletic golfers but a little strange on more grizzled vets, like Miguel Angel Jimenez.

(Photo: Fred Vuich/SI)

Playing it Safe

No patriotic colors. No eye-popping patterns.

The U.S. team looked calm and professional as they went about their business in their Saturday uniforms, custom made by Nike Golf. Horizontally striped polo shirts with tan trousers, flat front or pleated (player's choice) were about as unextraordinary as anything the average guy might wear for a weekend round. Some Americans wore navy sweater vests in the morning.

Loud or striking uniforms could be a distraction, and Captain Paul Azinger seems to have laid up -- making a conscious decision to keep it simple and classic.

The Europeans, by contrast, went again with the same style of athletic-stripe zippered polo, with horizontal-stripe pattern in back, but this time with the colors reversed -- royal blue on white. In the morning rounds, team Europe seemed a little too summery for conditions.

One style point on both sides: the white belt. Many players now favor this vestige of the disco age, which works well with white trousers or white shirts, but tends to call attention to the waistline when worn with darker colors.

(Photos: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. team goes for Op-Art uniforms

The American team's stylish, modern uniforms for Day 1 of the Ryder Cup involve a nice twist on tradition -- golf shirts in an aysmmetric argyle pattern (click the photo to enlarge). The right side of the shirts feature a row of oversized black blow-ups of the classic argyle, a traditional pattern in golf dating from its early days in Scotland. The other side retains the argyle, smaller, in outline down the front. Trousers are solid black, with either black or white belts, player's choice.

The European team also went with an asymmetric design: zippered golf shirts with a single royal-blue sporting stripe across the chest (like a ski sweater) and rows of contrasting horizontal stripes down the back. It is the third European uniform so far featuring a light-blue theme, this time over dove-gray trousers, matching the gray collars of their shirts.

The U.S. uniforms were snappy, graphic, and modern-looking -- op-art without being distracting.

(Photos: Mickelson and Kim, Westwood and Garcia by Robert Beck/SI)

Cup Couture: Who wore it better?

At the Ryder Cup, the clothing selections are almost as talked about as the club selections. (Let's not forget the great faux pas of '99.) See what the teams have worn so far this week, and then vote on which squad is winning the battle for Best Dressed.

Tuesday the Euros (Ian Poulter, left, Andrew Redington/Getty Images) wore gray pants and light blue polos. The Americans (Anthony Kim, Fred Vuich/SI) sported dark gray trousers, with a subtle windowpane check and white polos.

On Wednesday the Americans (Anthony Kim, left, Ed Reinke/AP) came out with a darker look of navy blue shirts and khaki pants. The Euros (Padraig Harrington, Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) wore a tan top with a white, striped front and tan pants.

Have more to say on the clothing? Comment below and tell us what you'd like to see them wearing. For more info on the clothing, check in with our fashion expert Woody Hochswender.

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