Clothing with charisma.

By Kim McHugh, Associate Editor

House of Carrington

I grew up reading classics like Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Mark Twain’s Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and The Hound of the Baskervilles, written by Conan Doyle. Each author brought their words to life by through intriguing characters and inventive plots.

In the spirit of those engaging novels, brothers Andy and Tim Bell launched their House of Carrington golf apparel line, relying on—not coincidently—the lives of two brothers from British society and an American debutante to enrich their story. The result is clothing that is as handsome and elegant as its characters.

The Wine Importer, the Black Sheep and the Muse.

Not wishing to spoil the surprise, I invite you to visit the HOC web site for the 411 on Andrew, Liam and Isabelle. But the genesis of their tales was spawned from life experiences of Andy’s wife’s great grandmother.

“She was living in Paris in the 1920s and 30s,” said Bell. “When she passed away we came across her journal. As we read along, what struck me the most were the moments. When she and her friends were going out for dinner, it was a moment. If they were going to church or a sporting event, those were moments and they got dressed up to do so.”

Feeling there is a lost elegance in today’s fashion world, the Bells were looking to re-introduce clothes that would capture a bit of the magic exuded by people from the ‘20s and ‘30s. (Think James Cagney, Greta Garbo, Jay Gatsby, Errol Flynn).

Influences from Polo, Ralph Lauren and dad.

Andy and Tim started their high-end apparel company in 2005, fueled in part by Andy’s years at Polo/Ralph Lauren.

“When it comes to apparel it is hard to argue against its position as the strongest brand name in the world today,” Andy explained. “Working there was a great education from the standpoint of branding, product development and attention to detail.”

Andy also garnered an appreciation for style from his dad. When the boys were growing up, their dad was selling suits in a men’s clothing store in a small Wisconsin town.

“A lot of our inspiration has to do with our father,” Andy commented. “Every Sunday he would go to church wearing a sport coat and tie. Going out on holidays for dinner everybody was dressed up, so he instilled that notion of dressing up in us.”

Luxurious Italian fabrics.

Whether it is a golf shirt, sport coat or pair of slacks, count on House of Carrington apparel to employ the finest fabrics. The company relies on fabrics from Italy to create not only a supple feel, but also a long lasting article of clothing.

“You can find fabric in a lot of places in the world but it will never duplicate the softness, elegance and luxury you from an Italian-made fabric,” said Bell. “Italian fabrics are not going to shrink, lose their color or lose their shape.”

For clothing with character, go to HOC's site or go to select golf shops in Colorado: Beaver Creek, The Broadmoor, Castle Pines Golf Club, Cherry Hills CC, Roaring Fork Club, Sonnenalp Golf Club or Ravenna. Wyoming’s Teton Pines CC carries the line as does Stock Farm Club and Meadow Lake in Montana. Or register to win two shirts at Rocky Mountain Golf.