Ina Kim-Schaad’s journey in the golf world has been interesting. With two USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur titles and 20 USGA championship appearances now, she once bid adieu to the sport and became a Wall Street trader. But this week, she is back on her home course at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open, and it isn’t just her story that is garnering attention; her looks are also doing the same.

The LPGA shared a snapshot of her outfit on X: “What would you rate this golf fit?” @USGA Women’s Mid-Am Champ Ina Kim Schaad rocking at Riv.”

Ina Kim stepped out looking chic in a tan argyle cardigan layered with a white zip-up and wide-leg pleated trousers. She accessorized the outfit with a black bucket hat and a Gucci belt, tying it all together. With a coffee in hand, the look drew immediate comparisons to old Hollywood, which fit Riviera’s history as much as any outfit could. The club has been home to some of Hollywood’s biggest names since the 1920s.

Kim Schaad picked up golf as a child in Los Angeles and became one of the country’s top junior players as she reached the final of the 2000 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Pumpkin Ridge. After that, she went on to captain the women’s golf team at Northwestern University, graduating in 2005. But after college, she put her clubs away entirely and started building her career with a management program that took her to Wall Street to pursue finance.

She then met her husband, Ian Schaad, who was also an avid golfer, and this is how she returned to the world of golf. Either way, fashion has been a constant in her dreams, as she once told the USGA.

“This might sound stupid, but I always wanted to wear a business suit, put on beautiful high heels, and walk into the meetings. I always had that vision in my head. That’s what I strived for.”

Ina Kim has spoken about not wanting a single domain of her life to take over her identity, and perhaps that is why she balances her game of golf and her outfits equally well. When she won her second mid-amateur title at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in October 2025, her outfits drew as much attention as her golf.

Scratch Golf noted at the time that her championship day look, featuring a polka-dotted scarf and Nike Air Jordans, showed someone who “enjoys wearing her clothes and creating moments where feminine and masculine coexist.”

Speaking in an interview with Andy Johnston from the Fried Egg Golf Podcast, she was asked how she put together her outfits:

“I definitely didn’t have a super-scripted championship outfit or anything like that. My aesthetic is a little bit more classic with maybe just a little bit of edge. I love a classic look. I like menswear, I like pleats, I like wide legs, the whole thing. And I just like to have a little bit of fun.”

Ian Kim has also highlighted a major hiccup in the fashion industry for women golfers.

“There’s an old saying in women’s fashion: ‘Shrink it and pink it.’ They take men’s stuff, make it smaller, make it pink, and they’re like, ‘Oh, this is going to sell.’ And that’s not what we want. I think women’s fashion is having a little bit more awareness because it’s such a bigger part of the game now. Women’s golf is growing so much, which is amazing. I hope brands take this into account and realize it doesn’t have to be just pink and shrink it. People want to show some personality and be feminine but also be different.”

Rightfully so, she has made a statement with her outfits and her performance on the course. The fans at Riviera this week clearly agreed. Take a look at what they have to say.

Fans React to Ina Kim-Schaad’s Outfit at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

The USGA themselves were first into the comments section, as they commented, “Strong to quite strong.”

Kim Schaad earned her spot for Riviera through the USGA after winning the 2025 Mid-Amateur in a match that ran 23 holes and became the longest championship final in the event’s history.

Another fan wrote in the comment section, “Maybe a tribute to the days when Rita Hayworth played at the Riviera.”

Hayworth signed her Riviera Country Club membership in 1964, and the club has since been tied to Hollywood glamour. She was often seen wearing white trousers, a classic and elegant outfit much like Ina Kim today.

Another comment said, “Imagine being able to pull that off. Jeez.”

This is not the first time Kim has stopped people mid-scroll.

At a 2025 Mid-AM win, she stepped onto the course in a striped vest layered over a white long-sleeve shirt with wide-leg pinstripe trousers. She accessorised it with round sunglasses and a polka dot scarf knotted at her neck.

On Tuesday at Riviera, she was dressed in a matching powder blue outfit of a button-up sweater, capri pants, striped socks, and Nike Air Jordan golf shoes.

“One of the best golf outfits I’ve seen in a while, men’s and women’s,” wrote one person.

When Kim lifted her Mid-Am trophy for the first time in 2019 at Forest Highlands, Arizona, she did it in a navy mesh long-sleeved top paired with a celestial-print skirt.

“Stunning, spectacular icon. I love this so much,” wrote another.

One fan commented, “This is amazing to see someone bring style, class, and sophistication back.”

Kim has turned 42, and she is competing as an amateur in a major field of 156 players that includes the world number one. But she has carried a great presence that extends well beyond her professional leaderboard. She has always been open and experimental with her outfits, and she has definitely been recognized for that.

She shot 7 over on Thursday, and how her remaining major days turn out remains to be seen.