FIELDREPORT Boys in Blue
New brand Joseph Garratt is bringing high-end, British-made bespoke boys’ clothing to golf. Brand founder Maria Healy explains the new garments, and the motivation to create them
believes she has found one in top-end clothing – designed exclusively for junior golfers. “The thought came to me last year when I
I
went out to buy some trousers for my son, who was playing in a competition,” she recalls. “There was just nothing available with the kind of quality and style I was looking for. I figured that if I was being frustrated by this, probably other parents were too… so I thought let’s have a go at making our own, and see where it takes us.” One year on, the result is the recent launch of
a compact range named Joseph Garratt aſter Maria’s father, designed for boys aged 7-12 (girls’ apparel is in the pipeline). The first line-up comprises a plain trouser, a tartan trouser, knitwear, hats and socks. But the fact there is also a pair of plus-twos in the line-up gives some indication of the style direction. “It’s been called old-school British,” Healey
continues. “We want to tap into the eccentricity of the British look – traditional without being boring or garish or predictable – with a bit of fun thrown in. “The big apparel brands are churning out kids’
ranges with scaled-down garments from the adults’ range. Sure, a lot of kids want to emulate the tour players, so I’m sure those brands are happy to have those pieces in their range. But we are not trying to compete with that; we are more for the child who doesn‘t want to follow the crowd and look like everyone else.” Nevertheless the look might be considered a
little conservative for kids, with the likes of navy in the knitwear, teal and claret for the plain trouser and mustard, blue and claret accents for the tartan. “I guess navys, blues and tartans looks quite
mature for kids, but we are trying to imbue an image of style and confidence through the clothing and not have the kids look like they are wearing party pieces,” Healy argues. “We’ll never have neons or lime greens… well maybe as an accent at some stage. But our colour scheme will be more steadfast and robust. You can look traditional without looking fuddy-duddy, and
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these garments are smart and colourful without being in your face.” But almost more eye-catching than the
clothes themselves are the prices being asked for them. The RRP for the Frank plain trouser is £89, while the Bob tartan trouser is £95 and George plus twos £98. The navy knitwear jumper is £55. So who pays £89 for a pair of trousers for their kids? “Well, I would,” Healy laughs. “We don’t know if there are enough parents like me; but if I would,
hopefully others will feel the same way. We’ve dipped our toe in the water and we’ll find out.” Healy defends the price through the quality of
the garments. “We live in such a disposable world with everything mass produced and not built to last. Instead we are prioritising values of quality and confidence in the product, and consequently these garments are British-made to extremely high standards. Garments are very well finished; the seams are all bound and pockets edged, and they look as neat and good
t’s easier to find gaps in the All Blacks’ defence than the golf market. However, entrepreneur and mother Maria Healy
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