Everyday he's rustling

That's what corduroy will do for you, as George Costanza well knows.

But how about corduroy on the golf course? Is there a place for it? To be honest, Chapeau Noir isn't seeing it -- not outside of the northern reaches of Scotland under the harshest of conditions, under which only the most hearty of golfer dare tread.

Some say Marco Dawson's cords can be heard from two fairways over. (Miralle / Getty)

Chapeau Noir has been trying to think of something nice to say about Marco Dawson's corduroy trousers, but honestly, it's difficult.

But this isn't all Dawson's fault, for the next pair of well fit corduroys Chapeau Noir sees will be the first. So, it follows that in no way should this post be a interpreted as a condemnation of the man's character, for it is perhaps only due to a lack of aural awareness does he make the corduroy trouser choice -- even if they do feature an acceptably moderate number of ridges per inch.

Aside from not being able to sneak up on anyone while wearing them, what Dawson may not know about corduroy is its close relationship with that of its smoother cousin, velvet.

Perhaps if one were to make Marco aware of this relationship, that he is one step away from the material used in the manufacture of flowing robes, he might well make a move to modern fabric, such as, umm, gabardine?

Unless of course he's the 12th son of the Llama.

One thing we can conclude from Dawson's penchant for corduroy is CNG still has much work to do, and if a corduroy intervention is required, we will not hesitate to step in when needed.

You're welcome.

Bo Van Pelt to wear Alial Fital in 2012

Every once in a while a brand comes along that immediately grabs your attention, whether it be by its unique style appeal or origin, or in the case of Alial Fital (Ah-lee-all Fit-all), both.

Characterized by its distinctive collar and placket treatments, Alial Fital will be represented by Bo Van Pelt on the PGA Tour in 2012, as previewed by @alialfital earlier this week on Twitter.

Bo Van Pelt in Alial Fital for 2012. (Photo via Alial Fital twitter feed)

With a simple philosophy to manufacture better-fitting, distinctive mens wear of the highest quality, every Alial Fital shirt is hand made in downtown Los Angeles by local tailors using soft bamboos and cottons, imported Italian buttons under the watchful eye of founder and former NFL quarterback Gibran Hamdan.

Bo Van Pelt in Alial Fital for 2012. (Photo via Alial Fital twitter feed)

With brands like Alial Fital joining the likes of Iliac Golf, and the new Arnie range on tour, there will be plenty of unique offerings to keep the mainstay brands on their toes while providing plenty of inspiration to style conscious golfers in 2012.

Nike introduces the Lunar Ascend

With the introduction of the Lunar Ascend, a lighter weight cousin to the Lunar Control, Nike is making sure there is something for everyone -- in all seasons -- in their golf shoe line up for 2012.

Nike bills the Lunar Ascend as a 'summer' shoe due to its lighter weight and enhanced breathability, characteristics achieved through the use of what Nike calls Hyperfuse technology, while maintaining shoe stability and comfort with Lunar cushioning.

Hyperfuse construction techniques originated in Nike's basketball division... for all the indepth gear head tech talk, check the press release. For what it's worth, the Nike Lunar Ascend certainly looks like a comfortable shoe, but aren't we all waiting for the Nike Golf Free?

The Lunar Ascend is available now, $130.

Ryann O'Toole to wear Kikkor

Endorsement announcements tend to come in waves at this time of year, and with the PGA Show just a week away comes news of rising LPGA Tour star Ryann O'Toole signing with Kikkor Golf.

O'Toole, perhaps best known for her stint on the Big Break in 2010, and her tie for ninth at the 2011 US Women's Open will wear the Tour Sporte. The signing marks an important milestone in the story of Kikkor, a company whose history is well documented here on CNG.

Is Ryan Moore as the new Arnie ambassador?

As posted on the social interwebs earlier today, here's a photo of Ryan Moore on the range at the Humana Challenge (formerly known as the Bob Hope) wearing Arnie.

