It’s not often that I get to share something truly exquisite. Let’s face it, as many cool fabrics and features as we see on “tactical” clothing, they are all mass produced and to a certain degree, are compromises. The Dread and Fear of Kings is a new clothing brand that doesn’t compromise because it doesn’t have to. It’s a brand dedicated to small runs of very well made garments.
Up front, this is a men’s clothing line, but it’s not for the gentle man. The owners define the brand as “Mission Tailored Luxury.” It’s not tactical per se, but if there really was a John Wick, he’d be wearing DFK.
As for the brand’s name:
The Dread and Fear of Kings is both a nod to the line from Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice–and a standard we hold ourselves to. The true Dread and Fear of Kings is not the power politicians wield against the population, but rather a capable and thinking population that is not easily misled by opportunists. A scepter is only a powerful weapon against a population who doesn’t know otherwise.
The team really put a lot into this project. Over the span of two years they created multiple iterations of each product, leveraging decades of field experience from men who have served their nation at the tip of the spear, both in uniform and out. All the while, DFK dealt with supply chain issues due to COVID and its aftermath. Eventually, all the stars aligned and here we are.
I’ve been writing about this market for over 15 years and before that, I was intimately familiar with it for decades. I’d say I’m pretty jaded and don’t get excited very often anymore. But when I heard about this project, my ears perked up. When I saw the initial renderings of this jacket I started asking when it would be available. I waited for what seemed like forever, but when I finally saw the finished garment I knew I had to have one. I started saving for it. Once I tried it on, the deal was sealed and I paid for it via invoice a few days later.
I don’t want to steal their thunder by going over the entire line here. Instead, I’ll concentrate on my experience with DFK and the item I own, the Envoy Jacket (seen below).
The Envoy is made from an Italian ripstop waxed cotton canvas and crafted in San Martino, Milan by generational craftsmen, proud to deliver pieces built to a standard usually exclusive to made-to-measure designer clothing. The fabrics and findings aren’t compromises. In many cases, they are bespoke for this project.
Features are mission driven and include sleeve pockets with two-way invisible zippers, deep front pocket compartments, and interconnected and discreet internal pockets. Pockets are where you need them and closures are easily manipulated. It’s not waterproof, but between the waxed cotton and seam taping, it will get you through a sustained drizzle up to a light rain.
The team knows story of every fiber and item they source. They also know the people who take these materials and craft them into the collection.
There’s another big difference with DFK. You don’t go to a website and order a jacket. Instead, you let them know of your interest and they come to you. You receive an in-person, full line review and fitting. You walk out of the fitting with your new jacket. Some items are custom made and may take a few weeks to deliver.
Even though these are made in Italy, they feature American sizing and are cut for action. I wear a Large. The fit is great for me and it makes me look good. You can see the quality. I wore it one day during Modern Day Marine and got a lot of questions about the jacket. The most common comment was that they had never seen anything like it before. They were all correct. They hadn’t. This is something completely new, combining fashion and function.
The line is very focused and quantities are limited, but they’ve got more designs in the hopper and will be rolling them out over time. One thing they want to do is get everything just right before they offer anything for sale.
To sum up The Dread and Fear of Kings I’d have to say that they don’t compromise on anything, combining the best designs, materials, and construction to create truly unique clothing.
You can check out The Dread and Fear of Kings’ offerings here. You’ll also see some details on IG @thedreadandfearofkings.
