Distinctive Look? Devereux!

The look may be kind of retro, but there's finally something truly new in golf apparel.  It's "Proper Threads" from Devereux, a Texas-based company that debuted its first line early this year.  I've been trying their shirts this summer and really, really like the feel.  I'll leave it to others to decide if I look good in them, but I sure feel like I do.

I was first struck by colors and designs that are easy on the eye, but fell big time for the soft comfort of the shirts when I first tried one one.  Devereux uses a natural (Pima Cotton) and Synthetic (Polyester) fiber blend that combines the best of both fibers characteristic and has easy care qualities.  One of the signature design elements on many of the shirts is a unique chest pocket that announces the brand like a logo without making you feel like a walking billboard.  Prices are on the high side of the middle pricing tier.

The line is the brainchild of brothers and avid golfers, Robert and Will Brunner, who named the company after their grandmother, although there are appropriate echoes of golf history (I've played many courses designed by Golden Age architect Devereux Emmet) in the name as well.  They debuted it at the PGA Merchandise Show this year and the critical reception has been excellent.

I recently had the chance to pose a few questions to Creative Director Robert Brunner:

Q: What brought you into golf wear design?
A:  Deciding to design golf wear was simple for us at Devereux.  We fused our two greatest passions which are golf and fashion.  The problem we faced was finding clothing that could transcend on course to off course.  This sparked the idea to make golf apparel that could be worn after a round of 18.

Q: The Devereux “look” is distinctive. What makes it so and where did it come from?
A:  What makes Devereux distinctive is the sophistication and clean look of each garment.  We design to be bold not loud.  Our look is very contemporary and fashion forward, I think that sets us apart.

Q:  What inspired your color palette?
A:  Throughout the seasons our color palettes are inspired by what is going on in the fashion world and our own creative vision.  What you see on runways in Milan, Paris and New York are the colors that inspire each collection.  Once we grasp the idea of color we add our inspiration whether it is art, cuisine, traveling, etc., and bringing together our palette for the season.

Q:  I really like the feel of the fabric in your shirts. Why did you choose the blend you use?
A:  We did a lot of research at Devereux regarding fabrication and trends of fabrication.  We notice that cotton is still very relevant and believe it is having a huge resurgence, but we did not want to get away from the technical side of our fabrication.  We chose the Pima Cotton/Polyester blend because it is very functional with golf and in our opinion is the best fabric on course.

Q:  Why the proliferation of pockets?
A:  You started to see a resurgence of pockets about three years ago.  This was a design trend that designers really took to and started adding the pocket to shirts more and more.  The pocket adds an element to the shirt that can really set it apart from any basic polo.

Q:  What comes next for Devereux?
A:  There is a lot in store for Devereux.  We are working hard on producing more and more pieces for our collection.  In the near future you will see an assortment of garments that will define the lifestyle element of Devereux.

Devereux apparel is available online or from select retailers.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf