I always get excited when I get a chance to try out apparel from companies I don't already know.
Bermuda Sands, a golf clothing brand founded in 2009, is quickly gaining a foothold in the industry. As of right now, they are strictly an upper-wear brand, producing only shirts and pullovers in the men's line, as well shirts, pullovers and skorts in the women's line. They've stuck to their bread and butter, with the goal of delivering the best performance clothing possible.
“The looks are a secondary factor when designing a new product," said Bermuda Sands director of marketing Jennifer Lukowiak in January at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando." Performance will always be first.”
Bermuda Sands has full ownership of the line, meaning they own the factory making the fabric as well as the factory producing the garments. The cotton found in some of the pieces are sourced from American growers and the company-owned factories are located in Guatemala in Central America.
I tried two products from their line: the Victory short sleeve polo and the Eclipse pullover. Both are well made, and the quality of the manufacturing is important to underscore. It's common to find a few loose threads or slightly crooked stitching throughout a garment. With Bermuda Sands, I found none. The product is extremely clean, and the manufacturing tolerances are some of the best I've ever seen, regardless of price point.
The Victory Polo shirt has a 92 percent Polyester/8 percent Spandex blend and features their proprietary G2 technology. The G2 tech uses smaller needles and yarn in the fabric, giving a tighter weave in the material. The shirt has a three button front, with each one containing a Bermuda Sands Imprint embedded in a pearl-and-black-swirl mix. The fabric doesn't feel like it's scratching the skin, and the design of the shirt allows for very good range of motion without restricting the swing at all. I would classify it under a North American fit, and the sizing is on par with other manufacturers such as Antigua and Under Armour.
The material is very breathable, and the moisture-wicking properties performed as advertised. The material density is akin to the Antigua Pure line, with slightly more density to the fabric. There are nine stock colors, and the majority are more subdued hues. The $70 price is in line with other shirts of this quality. Suggested care is to wash on cold and tumble dry on low heat.
The second piece was the Eclipse pullover, featuring their exclusive Storm-Dri water repelling fabric application. The 50/50 Cottton/Poly material blend is not what I would consider lightweight, but it's not heavy enough to be cumbersome. There is a fair amount of stretch to the material while still retaining its rigidity. On the interior of the pullover, the material is the same as the outside, and doesn't contain any brushing or lining. The wrists and waist portion contain the same material blend as the main fabric, except in a ribbed weave and assists the pullover to stay in place.
In wearing, what was most impressive was how it felt as a layered item. The material didn't negatively interact with the long-sleeve base layer and provided a surprising amount of protection from the wind. The zipper is made with plastic teeth and a glossed finish metallic slider. Only did it become slightly uncomfortable at 19* C (66* F) and in direct sunlight.
While I wouldn't compare the Storm-Dri additive to Gore-Tex, it did repel the rain nicely and kept me dry for an extended period of time. The material doesn't breath extremely well, but that's okay. It's not designed to be worn in warmer temperatures, and it provides some serious thermal protection in the 5-15* C (41-59* F) range. The fit is slightly larger then what I'm used to from North American sizing, and I would recommend considering going a size down. While I usually wear XL for the outer layer, I would opt for a Large in the Eclipse. Fabric care is the same as the Victory polo, cold wash with low heat tumble dry. MSRP is $67.
My first long-term encounter with Bermuda Sands was definitely a nice little surprise, especially with the Eclipse Pullover. For a company that is barely 8 years old and having already a stable of over 900 pro shops carrying their line, it's impressive to see how far they've come in such a short period of time.
