Tail Activewear emerged on the scene in 1974, when single mother Cheryl Singer decided to create a brand of women’s athletic apparel as comfortable and fashion-driven as those being offered for men. Singer and her brother, Andy Varat, initially focused on tennis apparel before expanding their reach to golf in 1976, and Tail has been an important resource for on-course shops ever since.
In 2008, Singer and Varat sold the company’s assets to Great Circle Ventures Holdings, LLC., marking the beginning of a new chapter for Tail Activewear. In 2012, the brand was expanded to include yoga and activewear, catering to a broader market of active women. Tail has since launched the Unbridled line, which fuses fashion and technology, and the Spin-It collection more recently for pickleball enthusiasts. Spin-It features high-performance, moisture-wicking fabrics and functional designs for enhanced mobility.
The introduction of a men’s line under the Spin-It label has extended Tail’s reach in the industry, with the brand now having a presence in almost 1,000 golf shops across the country.
As Tail celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, VP of Sales & Marketing Greg Adams, PGA, explains how the company stays relevant and why it should remain a fixture in on-course shops for many years to come.
1. With Tail celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, what has been the key to your company’s longevity?
Greg Adams: Celebrating Tail Activewear’s 50th anniversary this year is a testament to our commitment to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction. Our longevity is rooted in consistently delivering high-performance, stylish apparel that meets the evolving needs of our customers.
We’ve always prioritized staying ahead of fashion trends while maintaining the functional aspects our customers seek. Additionally, our dedicated team and strong relationships with retailers have been crucial in sustaining our growth and success over the years.
2. What do you think is the most significant trend in women’s golf apparel today, and how is Tail addressing it?
Adams: There’s a notable shift toward tonal play with colors and textured fabrics to elevate traditional golf attire. Prints are trending younger, featuring oversized florals, ditsy scales and abstract designs. Style details are moving toward sleek and streamlined silhouettes that offer both functionality and a fashion-forward appeal. Novelty details, such as texture inserts and bold collars, are becoming increasingly prevalent in women’s golf apparel. The athleisure trend continues to influence women’s golf fashion, blurring the lines between activewear and everyday apparel.
Tail Activewear seamlessly integrates these trends into our Mainline Golf collections, infusing them with innovation. We blend on-course functionality with off-course aesthetics in styles like the Condoleezza/Eleanor jogger set, which we often offer in our Golf Mainline fashion colors. You can expect an abundance of fresh, trendsetting pieces in our upcoming Season 88 (spring 2025) line.
3. What is the strategy behind presenting a new collection each month?
Adams: When designing each month’s collection, our intention is to keep a fresh set of innovative styles, prints and colors on rotation to continually captivate our diverse customer base. We recognize that our customers have varying interests influenced by factors such as age, region and personal style. By introducing a new collection monthly, we ensure there’s always something for everyone, catering to the dynamic preferences of our market.
While our monthly drops highlight trends and seasonal inspiration, our “Better Than Basics” and “Essential” lines remain constant throughout the season. These core offerings provide a foundation for building versatile outfits, serving as wardrobe staples to complement the fashion groups within our collections.
4. What has been the reaction to the Spin-It pickleball collection, and why is it a natural fit for golf shops?
Adams: The reaction to Spin-It has been overwhelmingly positive. Four years ago, the sport was heavily influenced by tennis participants crossing over. Today, however, tennis players make up a very small subset of active pickleball participants. This shift is significant because the rapid growth of pickleball has attracted people who have never played tennis before, let alone purchased tennis apparel.
This new wave of players has fostered a “wear what you will” fashion vibe, with people playing in heavy cotton tees, golf polos and running shorts. What started as a fun, casual approach has now evolved into a demand for performance clothing options tailored specifically for pickleball. Players want apparel that doesn’t resemble traditional tennis gear but offers the same high performance. They seek pickleball exclusivity in their clothing choices.
Spin-It enters the market at a competitive price point, offering high-quality fabrics in colors and styles that cater to both bold and conservative tastes. Golf and tennis shops will appreciate the athleisure aesthetic, and many customers will be drawn to pieces that transition seamlessly from the court to everyday life.
5. What is the most exciting thing on the horizon for Tail?
Adams: While we’re committed to partnering closely with PGA of America Professionals and merchandisers to elevate our brand, we’re absolutely thrilled to be commemorating our 50th anniversary with a dedication to pioneering innovation within our product lines. With an array of exciting developments in the pipeline, we’re eagerly preparing to unveil groundbreaking additions to our offerings over the coming years.
Among our most recent endeavors is the introduction of our Pickleball line, Spin-It, which was scheduled to be shown at last month’s PGA Buying Summit. This launch signifies a significant milestone for us, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to diversifying and advancing our product range to align with the evolving needs of our customers.
As we embark on our journey into the next 50 years, we have a multitude of exciting projects in development, and we’re positioned to propel the Tail Activewear brand to unprecedented heights. We eagerly anticipate sharing these innovative advancements with our devoted customers and attracting new enthusiasts for the years to come.