STROKE OF THE DAY |
"I'm not sure that the most talented player I saw wasn't myself." |
-Johnny Miller |
ADVANCED
SEARCH
GOLF
CALENDAR
Apparel
|
||||
 Comfort and style, say the designers behind Gogie Girl, a sports hat company churning out caps and visors designed with women golfers in mind. Owners Vicky Waldorf and Cindy Gilmore spent six months studying every hat they could get their hands on and came up with a winning look of soft fabrics that are also sturdy and absorbent. Waldorf and Gilmore also found that the ideal-sized hat varies from person to person. So Gogie Girl developed two sizes - petite and standard - that make all the difference. The right fit means plenty of room for sunglasses to slide above the ear and a cap that snugs the head comfortably without riding high on top. The brim is a bit shorter than the average cap and the back is adjusted with a buckle rather than Velcro so hair doesn't get caught. "We found that this is a need not covered in the market," said Waldorf, 40, the wife of PGA Tour pro Duffy Waldorf and an avid golfer who played on UCLA's women's golf team. She and Gilmore, 46, also discovered that 30 to 40 percent of women have a hard time finding a hat that fits well. Not bad research for two moms with loads of fund-raising experience and philanthropy work but no practical business skills. Their fact-finding mission is beginning to pay dividends. Last June Gogie Girl, based in Chatsworth, unveiled three caps in 19 colorways. Sales were promising, said CEO John Gilmore, but the buzz at January's PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando gave the company a foothold in the marketplace. Now offering four cap and visor styles in 33 colorways, Gogie Girl has sold more hats in the last two months than it shipped the first year in business. The caps and visors speak for themselves, said Gilmore, a successful import entrepreneur who joined his wife's company when he sold his own and knows a thing or two about launching a product rapidly. "Gogie Girl is the hottest thing out there as it relates to women's headwear," he said. "We're projecting $7 million to $10 million in sales within three years." With support from LPGA pros such as Kelli Kuehne, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman and Annika Sorenstam, Gogie Girl is well on its way. The caps have been drafted into the official LPGA apparel line (Gogie Girl is one of two companies that share this honor), and are also the exclusive headwear for the Executive Women's Golf Association. Customers include more than 200 golf stores across the country, including Roger Dunn and Golfsmith, and pro shops at Southern California courses, including Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa and Porter Valley Country Club in Northridge. January's PGA show yielded worldwide exposure and added new distributors in Japan, the United Kingdom and Canada to Gogie Girl's roster. While the idea is solid, the success of the headwear has been aided by connections. Waldorf's husband carries the Gogie Girl logo on his hat and golf bag and likes to share the Gogie Girl story and hats at PGA Tour events. Persistence also has been key. "We picked up the phone and cold called many green grass accounts and major retailers," Waldorf said. "We're not good at taking no for an answer because we know we have a hat that many women are looking for." For more information, visit gogiegirl.com. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This Article
