Jerry found the disposable yellow suit in an Akron janitorial catalog supplying area industries. They were made in Ohio.[1]
The uniform suit jackets were worn inside the pants with a belt at the waist. It resembled a one-piece "boilersuit," maintaining the aesthetic of the blue suits.
A black sans serif "DEVO" emblazoned the jacket at the chest, consisting of large Helvetica letters.
The earliest group photos in the yellow suit show DEVO wearing non-uniform belts and eyeglasses.
DEVO prepared the yellow suits before shows, [2] seen in the August 1977 photograph by John Tremblay.
DEVO initially wore the yellow suit over the blue suit. [3] Live performance outerwear devolves from yellow suit to blue worksuit to black calisthenic undersuit and sometimes to diapers.
Later tours would feature the yellow suit later in the set and after a costume change, as the setlist and apparel devolved from newer to older.
Jerry said the suit is industrial protective outerwear turned into DEVO protective gear.[4]
The suit exterior is colored “safety yellow”[5][6] and the interior is white and uncolored. The first suit was tyvek durafab - layered high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with nylon netting in the middle.
The yellow suit DEVO wears is most often made of DuPont Tyvek®, a type of spunbonded Olefin. (The material is like paper, but is made of polyolefin fibers instead of wood pulp fibers.)
Fans note synthetic material suits are “hot” - uncomfortably so. [7]
The jacket features a mandarin collar, “batwing” sleeves and four small white plastic square snap closures. [8] The pants feature an interior “tunnel” elastic waistband.
They were ususally worn with sturdy black footwear.
The yellow suit was sold by Club DEVO.
In 2021 Michael Pilmer said all members of DEVO wear “size large yellow pants” and that he cuts little holes for Mark to grab and tear. [9]
In the 21st century the supply was limited as the yellow suit DEVO repurposed was no longer manufactured, according to Michael Pilmer in 2023. [10]
Photographer Janet Macoska lensed DEVO wearing the yellow suit in an iconic series of photographs around Akron, circa 1978.
"For wet, chemical and messy job protection".[11]
"...get them back in their yellow suits like I said or I'm gonna have to clean house!" - Daddy Know-It-All (Roll Out the Barrel aka Rod's Big Reamer)
“People remember the yellow suit.” - Jerry (2021).[12]
External Links:
- devo-obsesso.com/html/gear-costumes.html
- devo-obsesso.com/html/gear-costumes.html
- dupont.com/personal-protection/tyvek-for-ppe.html
- dupont.com/personal-protection/tyvek-for-ppe.html
- ↑ Modern Retro. “We Are Devo 💛😍💛
The original 80’s yellow 2-piece DEVO suit, Edmont Wet Wear 400 by Edmont-Wilson OHIO...” Facebook. 2020, October 10 post. https://www.facebook.com/modernretro/posts/we-are-devo-the-original-80s-yellow-2-piece-devo-suit-edmont-wet-wear-400-by-edm/3832863070074868/
- ↑
Ryan Todd. “Interview with Gerald Casale of DEVO”. KDViationS. KDVS (Winter 2006). https://archive.org/details/kdviations_2006.1 (Interviewed October, 2006). (PDF)
“...the preparation of the yellow suits, and you know, just putting on the layers of clothing. It ends up being about a half hour procedure per person.”
- ↑ DEVO played Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco in August 1977.
As seen in the pre-show photograph by John Tremblay, Jerry wears the yellow suit with “DEVO” on his left breast, with the collar of the blue uniform visible underneath, Alan and Bob 1 wear this worksuit while waiting for Bob 2, in street clothes, to finish applying the stick-on helvetica letters to their yellow suits. Mark waits wearing jeans, elbow pads and the black “DEVO” T-shirt.
- ↑ Steve Morse. "DEVO Challenges the Treadmill: Switch to pompadours is putdown of polyester politics". Boston Globe. (1981).
"Those were protective suits used in huge factories when they spray dangerous chemicals as finishes on their products... We took them and turned them into our own protective gear."
