What to wear to The 2024 Masters: Local shop owners give their advise

Thousands of golf enthusiasts travel to Augusta in April to observe one of the most prestigious and unique sporting events in the world. With a backdrop of blooming magnolias and plush green grass at Augusta National Golf Club, patrons may be wondering what is on-trend and appropriate to wear to the annual Masters Tournament.

Becky Jackson, owner of Gentry Mens Shop in Augusta, said Masters fashion has evolved to accommodate comfort on the course, but men and women still add some spice to their outfits with bright colors and prints.

Here are some tips on what to wear, and what not to wear, to the 2024 Masters Tournament:

Dress for the hills

Don't let the TV deceive you, Augusta National's course is not flat. Patrons may end up walking miles throughout the day, trudging through stunning, but hilly terrain.

Brooke Teal, general district manager at My Story Boutique off of Riverwatch Parkway, said women who have already shopped for The Masters are leaning toward pairing sneakers with maxi dresses or athletic dresses.

"I'm seeing a lot of people picking up maxi or midi dresses and they're wanting to pair them with a fashion sneaker," Teal said. "[A sneaker] with a star on it is really cute. I'm seeing a lot of the athletic dresses with sneakers and maybe a hat. A lot of women are also buying white jeans with a nice blouse. It seems like most people want to do more of the sneaker look than the sandal, for sure."

Jenny Lynch, owner of Grace and Emma, added she is seeing the same trend at her online boutique, which offers daily local pick-up in Augusta.

"The trends are dependent on age, but there are a lot of [people wearing] tennis skirts with cute, little sneakers," Lynch said. "I think because of the weather, I am seeing tennis skirts paired with a pullover. I haven't seen a lot of people around here dressing them up, so I'm kind of interested to see how that goes for tournament days. People are also wearing white jeans and a lot of bright colors this year. Platform sneakers are huge, too. They will wear them with dresses, skirts, everything."

Jackson said for men, it's a week where people can get away with being bold.

"I like to see [men] out there with bright colored pants," Jackson said. "We've got plaid pants, we've got seersucker pants. I think fun, bright colors just look great. You can get away with some wild stuff out there if you want to."

Jackson said men can pair one of their high-quality golf shirts from Italy with a bright cotton sweater vest to jazz up the look.

She added tennis shoes for men are common, but her shop has a lot of options for male patrons looking for something more elevated.

"We have driving shoes, loafers and shoes with the white bottoms," Jackson said. "There's a lot of new buck suede this year; we have blue, green, cognac, all kind of colors like that. They're very comfortable for walking."

Embellish the look

Lynch said her customers are always looking for golf-related accessories for The Masters. However, this year she is seeing even more demand than previous years.

"The accessories are the biggest thing that I'm seeing," she said. "Last year I sold a lot of green blazers that the ladies were wearing, but this year it's the hats, earrings and headbands to go with whatever they're wearing. Our biggest seller this year for The Masters has been these custom-made 'AUG' hats and I always carry them and white, red and black – but we got them in Masters green this year. So that has been one I can barely keep in stock."

My Story Boutique also carries golf-related T-shirts, earrings and headbands perfect for practice rounds or to wear around the city.

Jackson said men can accessorize for the tournament as well.

Often, male patrons will don hats on the course to keep the sun out of their eyes and protect themselves from sunburn.

Gentry Mens Shop offers golf-themed socks, straw hats and caps.

"We always have good socks," Jackson said. "The louder the better, honestly. If you're going to wear them, you want them to be noticed. They're just fun. We have some golfers on them, we have some with golf tees and golf balls, and then we have just some bright color solids."

Rain will always make an appearance

Rain is almost inevitable during Masters week.

Augusta National Golf Club typically sells umbrellas, ponchos or rain jackets with The Masters logo that male or female patrons can purchase if they don't want to dampen their look.

Jackson said umbrellas can be bulky, so men will often opt for a light jacket.

"Most guys really like to have some kind of lightweight windbreaker," she said. "We have some really pretty microsuede windbreakers right now in bright colors that zip up in the front and can be rained on. They look like an old time baseball jacket. We have royal blue, coral, soft aqua. If they have a cap on, they won't care if it's raining."

Things not to do at The Masters: Staying on par: The do's and don'ts at The Masters Tournament

What not to wear

Here are some requirements the Augusta National requires patrons to follow:

• Appropriate clothing and shoes should be worn at all times

• Golf shoes with metal spikes are prohibited

• Backpacks, bags and purses larger than 10” x 10” x 12” (in its natural state) are prohibited

• Devices such as fitness tracking bands and electronic watches are permitted (Note: These devices cannot be used to take photos, text, make calls or share data.)

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: What to wear to the 2024 Masters Tournament