Mel Reid "Very Excited" About Second Clothing Collection With Ellesse

Ellesse athlete Mel Reid has signed to partner the Italian sportswear brand for another year and has launched a second clothing collection

Mel Reid "Very Excited" About Second Clothing Collection With Ellesse

After the success of her first clothing line, Mel Reid has once again teamed up with Italian sportswear brand Ellesse and American Golf to release a second-generation range.

In aiming to bring a more modern look to the game and improve the overall quality and choice that women golfers have when it comes to their on-course attire, Reid has enjoyed the collaborative design process and is proud of what they’ve been able to achieve in such a short space of time together.

“I think that for women’s golf clothing there isn’t a huge market,” said Reid, who led after round one of last week’s US Women’s Open. “When Ellesse got in touch a couple years ago I thought it was a great opportunity, especially when they said, ‘we would love you to have some input in the design’.

“I’m really proud of the development they’ve had over the couple of years with a little bit of my input. The ideas they come to me with; I just basically tell them what I know that women golfers, or girls who play on tour, like their clothes to look like, fit and perform.

“I’m excited about the line that just dropped - I think it’s the best they’ve done so far - and I’m very excited to wear it and showcase it a little bit this year.”

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Reid shot to fame at the 2007 Women’s Open when she finished in a tie for 16th place at the Old Course in St Andrews to take home the prize for low amateur. And since then, the now 33-year-old has gone on to record seven professional wins - six on the LET Tour and one on the LPGA Tour at last year’s ShopRite Classic, having moved to America in 2018.

However, just as much as she is a champion on the course, she is also a leading voice for the female game off the course, and hopes this latest clothing line will inspire more companies to follow Ellesse’s example.

“I think the way a lot of women’s collections fit don’t necessarily fit the athletic woman very well,” she continued. “I think it fits the 50-year-old country club woman extremely well, but for somebody kind of young or coming into golf, I can see why it’s not very appealing for them.

“And so, I think that’s what Ellesse has done really well. When I first had a meeting with them, I said, ‘look, if you design clothes that fit really well in the right places, and you can play golf and then literally go and meet friends in a pub without them realising you’ve played golf, that’s the ultimate goal’.

“I hate wearing clothes that look like I’ve been on the course, which is why I think they’re doing a really good job in the women’s clothing space because I feel like they tick all the boxes.

“They’ve done a great job, and like I said, I wish more companies did really nice and good-looking golf wear for women because there aren’t enough.”

Modern styling has proved a talking point in the men’s game in recent years, with the rise of, in particular, golf hoodies and joggers which seem to trigger many of the ultra-traditionalists out there who now have a growing number of platforms to air their opinions.

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However, that’s of no concern to Reid, and from her new range, she is especially enthusiastic about launching these two items into the sphere of women’s golf.

“They’re bringing out golf joggers - I’m very excited about that. It’s something I’ve been pushing for like a year now. And obviously the golf hoodie - I love playing in hoodies and I just think they look really good. 

“I’m excited to wear them and see how they perform in different kinds of weather conditions.”

For those who want to check out and keep up to date with Ellesse and Mel Reid's women's clothing collection, head to americangolf.co.uk.