Meet Me at The Club

That nifty sports car running from the city on a sultry spring Saturday morn with the two-suiter in the trunk and the carefree smile on the driver's face is probably purring toward a private club. Whether it be a green-gowned country club, a harborside yacht club, or a surfside beach club, the club scene is bulking bigger than ever with the urban executive seeking a weekend of gentlemanly sport, relaxation and boon companionship away from the city's crowd and crush.

And contemplating a casual, comfortable time, he'll be taking casual, comfortable togs. Colors will be brighter, patterns a bit more striking, and styles more imaginative and personalized than those of his daily duds. There'll be mild trends and taboos at every club but, on the whole, you'll find a much wider and freer expression of fashion taste in and around the clubhouse than anywhere city-side.

For the participating sportsman, new clothing ideas will be accepted only if they really pan out on the playing fields. The country-club golfer, for example, will shun all save waist-length sweaters and windbreakers. He won't want to burden his backswing with the extra weight of a longer-hanging garment, and he'll want nothing to impede his wrist or body movements. He may select classical slacks – or Bermuda shorts and high hose. Or he may try golf knickers. Long worn by top linksters, knickers (also dubbed plus fours) will be fairway favorites with many Sunday (concluded on page 101)At the Club(continued from page 38) drivers this year. The knicker cut is completely comfortable and practical for golf. No flapping trouser legs will upset the strength or accuracy of a drive or the delicacy of an on-the-green putt. Shirt choices will vary from the professional solid color two- or three-button placket shirt to narrow striped or over-all print fabrics, with the pullover always in style. Many of the new shirts have longer-than-usual tails to prevent their pull-out during play.

For the country clubber who prefers the nineteenth hole to the first dozen and a half, the jacket-and-slacks scene is the one to make. Jacket cut remains natural shoulder with narrow lapels and a loose line at the waist. Madras is big with the emphasis on subdued or burnished shades. Fabrics ride the range from linen to silk, mohair to seersucker, and include synthetics – lightness, coolness and wrinkle resistance being most important. The blazer is also in – worn with lightweight ties or soft silk ascots. Slacks are still narrow and without cuffs or pleats. The softer and more muted tones are preferred in the patterned pants, the brighter shades in solid slacks. White is increasingly popular.

And for the country clubber who finds tennis his cup of tea, that game's togs retain their classic nature. Some color changes are in evidence, though – the old warhorse cable-stitch red, white and blue sweater now bows in brass, green and white. In shorts, white is still right (and de rigueur in tournament play), but there are fine blue and brown striped seersucker shorts demanding attention.

Great hats are available. Fabrics and straws are lightweight, colorful and crushable – can be cached in the pocket when not in use. The straws sport bold tropical colored bands which will either coordinate with the rest of your outfit or add a bright color accent.

At the beach club, the clothing variety is the widest ever. Whether downing cocktails on the terrace, munching lunch poolside, or partaking in a poker game on the patio, the direction is always toward complete informality and loose, casual comfort. Deck pants or shorts are popular. Shirts may be boat-neck, V-neck, turtle or crew. Most everything goes – polo shirts or pullovers, wide stripes or pin stripes, neat figures and bold abstracts, conversation prints, flashing diagonals. In cool clothing, the hot color combinations are green and white, green and gold, brown and white.

There's little new coming out in commodore-style yachting attire. And for good reason: you can't improve on a classic. The basic get-up remains a yachting blazer, flannel trousers (either gray or white) and an officer's Navy-style yachting cap. For the seagoing spectator the same outfit will suffice – substituting a white cap. For members of the amateur crew there are exciting things around. Lightweight cotton sweatshirts with hoods come in socko colors – a bright yellow, an eye-blinking blue, and a fire red as well as the usual white. An adaptation of the old Gloucester fisherman's slicker in yellow oilskin lined with white terry cloth inside the jacket and hood is snappily designed and functional as can be. Boat-neck shirts in a broad variety of color patterns and fabrics are ideal seagoing suitings. A loose-weave fish-net shirt, patterned after a Norwegian fisherman's model, is a cool topper that offers protection from the wind but still allows you to sop up the sun. Deck pants are designed and cut to give the active boatsman easy maneuverability on board ship.