New 'Arnie' golf clothing line is retro cool, just like Arnold Palmer

Retro isn’t always cool.

But when somebody gets it right, there’s nothing better than “old school.”

The new “Arnie” clothing line, from Quagmire Golf of Canada and Arnold Palmer Enterprises, nails it. The fashions pay tribute to Arnold Palmer and his classic threads that helped usher golf into main-stream popularity nearly 50 years ago. These new styles look traditional, but with a more modern spin. The colors are a bit bolder and the patterns are unique and eye-catching. The line features distinct looks from separate collections from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and the “timeless” category.

“Arnie” educates youngsters like me on the “characteristics” of the styles back then. The label for my favorite piece from the collection, the Orange striped shirt of the 1950s, indicates that a “straight fit, small collars, shorter plackets and the color blue” were all prominent during that decade. The “wide collars” and the color red got hot in the 1960s, according to another label. Pictured above is the “Sam” from the 1960s.

The bigger logos, reminiscent of European fashion, are especially sweet. There’s no mistaking the look on the chest of the Sam shirt: It’s a silhouette of Palmer finishing his loopy follow-through from the glory days. I’ve always been a fan of the Palmer umbrella logo, too. They are sprinkled throughout the collection in various places on golf shirts, sweaters, T shirts, hats and even belts.

The shirts have all the enhancements and soft feel of modern fabrics. They’re moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial, odor-resistant, breathable and wrinkle-resistant. Just think if the King had these fabrics back in his day. Not the heavy, sloppy cottons that made heat even more unbearable. He might have won even more.

Ryan Moore, already a dapper dresser, is serving as company spokesman. He will be wearing Arnie at every PGA Tour stop he makes this season. Let’s hope he plays as good as he looks.

For more, visit www.arniewear.com.