We caught up with German golfer Martin Kaymer to hear why he enjoys wearing HUGO BOSS on and off the course, and how Ryan Gosling influences his style..
For German pro golfer Martin Kaymer, becoming a brand ambassador for HUGO BOSS was a no-brainer. Kaymer and the luxury clothing brand share a home country and a love for quality, good fit, and comfort without sacrificing style. In fact, the 2010 PGA champion and 2014 US Open winner enjoys the brand so much that he wears it on and off the course, and even gave design feedback for its spring/summer collection.
Below, Kaymer tells us how HUGO BOSS helps perfect his golf game, what he hopes for this year’s Masters, and why he admires Ryan Gosling’s style.
How did you get involved with HUGO BOSS?
MARTIN KAYMER: I mean I bought HUGO BOSS clothes—they’re huge in Germany and big worldwide and I always liked to wear them—but I didn’t really know how much they were involved in golf. There was a guy from BOSS Green, and he approached my dad and me when we played a tournament in Munich and then we got talking. And yeah, I thought it was the perfect fit for me. They wanted to become better and bigger in golf and I thought, “You know, I think we can create something together here for the future.”
What about the brand really speaks to you?
MK: It’s the quality and the range of clothes. They have BOSS Orange and BOSS Green which are leisure and active focused. For business and more formal occasions, BOSS and BOSS Tailored offer everything from suits to great Made in Italy shoes and accessories. For me the most important thing is how good the quality is on the golf course—it is quite important to be comfortable in the clothes because we wear them 10, 12 hours every day. That was a big thing in the end, that we created very, very good materials, especially with my own brand, the Martin Kaymer Collection for BOSS Green. It was amazing for me to even be able to work with such a world-class brand, get more into fashion and get more knowledge about how your fabric and style choices effect what you wear. I really enjoyed it.
And what about the brand really speaks to you as a professional golfer?
MK: If it’s warm weather, if it’s cold weather—they have a lot of cashmere, normal cotton, and thick cotton and it’s very functional. We changed it a little bit the last couple years in the golf range—BOSS Green—in the shirts and the sweaters, there’s a little more stretch in there. For a golf swing, it’s very important that they’re not too stiff and now the clothes that we created together over the last 24 months, there’s quite a lot of stretch in there, which I really, really prefer on the golf course.
What is your favourite piece in your HUGO BOSS Collection and why?
MK: My favourite piece right now… it’s a pink/orange shirt. We made it for Mother’s Day. I really like the spring/summer collection because it’s very fresh. This year, I found a shirt from a different brand that I really, really liked. It had a button on the collar and I talked to the designers at BOSS [to see] if I could have some input in the next spring/summer collection—if maybe we could have that colour or that button in one of those shirts. They decided to do it and it became my favourite piece.
How does your German heritage affect your style choices?
MK: I think, again, it’s the quality of stuff. It just fits well and it’s very difficult to find clothes, especially trousers, that fit really well. Also, what I talked about with the shirts and the sweaters, we put the stretch in those, there’s also some stretch in those pants. Especially for golf, when you go down and redo your lines on the putting green, it’s annoying when you have your trousers on and they stick to your skin because of the sweat. That never really happens with a BOSS Green trouser.
Who is your style icon?
MK: For style, it’s Ryan Gosling. I think he always dresses well. What’s that movie? Crazy, Stupid, Love. He looked so good in that. Always well-dressed and it’s just class, but it’s not too tight. So that would be my boy off the golf course.
On the golf course, José María Olazábal and Seve Ballesteros. Those two, they have such a charm around them. Then I think Seve, he used to wear BOSS for many, many years as well. It was more like a classic look: polo shirts, nothing too stylish, but it was classy and solid, and I really liked that.
Any expectations for the Masters?
MK: For me it’s always been one of the tougher majors in my career. The first few years I struggled to make the cut but the last few years, I’ve played a lot better and I’ve gotten to know the golf course a lot better and I know how to play it now. It’s just a matter of putting in the work that I’ve put in the last few weeks to place, but it’s always the biggest challenges we have each year. That is what most of the players, I think, really enjoy about it. It doesn’t get tougher and if you do well there then you can play well anywhere really and that is my goal—to really enjoy the challenge because it’s going to be tough.
Would you make any design updates to the Masters’ signature green jacket and if so, what would they be?
MK: Well, I would definitely kind of take it in and make it tight around your waist so it fits well. Sometimes, when you win a jacket at tournaments—I won one when I won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, it was a pink jacket, and it was probably three or four sizes too big. So for the Masters, if it would happen that I would win that tournament, I would definitely bring it in so it could fit well and I could wear it for many, many years
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
MK: It wasn’t a single piece of advice but rather a good pep talk from Bernhard Langer – I was struggling to play my best golf in the Ryder Cup as the conditions are so different to how we usually play and I was frustrated not to be able to contribute my best golf to the team. He talked to me about his own experiences and it certainly has helped me deliver for the European Team in the Ryder Cup.
How much social golf do you play? Do you enjoy it?
MK: I very much enjoy playing with my brother, father and friends. I rarely get the chance to do so. Therefore those rounds are very special.
Do you work on parts of your game when you play social golf? And do you give strokes to your pals?
MK:[Laughs] Of course I give strokes! That's the beauty of golf. No matter what level we are all on, we can play together. If I am working on something, I also work on it when playing socially.
What's left for Martin Kaymer to achieve?
MK: A lot. My focus lies on the majors.
Just a guess: You'll be doing a lot of planning between now and August.
MK: A lot, definitely. A lot of planning.
Martin Kaymer's style CV:
Favourite club – I love all my Taylor Made Clubs, it depends on the day and how I am feeling but maybe my favourite right now is my SLDR Driver
Favourite golf course – it is tough to pick one but anywhere I have won rates highly with me! If I have to pick one I will say the Old Course.
Favourite tailor – Hugo Boss
Favourite shoe brand – Adidas
Favourite watch – Rolex
Favourite car – Mercedes Benz
Favourite holiday destination – Abu Dhabi
Favourite restaurant – Sushi!
TEXT: CAITH ROHAN // PHOTOGRAPHY: BOSS
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