- ↑ https://www.color-name.com/safety-yellow-ansi.color
- ↑ https://color-register.org/color/safety-yellow
- ↑ alt.fan.devo.narkive.com/Z4jpEZkT/i-bought-the-target-suit
- ↑ American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygenists (ACGIH): Guidelines for the Selection of Chemical Protective Clothing. APPENDIX H: PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS FOR SPLASH SUITS.
Edmont-Wilson Wet Wear 400. Types: Jacket, Pants. Features: Thermally Welded Seams; Batwing Sleeve*; Non-Corrosive, Non-Conducting Snaps.
(*A batwing/dolman sleeve opening begins wide at the shoulders and tapers towards the wrist.)
- ↑ Michael Pilmer. “LIVE! Preparing DEVO Stage Gear For Upcoming 2021 Tour Dates” YouTube. Streamed live on Aug 22, 2021. https://youtu.be/AlLAkILK2VM?t=601
- ↑ Michael Pilmer. "LIVE! DEVO Tour Work: Stagewear Prep by Devo-Obsesso PROTECTIVE GEAR!" YouTube. Streamed live on Jun 11, 2023 https://youtu.be/0pBHPR_MRyI?t=759
“These are Devo protective gear uh stage wear that they uh where in concert and like I was saying in the description of this video nobody makes the two-piece yellow suit that Devo likes so much anymore nobody I've tr- we've tried we've tried everything yes we've gotten in touch with DuPont yes we've called all the manufacturers we've even seen if anybody has any old stock laying around it's impossible I I don't know if we'll be able to get any manufactured...”
- ↑ devo-obsesso.com/images/gear/costume/yellowsuit-vintage-australia-tag.jpg
- ↑ rockandrollglobe.com/new-wave/all-art-is-political-a-chat-with-devos-gerald-v-casale
- ↑ Davek. "WE ARE DEVO Yellow SUIT,,,,,MADE IN OHIO". VintageTourJackets. Posted Friday, May 11, 2012.
https://vintagetourjackets.blogspot.com/2012/05/we-are-devo-yellow-suitmade-in-ohio.html
"Edmont WET WEAR 400".
- ↑ "WE ARE DEVO JACKET COAT AUTHENTIC YELLOW SUIT TOP DEVO".
https://web.archive.org/web/20240426194244/https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/devo-jacket-coat-authentic-yellow-129266005"THIS TOP TO THE STAGE SUIT WORN BY DEVO ON THEIR 1978-79 TOUR ACCOMPANYING THE RELEASE OF 'ARE WE NOT MEN" ”
Atex Polyskin - 100% Spunbonded Olefin.”
- ↑ "Original Club DEVO Yellow Radiation Suit HALLOWEEN".
https://web.archive.org/web/20240426195907/https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/original-club-devo-yellow-radiation-1834813278“...bought off the Club Devo website in the late-1990s…" “Polycoat Tyvek by Lakeland Industries”.
- ↑ “DEVO Yellow Suit Official Club DEVO version circa 2008-2010”. Gear: Costumes.
devo-obsesso.com/html/gear_pgs/costumes/yellowsuit_clubdevo08.html"Full adult size - complete with belt and 2-piece yellow suit. The exact same suit that DEVO wears, with a quality velcro/elastic belt and heavy-duty "D-E-V-O" label."
- ↑ “DEVO Yellow Suit (Jacket) Worn on stage by BOB1 Oct. 29, 2011”. Gear: Costumes. devo-obsesso.com/html/gear_pgs/costumes/yellowsuit_b1-nyc2011.html
- ↑ "DEVO Official yellow suit never worn by Jerry Casale".
https://web.archive.org/web/20240426181948/https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/devo-official-yellow-suit-never-worn-814634875“...initials are on the inside of the jacket near the collar "GVC". Several of these are made up prior to a show or tour and all band members have their names written on the inside.
This is one of Jerry's. It has never been used or worn but does have the cut marks in the jacket and pants that makes it easier for Mark to rip off the members suits during "Uncontrollable Urge".
I have been a tech for the band for several years and acquire items while on the road with them. These suits have been recently discontinued by the manufacturer and is now getting more and more difficult to find these authentic suits.”