If you’ve ever worked a line, you know the feeling. The heat, the noise, the long shift, and the crew you’d trust with anything. Nobody outside the kitchen really gets it, and nobody inside it needs it explained.

Chef Threads Clothing was made for the people who get it.
We’re proud to work with Devlin Dunn and his team, and this is a story we’ve been excited to tell. Here’s how a chef’s love of food and art became a brand people are proud to wear.

From the Line to the Label

It started with a chef coat.
In 2017, Devlin Dunn had a simple belief: kitchens deserve some personality. So he began with custom chef coats, the one piece of clothing every cook wears for hours on end. People noticed, and it grew from there, first into tees and hoodies, then into a full lifestyle brand.

He knows the work from the inside. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Devlin worked his way up to executive chef by the age of 23. Imagine running a kitchen at that age. That’s the discipline Chef Threads was built on, and the creative side, the art and the humor- came with it.

In His Words –

“Chef Threads Clothing was built on the idea of finding fashion within the kitchen. We believe our clothing lets food enthusiasts and chefs express their true passion. Working with Apliiq helped us bring that idea to life with quality apparel that our community is proud to wear, both on and off the line.”
— Chef Threads Clothing

We read this and smiled. Proud to wear is what we hope for every brand we work with, and it means a lot coming from a community that takes its craft so seriously.

Your Off-Duty Uniform

Custom Paragon Paragon Islander Long Sleeve sunshirt (210) with Hammered All Day shark print by Chef Threads, made with Apliiq, worn at a tiki bar

Surfer sitting on a board in a custom Chef Threads Hammered All Day Paragon Islander Long Sleeve sunshirt, printed with Apliiq

Cooks spend most of their lives in the same white coat. When it finally comes off at the end of a long night, they still want to feel like themselves.
That’s what Chef Threads is for. It’s the hoodie you throw on after close, the sunshirt for your day off on the water, and the tee that makes another cook across the room nod and smile. For chefs, industry pros, and anyone who loves food culture, it’s less a clothing line than a way of saying this is who I am.

Broad Catalog Offering With No Inventory Needed

Chef Threads’ customers don’t live just one life. They’re at the stove on Friday, on a boat on Saturday, and at the gym on Monday, and they want something that feels like them for all of it.

That’s one of the things we love most about our catalog at Apliiq. We have camo in so many patterns, hoodies in different weights and cuts, classic tees, pigment-dyed and tie-dye styles, caps, crews, and sunshirts. It’s a lot to play with, and it’s fun to watch a founder like Devlin look at all of it and see his next idea. We think a brand should be able to start with the piece that fits its vision, without worrying about buying inventory first. It lets creative people do what they do best, and it’s a joy to be part of.

Fashion Within the Kitchen

Chef in a custom Next Level tee with a Chef Life skull print from Chef Threads, made with Apliiq

Back of a custom Chef Life skull tee on a cook in an apron, Chef Threads custom apparel made with Apliiq

Then there are the designs. Catch of the Day. Whatcha Got Cookin’. Chef Life. Go Cry in the Walk-In. These are the inside jokes of an industry, and every cook who reads them knows exactly what they mean. That’s what makes a design feel like it belongs to the people wearing it.

Seasonal drops, like the limited-edition Halloween hoodie, give the community something to look forward to.

Customers keep mentioning the same things: how soft the fabric is, how true to size it fits, how good the prints and embroidery look, and how fast it shipped. Hearing that is the best part of our job, because it means the pieces we make together are being worn, loved, and talked about. Fans can also join Skully Nation, the brand’s member community, for perks like a first-order discount and early exclusive drops.

Worn On and Off the Line

Custom Independent Trading Co Duck Camo Heavyweight Hoodie (IND4000) with orange Turducken print by Chef Threads, made with Apliiq, on a beach at night — **Made for the ones who bring a little wildness to everything they do. From the kitchen to the coast, TURDUCKEN goes wherever the good times take you 🦆🧡**

The Roadmap: What Other Brand Owners Can Take From This

Start from a niche you actually know.
Let your audience’s inside language become your designs
Give yourself room to try new ideas
Build a core catalog, then grow sideways
Give customers a reason to come back
Let production details carry your brand, not just your front graphic

Shop Chef Threads Clothing

custom Independent Trading Co Houndstooth Hoodie (ind4000)

Man on a boat in a custom pigment-dyed tee with a parrot and margarita print by Chef Threads, made with Apliiq

Anyone can have an idea for a brand. The hard part is everything between the idea and a finished piece in someone’s hands. Devlin had the vision and the heart to build it, and we feel lucky to be part of the journey. Ready to wear your passion? Explore the full collection at chefthreadsclothing.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Have an idea of your own? We’d love to hear it.