Dan Sullivan, founder of SOLO Golf, taught himself the ins and outs of fashion by literally knocking on the doors of factories and design houses in New York. When he was in his 20s and working in banking and finance, he set up a kind of apprenticeship for himself, taking three years to follow volunteer milliners and learn all there is to it. learn about pattern making, fabrics, swatches, trims and all the other industry. accoutrements.
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“It was completely alien to me,” Sullivan said. “That was the cool and exciting part.”

The world of golf, on the other hand, was anything but new to Sullivan. A lifelong golfer, Sullivan has worked as a caddy, pro shop attendant and bag boy. As his passion for menswear grew, he couldn’t get his mind off the possibility of bringing his design philosophy to golf apparel. He knew he had to change careers. He founded SOLO in 2017 with a vision to bring classic menswear silhouettes and a contemporary fashion sense to golf apparel, specifically focusing on the mid and outer layers.

“For me, SOLO was more about identifying an opportunity where I felt there was a lack of representation of individual clothing perspectives in the game of golf,” he said. “It was very singularly focused; it’s who a golfer is, it’s the uniform he wears, it’s the shirt, it’s the pants.

He enlisted his wife, Tessa, an accountant and sales enthusiast, to help him get the business off the ground. At first, the couple made all their clothes in the United States, with a factory in New Jersey. Now, to keep costs down while working with design houses specializing in quality skis and sportswear, Sullivan has moved production to Portugal. But his attention to the manufacturing process has not changed.

“How we make things is super important,” Sullivan said. “I don’t want to go to a place where I question human rights, the way people are treated or where documents come from. It’s really important that I know it’s made in a place where people are happy to make it too… For us it was really about finding a factory that was really passionate about what we’re trying to do.
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The brand is best known for its most popular item, the hooded gilet, which comes in short-sleeved and sleeveless versions. The “Fleece Blocked Hooded Vest”, currently available in sky and olive tones, features a high collar and built-in hood, practical yet stylish design moves meant to both extend the golfer’s season and clear a looks sporty and elegant. The hood, as is the case with all of SOLO’s hooded designs, is made from a combo of multi-layered fabrics with a Sherpa fleece that’s stiff enough to prevent unwanted movement when swinging. The brand’s color schemes are cooler, often energetic variations of natural tones, like their “Nylon 6 Panel” cap (which, in the spirit of transparency, is also named after its composition: 100 % nylon) available in a peppy peach and a lemony neon. . This month they unveiled their summer collection of tops, bottoms, outerwear and knitwear at their pop-up store in Chestnut Hill, directly across from the US Open, which will be available for purchase in-store only. So if you want to check them out, you’ll have to take a little road trip.

“We take SOLO as an opportunity to express ourselves in our own way and show how we can all love the same sport, but we can all be different.”