50 Words or Less
The johnnie-O 2025 apparel collection builds on the brand’s 20 year heritage with fresh looks and performance fabrics geared toward golfers. Athletic fit and great details.
Introduction
2025 is a celebratory year for johnnie-O – its 20th anniversary. In 2005 John O’Donnell began selling four button polos out of the trunk of his car in Southern California. Today, the surfer standing with his trusty big board logo is widely known across the country, with growing recognition around the globe. Having grown up in Chicago with his brother Chris (of NCIS fame), John sought to blend east coast prep style with west coast casual. Aptly called West Coast Prep, the johnnie-O 2025 collection reflects its heritage, while also addressing the needs of the modern golfer.
Style
I hit upon style in the intro, but one thing I appreciate about johnnie-O is their variety – especially in polos. The three polos featured in this review are wonderful examples of the wide range of style options j-O offers for golfers. On the fun side is the cactus print Mojave. The Junes polo brings a more modern, sophisticated look with its floral print and touch of texture. The Bronte is an elevated striped beauty that can have you looking sharp on the golf course or at the local bistro. All three performance polos feature sewn in collar stays to keep those self-collar points crisp. And for those that prefer solids or simple stripes, johnnie-O has ample offerings available.
Johnnie-O golf shorts and pants won’t catch your eye like the polos, but that’s a good thing. For me bottoms are the supporting cast on the style stage, but they still need to look good. Johnnie-O accomplishes this with clean lines, complementary colors, and well executed pockets. What can really tie a fresh look together is a handsome woven belt – and this Cotton Stretch Belt in the Bluegrass colorway is spectacular.
I’ll close out this section with a nod to the Patton Performance Camo ¼ Zip Pullover that’s on trend and worthy of tons of style points. I went with the white camo print, but the black and navy colorways are equally impressive.
Fit
Just as I had hoped, these 2025 johnnie-O pieces continued the athletic fit of previous collections. I went with my typical medium in the polos, and the fit was ideal – room to move without excess fabric. The shoulder seams landed right at my actual arm and shoulder intersections, while the sleeves covered my biceps. I could sense the fabric across my lats when I rotated but nothing close to feeling tight.
I really liked the fit of the Camo ¼ Zip – especially in the sleeves. In their normal position, the sleeves were loose around my wrists offering unencumbered movement. But when I pushed them up, they stayed in place on my forearms. That’s a pullover worthy of being listed in the Golf & Performance section on the johnnie-O website.
I’m typically a 33” waist and was pleased to find both the Mulligan shorts and Momentum pants came in a few odd sizes – including mine. Both bottoms fit nicely in the waist, and I was glad to find some stretch in the waistband for future large meals. The Mulligan shorts are offered in 9” and 10” lengths, and the 9” length fell just above my knee (I’m 5’-10”). The Momentum pants are offered with 30”, 32”, and 34” lengths and I’d recommend going down if you are in between. I fall in that odd 31” inseam and typically go up, and found the 32” too long to wear without looking sloppy.
Performance
All the pieces I tested were constructed of performance blends with polyester being the primary material. All the pieces exhibited wonderful stretch – perfect for the rigors of golf gyrations. The Momentum pants’ 79% poly/21% elastane blend was extremely stretchy, yet retained its form nicely.
Another standout fabric was the Featherweight featured in the Mojave polo. I like the j-O descriptor: “Our Featherweight collection is made in our lightest weight jersey fabric that is 60 GSM lighter than standard jersey (trust us, that’s a lot).” The fabric was noticeably thinner than the other polos and I was glad for the print in disguising my bumps, hairs, etc. that are often noticeable through thinner fabrics. That said, the lightweight fabric is going to be super comfortable in the swelter of the upcoming summer months.
My biggest golf clap goes to the rear pockets on the Mulligan shorts and Momentum pants that feature magnetic closures. No buttons! The magnets are strong enough to keep your wallet or phone from popping out, yet make sliding your golf glove or yardage book in and out an unhindered breeze. And while on the topic of pockets, the front ones are nice and deep.
Conclusion
There are two strong reasons I’m frequently grabbing a johnnie-O polo to wear golfing: eye appeal and wonderful fit. It’s also a testament to the timeless styling John and his team present year after year. These 2025 performance polos are sure to get a ton of play. Same goes for the johnnie-O shorts and pants with their new magnetic closures on the rear pockets. And one final shout out to the woven belt which my wife has declared the product of the year. I’ll close with this great response when John was asked several years ago who was the better golfer, he or his brother Chris? “Ah, it depends on who has a better lip wedge that day!” Cheers to another 20 years.
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