Vintage Golf Size & Style Guide
How to buy vintage golf clothes that fit right, and how to wear them like you mean it. Every piece we sell is measured flat using the method below.
Size Guide
Vintage golf clothes don't always fit the way the tag says. The 90s and early 2000s were the era of the oversized fit, and sizing standards varied wildly by brand and decade. We measure every item individually so you know exactly what you're getting.
How we measure
We lay each item flat and take two measurements. Both numbers are listed on every product page.
Pit to Pit
Measured straight across the back of the shirt from armhole seam to armhole seam, laid flat. Double this number to get the full chest circumference.
Top to Bottom
From the highest point of the collar seam straight down to the hem. Tells you how long the piece sits on the body.
The best way to find your fit: grab a polo or shirt from your closet that fits the way you like it. Measure it using the same method above, then compare those numbers to the measurements in our product photos. If the numbers are close, the fit will be too.
Don't go by the tag size alone. Vintage pieces can vary 2-3 inches from what the label says.
A note on vintage sizing
Vintage golf pieces don't size consistently: not across brands, not across eras, not within the same brand. An XL from Nike can measure the same chest as an L from Ashworth, and the length at the same tag size can swing five inches or more depending on when and where the piece was made.
That's just how vintage works. Every piece came out of a different factory, in a different decade, cut to a different standard. The tag doesn't tell you much. The measurements do.
01
Ignore the tag size. A tagged XL can measure the same chest as a tagged L from a different brand or era.
02
Pit to Pit is the number that matters most. Double it to get the full chest circumference.
03
Measure a shirt that already fits you the way you like it, then compare those numbers to the listing.
04
Questions about a specific piece? Email store.waywardgolf@gmail.com. We'll measure anything on request.
Style Guide
Vintage golf style isn't hard to get right. The pieces do most of the work. You just need to know how to wear them.
01
Get the proportions right
The 90s and early 2000s were the era of the oversized polo: long, roomy, plenty of chest room. That wasn't a manufacturing inconsistency. It was the look. Tiger wore it. So did everyone else on tour.
When you're shopping vintage, don't instinctively size down to match modern standards. A piece tagged XL with a wide chest and a hem that drops past the hip is doing exactly what it was made to do.
The one rule: tuck it in. A baggy polo tucked into well-fitted trousers looks intentional. The same polo untucked can easily look like you grabbed the wrong shirt. Tuck it, put a belt on, and the proportions take care of themselves. Keep everything below the waist slim and clean.
How it should fit: wide across the chest, sleeves landing just above the elbow. If it feels a little big, you're probably close. If it feels enormous, go down one.
02
The belt
Tiger Woods wore western-style belts in the late 90s and early 2000s: tooled leather, bold metal buckles, the kind of detail that made you look twice without announcing itself. It worked because everything else was clean.
The western belt is the most underrated detail in the vintage golf playbook. A plain brown or tan leather belt with a modestly sized metal buckle is all you need. It sits at the exact intersection of the course and the street without trying to.
03
One statement piece
Let one thing do the talking. If you're wearing a bold geometric polo from Adidas or Reebok, keep everything else neutral: plain trousers, simple belt, clean shoes. The polo is the point. Don't compete with it.
The same goes for a pop of color. One vivid piece per outfit, with everything around it in earth tones or neutrals. That's what makes it land.
04
Build the look
Vintage golf pieces layer well because they were made with room in them. A quarter-zip over a polo, a crewneck over a collared shirt, a windbreaker at the turn: the proportions of the era make these combinations work without any fuss.
For trousers, the polo is always the hero. Keep the bottoms clean and well-fitted and they'll do their job without drawing attention.
05
Wear it with confidence
Vintage golf style only works if you commit to it. The same polo worn with hesitation reads like you grabbed the wrong shirt. Put it on like you meant it and it reads completely differently.
You don't need to explain the belt or tell anyone the polo is from 1998. Most people will get it or they won't. Either way, you'll look good.
On the course or off it, the clothes travel. Swap the golf shoes for clean sneakers, loosen the tuck slightly, and the same outfit works at dinner. That's the whole point of vintage golf style.