It is assumed here that Sam Saunders will be wearing the apparel that bears his grandfather's name and the famous umbrella mark, but if and or when Ryan Moore is officially confirmed as the new brand ambassador for Arnie, this is a brand / player pairing made in heaven.

Ryan Moore warms up on the range at the Humana Championship -- wearing a pair of black LE Stealths from True Linkswear, and a distinctively adorned cardigan from the highly anticipated Arnie line for 2012.

Update on January 17, 2012 by Chapeau Noir

It's official...

As a quick visit to arniewear.com has confirmed...

Nike Golf introduces slimmer fitting Sport collection for 2012

Here's a 'nice to see' from Nike Golf -- slimmer fits! In a release issued today, Nike Golf has stepped up to address the trend towards slimmer fitting golf clothes "delivering youthful styling to golfers who want an exuberant, expressive look."

"Our Men's and Women's Sport Collections provide an exciting new apparel line with a different point of view towards the sport of golf," said Doug Reed, Global Category Business Director, Nike Golf Apparel and Footwear. "This collection gives consumers an alternate way to enhance their 'expression of golf attitude and style' both on and off the golf course. The Nike Golf Sport Collection gives the athlete a new look and feel for golf apparel that moves beyond the traditional boundaries of golf."

For the brands that have set this trend, this move by Nike may be viewed in one of two ways -- opportunistic bandwagon jumping, or as highly complementary awknowledgement of where golf style should be heading, and what consumers truly desire.

Either way, this addition from Nike is most welcome. Chapeau Noir wonders if the powers that be at Nike Golf have any hope of convincing their (still) leading brand ambassador (Tiger Woods) to 'sport' this line, they'd really have something.

The new Nike Golf Sport collection features new designs for polos, cover-ups, pants, shorts and headwear. Price points for the Jersey Swoosh polo are $75.00 (MSRP) and the Sport Heather Pant at $110 (MSRP). No availability dates were provided in the release.

Chapeau Noir goes Hawaiian

Here's something you haven't seen in a while -- ye olde fashioned Chapeau Noir golf style redux -- featuring selections from the first two weeks of the 2012 golf season. The good, the bad, the ugly. Cold filtered from the depths of a Canadian winter for your drinking enjoyment.

Graeme Delaet, in Sligo for 2012, shot 63 in the opening round of the Sony Open. Don't mistake this photo for the ads you see on this site -- it's merely happy coincidence. True story. (Greenwood / Getty)

The Good

Dunning Sportswear, which by most accounts disappeared from the golf landscape when Zach Johnson moved to Iliac, is alive and very well, but is currently represented on tour only by the slim, athletic posture of one Kyle Stanley. Here's hoping last year's sale of Dunning to Greg Norman's Tharanco Lifestyles. Look for the Norman group to amp Dunning up to the status it deserves in the golf world. Stay tuned on this one, word on the street is a new Dunning ambassador is forthcoming. Let the speculation begin... David Hearn is looking rather generic these days in shirts from Pin High and fits the Dunning mold quite nicely. Hmm... who are you placing you bets on? See you in the comments...

I totally love watching Tad Fujikara. Dude may have no playing status, but he always seems to do something exciting -- and the comic relief of his 35 (and 1/8th) 'belly' putter provides added interest. For a stocky, diminutive guy, he looks pretty good in the ultra technical Under Armour gear...

This one is good, but it's also weird -- Justin Leonard as part of the TaylorMade / Adidas team after so many years with Nike. Too many of us forget how good JL is / was. The Texan has 12 tour wins, including the 1997 British Open...

No sooner did Sligo announce the signing of Graeme Delaet to an apparel deal did the player, returning to the tour on a major medical exemption, shoot a sparkling 63 in his first competitive round in nearly a year.

Until further notice, Ryo Ishikawa is the leader in the style clubhouse. As if there was any doubt.

