Some outfits do more than change how you look. They change how you feel.
They give people the confidence to walk into a room, try something new, or step outside their comfort zone.
For Christina Thompson, that room just happens to be a golf course.
As founder of Golf4Her, Thompson has spent the past 16 years helping women discover that the right outfit isn't simply about looking good. It can be the first step toward feeling like they belong in a sport that has long been viewed as a boys' club.
"I always wanted to create something where women felt comfortable, and it was a space of their own," she said.
Long before women's golf exploded in popularity, Thompson noticed something missing. While working as an executive, she spent her spare time golfing and found women outside private clubs had few places to shop for fashionable golf apparel. Most relied on sporting goods stores with limited selections that rarely reflected their personal style.
Rather than become a designer herself, Thompson envisioned something different: one online destination where women could shop apparel from dozens of brands, all curated specifically for them.
"When I came up with this idea, there was no one else doing this."
She launched Golf4Her from the spare bedroom of her home in 2010, building relationships with brands like Adidas, Puma, and Callaway while introducing them to an audience they weren't fully reaching.
But selling clothes was never the ultimate goal.
"It was always about how do we inspire and encourage women to play golf," she said. "If it's through fashion, then so be it."
That philosophy continues to guide the business today.
Golf4Her now carries apparel from more than 170 brands in sizes ranging from extra-extra-small through size 20, curating styles for every body type and personality. Whether someone prefers classic country club looks or bold prints, Thompson believes every golfer deserves clothing that helps her feel confident before picking up a club.
"Fashion should never be one-size-fits-all," she added.
That approach is especially important as more women discover the game.
Some customers learn golf for networking. Others begin playing with a spouse or friends, join leagues after moving to a new town, or pick up the sport later in life after retirement, divorce, or widowhood.
"Every single order that we get tells a different story," she explained.
For many of those women, confidence begins long before the first swing.
"There is nothing worse than wearing something that you don't feel comfortable in," she said. "When you're playing golf, it's such a mental game that you do not need to be worried about how you look."
That mission eventually grew beyond apparel.
Over the years, Thompson has sponsored 15 LPGA professionals while also supporting amateur golfers through sponsorships, beginner clinics, and women's golf leagues designed to make the sport more welcoming. Whether helping elite athletes compete on golf's biggest stage or introducing first-time players to the game, the goal has remained the same: giving more women the confidence to tee it up.
That commitment later expanded into two additional branches of the business. Alongside its flagship online boutique, Golf4Her also operates the Golf4Her Mulligan Boutique, where donated new and pre-loved apparel is sold to make premium golf fashion more affordable while keeping clothing out of landfills. Every purchase helps fund the Golf4Her Foundation, a nonprofit supporting women, children, and girls through financial assistance, golf scholarships, and charitable partnerships.
The foundation's mission is deeply personal for Thompson. Just 18 months after launching Golf4Her, she was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Even while undergoing chemotherapy, she continued running the business from her hospital bed, an experience that ultimately strengthened her commitment to giving back and supporting other women.
Although Golf4Her serves customers around the world, Thompson intentionally chose to build the business in downtown Denville, where she supports local businesses, volunteers at community events, and has served on the Downtown Denville Business Improvement District board.
"I wanted to always be a part of a bigger community," she said.
For Thompson, style has never been about following a dress code.
It's about giving women the confidence to step onto the course, knowing they belong there.
"Golf is hard," she said. "Shopping for golf should be easy."
"Golf is hard. Shopping for golf should be easy."