Fashion for Sport

Since opening Oliver in 2002, KELLY AMATO has had a front row seat to the ever-changing fashion and retail landscape. She’s transitioned from exclusively storefront to incorporating e-commerce, expanded apparel categories, and continuously enhanced the in-store shopping experience. Yet she couldn’t help but notice a gap in the market: elevated athleisure. Her answer? Opening Oliver’s “cousin,” Rec Club.

“We noticed more people embracing golf, tennis, pickleball, and an active lifestyle, but there weren’t many places offering elevated apparel that felt both performance-driven and fashion-forward, especially locally,” she says. “We wanted to create a space where customers could find clothing that worked on the course or court but looked just as good grabbing lunch afterward.”

Although the idea came to her on a whim, the process took around nine months until Rec Club’s grand opening in May.

Both boutiques are in Lumina Station, 1900 Eastwood Road, with Rec Club in the space that formerly housed Ziabird.

Amato sourced brands – some familiar and some new to her – designed the storefront and worked to shape Rec Club’s identity. She refers to it as Oliver’s cousin because although it grew from the same roots, Rec Club brings about a distinct personality and vision.

Its tagline is the intersection of fashion and sport. Golf, tennis, and pickleball are at the heart of Rec Club’s offerings, but an overarching theme of embracing an active lifestyle appeals to her broad customer base. She describes the storefront as elevated, modern, and welcoming, with a careful selection of brands.

“A lot of our research came from simply paying attention to our existing customers, to industry trends and to the changing retail landscape,” she says. “We studied closely where sportswear was headed.”

Shoppers will find well-known names such as Wilson Sporting Goods, Adidas, and Ralph Lauren paired with boutique labels including Malbon, Greyson, and G/FORE. Amato was not looking for logos but rather standout brands with a clear point of view.

Rec Club carries a vast array of items for sport. Beyond men’s and women’s athleisure are accessories for play, including balls, tees, paddles, gloves, and water bottles. There’s also gift items for sports enthusiasts, including games, children’s toys, and even D.S. & Durga fragrances Crush Balls and Golfjazz cologne.

“To us, fashion and sport no longer exist in separate worlds. People want clothing that performs well but also reflects their personal style. Rec Club is designed around that idea,” Amato says. “The response has been incredibly positive. There’s definitely some overlap between the two customer bases, but Rec Club has also introduced us to an entirely new audience. We see everyone from avid golfers and tennis players to people who simply love elevated casual style.”

When Amato first opened Oliver, fashion retail was primarily an in-person experience; she didn’t introduce an e-commerce component until 2013. Today, Oliver ships not only nationwide, but internationally, carrying brands like Mother, Citizens of Humanity, Veronica Beard, Staud, and Frame.

In her personal style, she focuses on quality over quantity, with a wardrobe of timeless, versatile, well-made pieces. This approach has developed a philosophy she applies to Rec Club and Oliver. Selecting the items she carries in both stores – and her own closet – comes down to a variety of factors.

“Fabric is usually the first indicator. This is truly a make it or break it for me. This is another huge reason we take pride in going to New York for market, being able to touch and feel the garments before we bring them in store. A major one is fit. I never want to feel too trendy and lean too heavily into pieces that feel temporary,” she says. “Ultimately, we buy pieces we’d genuinely want to wear ourselves. If something doesn’t feel exceptional in quality, fit, and function, it doesn’t make it into either store.”

For first-time customers, she recommends exploring Oliver’s selection of wardrobe staples like elevated denim, a classic white tee, and dresses that transition from day-to-night. Rec Club’s introductions include performance polos, lightweight layers, and athletic dresses.

Opening her second business has served as a reminder that while every brand carries its own identity, success comes from building genuine relationships and community. Rec Club has introduced her to a different side of fashion. Events, tournaments, and pop-ups are some of the creative ways she’s leveraged the brand, including participating in community tournaments for a cause, such as Surfers Healing.

“Community around sports is not new news. We definitely took that into account and made it one of our biggest priorities with Rec Club,” Amato says. “Sports naturally bring people together, and we’ve found that retail can do the same when it’s centered around experiences rather than transactions. That’s something we’ll continue building on.”

To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.

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