Luxury Meets Performance: Why I Launched a High-End Sportswear Line
Generation Dragon was born from a husband and wife’s vision based on their very different personal journeys within the country club world. Ben, who grew up in the game of golf, and his wife Jessica, in her early 30’s, trying to learn the game from scratch, came across a consistent problem. As many young women find as they begin to pursue hobbies in golf, tennis, pickleball or the like, the constant question that arises is, “What do I wear??”. While this arena itself has made significant strides with female participation over the past five years (female participation is up 15% versus just 2% for males since 2019 - insert footnote) one thing that has clearly lacked is the parallel evolution of universally appealing attire for younger women. The men’s side has evolved tremendously with more brands bringing an athleisure attitude and edge to the country club lifestyle scene with the introduction of hoodies, joggers and blade collars. While athleisure was born on the women’s side, it has yet to be properly introduced as a solution to the specific need for women’s country club attire optionality. In a broader sense, there is an unmet need to bring a more confident, welcoming and relaxed environment to younger women at the club.
When inquiring about the lack of women’s wear in several regional pro shops and with long time golf industry professionals, we were either directed to a big box store with unflattering and overpriced women’s pieces or would hear responses such as “There’s no market for women’s wear so we don’t carry much”, or “It’s not worth it to bother with women’s clothing”, While that may be the general tone within the industry, those responses didn’t address the problem that Jess and many of her contemporaries looking to spend time in this world still had. The core issues of not knowing what to wear and not wanting to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes that weren’t flattering persisted. Instead of continuing to wallow in this problem or avoid country club sports entirely, Jess knew she needed to create the solution. We were told not to bother, SO WE BOTHERED. Enter Generation Dragon.
The traditional attire of uncomfortable shirts and frumpy skirts is fading, especially as the demographic of country club sports grows younger. While brands on the men’s side have successfully introduced a blend of athleisure and modern golf-centric attire over the past 5 or so years, women’s brands have not kept pace. Young women want comfortable, flattering, multi-purpose pieces that push the classic boundaries of “appropriate” attire. Sure, skirts are shorter and tops are more athletic, but who has stepped up to the plate and sent a message to younger women that this has been tailored and crafted just for them by one of their own. Someone who has a “Why” much stronger than simply checking a box.
While the checkered history of country club sports can be described as exclusive, stuffy and intimidating to enter, the mission of Gen D is to facilitate the evolution of making those doors more welcoming. With a versatile line of clothing that gives off an edgy yet chic look, Generation Dragon is here to replace those feelings of high stress and intimidation with those of confidence, excitement, positive energy and relaxation. By answering the question of “What do I wear?”, we allow the next Generation to look forward to the adventure that lies ahead.
While the vast majority of country club apparel companies are heavily focused on the men’s side and have a complimentary women’s line that often feels like an afterthought, Generation Dragon is flipping the script. This is a company that is unabashedly tailored to younger women, while our long-term vision includes an exclusive men’s line headlined by a small number of high-level pieces meant to further grow the mission and support the mantra of Gen D. A modern day differentiator. Generation Dragon is exactly that, the next Generation. Full of young and ambitious women finding their own voice, and they have something to say. “We’re here to stay.”