#sy devore

Hollywood Map as seen on The Beany and Cecil Show

Sammy Davis Jr.'s groundbreaking GQ magazine appearance as the first Black celebrity (and the first Black man) to be featured on the men's fashion and lifestyle magazine's cover, photo by Milton H. Greene, September 1967 issue. Sammy wore a double-breasted plaid suit by Sy Devore, who made his name during the era designing snazzy outfits for Sammy, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, JFK, Nat King Cole, Spencer Tracy, and Peter Lawford (among others). Sammy was a huge fan of Devore's work and once ordered 84 custom made suits from Sy totaling $30,000, a figure which reportedly impressed fellow fashion-aficionado Liberace. Sy also designed the Rat Pack's suits for the movie Ocean's Eleven (1960), Jerry Lewis' outfits for The Nutty Professor (1963), and Dean Martin's suits for both The Silencers (1966) and The Wrecking Crew (1968). It should be noted that the first Black male model to appear on the cover of GQ was Renauld White in 1979, a dozen years after Sammy graced the magazine in his stylish Sy Devore attire.

los angeles evening citizen news hollywood, california tuesday, june 23, 1959

Dean, Jerry and Sy Devore the tailor of the stars. Sy Devore is the one who made the first tuxedos that the two boys wore for the first time on stage and has been making all their stage outfits ever since. He remained close friends with each of the two even after the separation. Sy Devore has made the props for almost all of Jerry's films and for some of Dean's films (all of Matt Helm's for example). And Sy Devore was the personal tailor of the entire Rat Pack.

Jerry and Patti Lewis take son Gary to Sy Devore’s for a suit and to get a hair cut, from the magazine feature, “Home Grown Hams”, 1953.

such a hipster

Jerry and Patti Lewis helping son Gary select clothes at Sy Devore, 1953.