February 25, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
Grammy Award-winning rapper and musician Macklemore has an urge to spruce up the golf course. The athlete who actively played basketball, baseball, soccer, and other sports, while growing up in Seattle, Wash., is now giving another sport a try now: GOLF. The Thrift Shop rapper, known to sport oversized fur coats and rap about his “grandpa style,” has his eyes focused on golf essentials, clothing in particular.
With his new-found passion for the game, the 37-year-old artist who plays three-to-four times a week is bringing his personal swag with him to the course—by way of an online shop for his new Bogey Boys golf apparel line.
Macklemore, born Benjamin Haggerty, who became ‘hopelessly hooked’ on golf after tagging along with friends on a golf trip, hopes to bring his sense of golf fashion to golf courses around the globe. However, he is reluctant to disclose the financial commitment that he has poured into the venture of which he admits to being the brand’s sole investor.
“There’s something about this sport that is very addictive, and I’m an addict,” Macklemore said in an interview. “Luckily I found the game [of golf], the game found me, and I became completely obsessed shortly after I first played.”
His golf apparel line is the result of not being able to find clothing that suited his tastes. The 15-handicap golfer who plays Pro-Am tournaments says most of the clothing that he came across was “bland.” His Bogey Boys golf apparel is blasting full out with vivid colors with designs that seem to shout and scream through the textiles, almost resembling the music he is popular for.
“I’d go into pro shops where they sell the golf clothes, and all of it would look exactly the same,” he said. “They’d have the same polos, khakis and waterproof jacket, and that’s it. I didn’t want to wear any of it and was like, ‘Where are the dope golf clothes?’
“I’ve always been inspired by the old golf fashion, [guys like] Payne Stewart, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer,” he continued. “All these dudes had so much style back in the day. Before I even thought about playing the game I thought golfers were killing it back in the day, and once I started playing I thought things could be so much better.”
To get his idea off the ground, Macklemore returned to his roots, searched thrift shops and sites like eBay and Etsy to find different examples of textures, drapings and other inspiration for the line. It took him over a year to come up with stripes, polka dots, checkered patterns for his shirts, footwear, gloves, hats, and sweaters.
To test his line, Macklemore at first only sent sample products out to music industry friends. Now, fans of the rapper can get their own. The line opened for business online, Wednesday, Feb., 24th at 9:00AM PST. Product price points vary from $15 to $150.
“This is a homage to the past, with a 2021 twist on it,” he said. “You have some classic pieces that draw inspiration from previous decades yet are contemporary and fit in with the current landscape of where fashion is right now. We didn’t cut any corners. At the end of the day I want to make clothing that is timeless, and this isn’t about making money. It’d be nice, but that’s not why I’m doing it. It’s been a creative outlet.”
