Unsung Heroes: Sy Devore

       I am going to begin a new column in this blog: Noley-Boy's unsung heros. This column will address somewhat obscure men and women from throughout history and throughout all walks of life. Men and women who have made significant contributions to society while modestly hidden behind the curtains. The roadies, the tech crew, the people at the bottom of a movie's credits whose name no one sticks around to see. To kick of this column I will be addressing the incredible New York designer and tailor, Sy Devore.

       I am ashamed to say that I have lived my entire life in a very fashion oriented family and have always had  a fascination for nice clothing and yet I had, until recently, never heard of Sy Devore. It was incredibly hard to find much information on him and he doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. Who doesn't have a Wikipedia page? After some digging I was able to uncover a modest amount of obscure information; this is what I found: Devore opened his first shop in the theater district of New York City in 1930. He never really had any marketable skills in entertaining but had always adored the glitz and glamor of the entertainment industry and happened to have a talent with a needle and thread so he went into fashion. His meticulous, detail oriented style quickly attracted the attention of the then popular Andrews Sisters, a close-harmony swing group consisting of three sisters. Before long, word of Devore's skill spread like wildfire throughout the industry until it finally reached the suave, crooning Rat Pack. 

       The Rat Pack quickly became Devore's premier customers. His obsessive attention to detail allowed the boys to give him astoundingly specific preferences as to fit and style and he would execute it flawlessly from Sammy Davis Jr.'s super slim trousers to Frank Sinatra's precisely 2-1/4 inch lapels. The Rat Pack quickly became good friends with Devore and urged him to open a shop in Los Angeles which he did not long after on Sunset Boulevard. The boys would frequently stop by the new shop to look for clothes and to simply check in with Devore.

       I've always been a big fan of the Rat Pack look, that slim, debonaire style that made women around the world swoon but until now I never knew who, behind the scenes, was responsible for making those strapping men look perfect at all times and Devore's accomplishments didn't end there. He dressed people from Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and even president John F. Kennedy, all of whom were legendary for their suave appearance, all thanks to this one, modest designer from New York City, Sy Devore.
       If you wan't some more information on Mr. Devore you can read on at: http://www.sydevore.com/#!HISTORY/cwzy

~Nobilis Saeva