Behind the Brand: Dubarry of Ireland

Fall is coming, folks. There is nothing we can do to stop it. Gone are the days of ultra-high humidity and sunsets at 8:30PM. The cold mornings are followed by warm afternoon sun and cool evenings. The rain will play an important part of the next few months as well. It’s time to prepare accordingly – especially your closet.

The elements may be a lot of overcome, but stock yourself with a healthy serving of Dubarry and you’ll be mighty fine (and warm!).  Anne from Dubarry HQ was nice enough to sit down for a chat…

Dubarry was founded in 1937 as a co-operative to provide work in the small town of Ballinasloe, County Galway, on the glorious West Coast of Ireland. The name was borrowed from Madame du Barry, a famous French courtesan, to give the brand a more European feel. Dubarry prided itself as a specialist hand stitched moccasin manufacturer, drawing from a local population of skilled and hardworking craftsmen and women. Since that time the brand has developed this heritage and expertise, combining the generations of skilled craftsmanship with the best modern innovations in production technology to create world class products for the most demanding environments.

After having established itself as the market leader in the design and manufacture of Dubarry Performance Marine Footwear (sailing boots and boating/deck shoes) Dubarry turned its attention to the fieldsports and country lifestyle market. The Dubarry County Collection quickly rose to prominence across Europe, as they succeeded in merging the technical expertise of their Marine Collection with style and elegance in design. Within the past decade Dubarry has introduced a clothing collection, which holds true to their passion for old-world craftsmanship, high quality, performance fabrics, and timeless design.

The Dubarry “Guy” and the Dubarry “Look” go hand in hand: The Dubarry guy is a man who is not concerned about trends or fast fashion. He wants footwear and clothing that will never fall out of vogue, and that he can wear with pride for years. He needs gear that he can wear working out in the yard, rinse off, and wear out into town without missing a beat. I daresay he may be a bit of a traditionalist. He appreciates luxury and quality, but doesn’t need to be flashy about it. He’s a man that needs boots that keep his feet warm and dry, and a jacket that keeps out the wind and cold and wet. The Dubarry guy is active, smart, understated, and always dressed appropriately, whatever the weather.

What makes Dubarry special? One of the tag lines that we use for our Kerry boot is that it’s “Elegantly styled with off-road capabilities.” I think this phrase is applicable to our brand as a whole. We’ve managed to create products that are hard-working and highly functional, but with classic silhouettes and a more traditional design ethos. Dubarry is a heritage brand with a rich history, still based right in County Galway, and it is that history and expertise which informs the way we design and develop our products. Our boots are all hand-crafted in Portugal, with leather that we tan on site. The waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex lining that we use in our footwear and some of our clothing is unmatched in performance.

A huge part of who we are as a brand is our close proximity to our customer. We interact with our core, traditional customer at hundreds of horse shows, game fairs, and boat shows around the world every year. This keeps Dubarry and our products grounded and focused on our end user.

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I really dig quite a bit from the Dubarry lineup.  My favorites:

The Yeats Vest: This is a sharp vest.  I love the color, and the quilted look.  It’s a dressed up version of an everyday hunting vest.
The Crean Lambswool Sweater: A Snap-T fleece for adults.  But made of lambswool and much better fitting.
The Kildare Boots: Keeping with the theme of the taller Dubarry boots, I love the mid-calf cut; much more ‘everyday’ friendly.  These would go with everything from shooting, building a fence, or tailgating.  THESE WILL BE MINE…

Be sure to check out the Dubarry collection at Onward Reserve.

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1 Comment

  1. Roger C. Russell II
    10/30/2014 / 9:11 AM

    SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

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