The Hackers Paradise loves golf style and when we were approached by the folks at Bunker Mentality to review their current line of apparel, we jumped at the opportunity. A company that uses the slogan “Old Game. New Breed!” seems right up our alley.
From the Company
Bunker Mentality is a brand for golf addicts, people with a love of the great game and who have a different mentality. Our clothing is for a ‘Playa’ who has an individual personality and lifestyle and is looking for a new level of taste and substance in golf apparel. Someone who doesn’t want to drink from the mainstream. This Playa is a golf addict who lives a life dedicated to enjoyment, constantly searching for ‘blue skyz and 65’s’.
A new school has been established, where you are defined by your attitude not your age. This is Bunker Mentality. Our intention is to create a range of clothing that can be worn from ‘first tee to last orders’. Attention to detail is critical in achieving this mission as can be seen in our unique casual collection celebrating the great game of golf. The great game of golf is changing and at Bunker Mentality we have defined that change and started ‘creating new traditions’ and future classics in golf apparel. We love to take things from popular culture and ‘golfize’ them, which is why all you ‘mutha putta’s’ are reading this. We are pushing open the envelope whilst not compromising golf etiquette, but full on with our own style creating a new wave of golf culture.
Born in the UK way back in the day, and 100% independent, we are now forming a new modern platform for golf fashion and expression internationally. Rest assured, our unique DNA remains the same wherever you buy the brand. If it’s not in your local store yet, go in and spread the news… the world of golf has changed and a new standard has been established with a Bunker Mentality.
What We Tried Out
3 T-Shirts
1 pair of Shorts
3 Polo Shirts
2 Hats
3 Belts
We tried out a sampling of their clothing for look, fit, quality, durability, and overall style. We wore the Bunker Mentality line both on the course and off to try and get an overall feel of the apparel.
Shorts
THP received the Skitch Shorts in Snow and they are a heavier and longer pair of shorts than we are used to. They are 100% cotton and are all white with blue highlights throughout. They offer a button fly and have the Bunker Mentality logo/label in quite a few places. In the colder climates these shorts may be the perfect fit with the added length and weight. In FL, where the testing took place, these were quite hard on the golf course. I also was not a huge fan of the button fly for golf apparel. At the turn you may only have a few seconds to run in and use the facilities. The button fly delayed this and while I like button fly bottoms in everyday life, the golf course seemed like an odd fit for them. If the style matches what you enjoy wearing, the quality of the shorts was certainly good.
T-Shirts
The Bunker Mentality brand really shined in the T-Shirt area. While we do not condone wearing this apparel on the course, having golf inspired tees is never a bad thing. The quality is simply top notch and the style is perfect. The T-Shirts are 100% cotton and are as soft as any we have felt. Very similar feeling to the top of the line designer t-shirts that are popular. Similar to the polos (more in those later) the T-Shirts do not have tags, but rather a print in the back. Something we have always preferred.
Polos
We received 3 different polo shirts from Bunker Mentality. Each one had a different look, style, cut, and feel to them. The dark pink polo is from their “playa” line and that was our favorite out of the 3. It is 100% cotton and has a very nice light and soft feel to it. The “Playa” Polo features a bikini girl logo on the chest and a white stitching stripe across the back. As mentioned above all the polos do not have tags which we are really big fans of. However each one features “mini-tags” on the shoulder that are stitched on both the top and bottom so that you cannot remove them. This is something that we did not really care for. Overall the pink “Playa” polo was a winner in our book.
The teal colored Bunker Paradise Bunker Mentality polo is one that many people will like quite a bit. Inspired by the laid back look that is very popular, this shirt has the same 100% cotton material that made the “Playa” polo so soft. The shirt itself is lightly colored and patterned on the front and plain on the back. Extremely comfortable and well liked by many that love the laid back style.
The Kilo Polo Skull is a different kind of shirt. It has printing, stitching, and everything else a shirt could have attached to it. Also 100% cotton, we found this shirt to be extremely thick and was not one of the favorites tried by the staff. This could change in non-warm climates, but it seemed as though this polo was even thicker than most knits. The material was almost felt like to us and not one that we found very flattering.
One thing we want to touch on with the entire Bunker Mentality polo line is cut. The collar does not suffer from the issues that many have with getting mangled after one wash. They stayed true to form for quite some time. The sleeves are all cut perfectly…Not too long, and not too short. However the length of the polo shirts may be something that some take into consideration. I normally wear a Large in just about every golf shirt, however in a few UK brands I have been known to wear an XL. The kind folks at Bunker Mentality sent both sizes for us to try out and we still had one issue. LENGTH. These shirts are rather short compared to most and that could cause some issues for a few people that are particular. The XL were still just a little shorter than most of the L we have reviewed and the L were extremely short compared to others. We compared them to Nike, Antigua, Sligo, IPD, and quite a few others.
Belts
We received 3 belts to go with the apparel and if you are a fan of buckles like we are, look no further. Bunker Mentality has some crazy goods when it comes to buckles. The straps themselves seem like great quality as well. Soft, no cracking, and zero issues with stitching or holes. The buckles all seem to be of good quality. When ordering, keep in mind that each buckle is a different size and make sure you ask about the dimensions if you are unsure. One thing we always comment on in every review we do on belts is that we really like it when companies use the snap system so that you can interchange the buckles to match an outfit. Unfortunately Bunker Mentality belts are sewn together, and that of course means no interchangeable buckles. Most of our readers agree, the snap system works, we certainly hope this brand makes the switch at sometime.
Hats
Bunker Mentality sent over 2 hats for us to match up with the outfits. The baseball hat is black with white stitching and features a skull and cross bones with the use of golf clubs in the picture. It looks very similar to another brand we reviewed, however I must say that this version is much nicer and far better made. The second hat is the Bunker Army hat and these seem to be gaining in popularity lately. Once again, the hat is comfortable, well made, and has a great design to it.
Overall
The Bunker Mentality line of apparel is innovative, different, and cutting edge. If the style matches something you would wear or like to wear, we urge you to check them out. They are a UK company however they do offer international shipping as well as a currency calculator right on the shopping page. You can read much more about their products and see their entire line at www.bunker-mentality.com.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
