Four Selects from Dane Reynolds’ Former Range

Dane Reynolds’ DIY offerings continue to allure the surf world. Six years after his maiden apparel brand entered the market, Summer Teeth met its end in a string of Quik cutbacks. But Dane was not broken nor discouraged. He went on to form his own clothing brand, Former, which just released Dane’s new hand-made collection called “Devolve”. It’s a small release, only ten pieces, but here’s our four highlights.

Dad Hat, Dyed by Dane

I don’t do hats, but this looks a nice one for people who do. The Devolve Hat makes the list in a large part due to the description, the first part of which reads: “Hand dyed by Dane.” And the second: “Due to the dying process no two hats are the same.” Can’t fault a CEO who still get his hands dirty, and kudos Former for keeping quality control loose ‘n’ fun.

Tasty Mustard Tee

The Former boys sure love this colour, and we’re partial too. A little mustard is a nice break from the drab cycle of grey, white and black, and it hides a stain a little better than the former two (for the calamitous hot dog eaters among us). Not sure what the significance of 100 is, but the graphic’s whacked-out and ambiguous, and makes it seem like there’s a story behind it. Some things are better left unsaid.

The Great Enigma Hood

Purely by chance, the space in which I’m currently working just put Dane’s self-reflective opus, Chapter 11, up on the screen. I’d forgotten how refreshingly honest Mr. Reynolds can be when he feels like it; we’re lucky to have him. The return of the hoodie is a godsend for those among us, who, like Dane, occasionally like to put up the barrier and pretend like the outside world isn’t happening for a bit. So who better to back in terms of a black, incognito signature hood than one of surfing’s great enigmas? 

Non-standard Take on the Logo Tee

It doesn’t matter if you’re Former or Fubu, the logo tee’s where you make up ground in the rag game. Former knows this, but likes to put their own seal on things. On the front of this plain(ish) white tee is a very hand drawn “F” courtesy of the range’s director, and then a blurred-out back print. As an aside I love how shambolic (by design) Former remains. You go on their site to pinch a bunch of product shots and they’re all different formats and sizes, Dane’s in a few, not in others, it’s authentic. Best not to overthink it.

Kit yourself out in some new Former gear here.