Here's a photo of Steve in the new line from FootJoy, sitting with Kelly Tilghman. She seems nice. Right, Matt Every? (Greenwood / Getty)

Most probably didn't notice, but at the Hyundai Tunamelt of Champions, Steve Stricker debuted the new apparel collection from FootJoy. While Stricks (we're tight like that) didn't look much different than we're used to, the new line from FJ is pretty darn impressive close up. The more you see of it on Stricker the more you'll like it. That, and FJ is able to leverage the largest client base in golf to get the product on the shelves, so you'll see lots of it...

Keegan Bradley gives us our first look at the new golf line from Tommy Hilfiger. (Greenwood / Getty)

Keegan Bradley made his 2012 debut in Tommy Hilfiger at the Hyundai. The return of Hilfiger to the golf scene has evoked diverse reactions in the twitterverse, but it has never been a bad thing to have more competition between brands? It just makes everyone better -- or at least it should. As for Bradley in Tommy, it's an improvement over his days with Oakley if only because Bradley is so rail thin that the slimmer fits of Hilfiger is more suitable to his frame.

The Bad

For the better part of the last month, Chapeau Noir has been checking on the status of the much admired golf fashion blog khakicrusader.com -- only to have the url continually bounce back. KC founder Sean Hotchkiss took his talents to GQ in 2011 Hotchkiss now writes for The GQ Eye, and kept the KC up and running until early December. Here's hoping the domain is merely on hiatus, but if anyone understands why it's so diffcult to put effort into something that doesn't pay you for your efforts, it's Chapeau Noir. But such is the life of a niche blogger. At the end of the day, everyone needs to get paid -- and no one can expect the free PR gravy train to last forever. Can they?

Chapeau Noir has been lagging behind on many news items in the last two weeks, and The List still needs to be updated...

News came down this week that Ian Poulter is moving from FootJoy to Puma for his footwear. This came as a bit of a surprise to some, but considering his decision to stay with Cobra when that brand was sold to Puma by Fortune Brands last year, the writing was on the wall. What's more surprising, is that Poults will abandon his own IJP Design brand when it comes to keeping his pants up, in favor of Puma belts. Chapeau Noir has dibs on helping Ian clean out his garage full of FJs. Poulter supplements his IJP presence on tour again this season through ambassadors Bud Cauley in the US and Gary Boyd in Europe...

IZOD is repped on tour by the slower than death Kevin Na -- which is a good thing for any Na sponsor when he's in contention, ensuring they get more than their money's worth. When Na is getting camera time, IZOD leaves no doubt about who provides his shirts, as they've gone to a big logo on both the sleeve and yolk... Can anyone tell us what the period table-esque word mark is on Na's right sleeve? It's NA 11. Does that mean it takes him 11 minutes to hit a shot?

Jonathan Byrd wore a puka shell necklace early in the week at the Hyundai, but by the time the final round rolled around, it was gone. Thankfully...

The big golf show is coming up in a couple of weeks in Orlando. Chapeau Noir will not be there. That's bad...

The Ugly

I know Rory Sabbatini has an very good reason for wearing those cowboy-style hats (melanoma), but surely there's a better solution available. Greg Norman rocked the straw hat like nobody's business, and Shingo Katayama is peerless when it comes to alt-hat stylings. Unfortunately, Sabbo has saddled himself with a rather unfortunate trademark when it comes to this look, and there's no turning back now Hopalong...

Everytime I think that Swedes can make anything look good, I remind myself of Carl Pettersson -- and it's not because of the Nike gear. No one can ever make Transistions look good, muchless cool. How much trouble is it to get prescription sunglasses, really?

Keegan Bradley's Tommy Hilfiger photo shoot

The latest edition of Inside the PGA Tour documents Keegan Bradley's day first day in the new Tommy Hilfiger golf line for 2012, shot at Trump National Los Angeles.

Things you'll learn:

1. Bradley's Sunday red / white color combo is born from his alma mater, St. John's University.
2. The new Hilfiger golf range looks to favor slim fits -- lets hope the retail version matches that shown in the photo shoot.
3. The old school 80s visor looks goofier than ever.