• Official Baylor plaid now available for the ‘dapper Bear’

    Dapper Bear Clothiers

    Baylor’s traditional green and gold is now available with a twist; in fact, you may have already spotted it adorning the necks of President Ken Starr, First Lady Alice Starr or men’s basketball coach Scott Drew.

    Baylor University now has an official plaid — designed by a Baylor Bear, sold by Baylor students and available for purchase through Dapper Bear Clothiers. The design currently shows up on ties (the “Kenneth,” in honor of Judge Starr) and scarves (the “Lady,” named for one of our live mascots); more accessories featuring the look are coming soon.

    An official plaid has been in the making for nearly a decade. Jayne Fader, a senior lecturer in Baylor’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, has charged students with making green-and-gold plaid designs for the last nine years in hopes that Baylor would someday have an official plaid.

    Last year, Betsy Robinson, wife of Baylor Regent Clifton Robinson (BBA ’63), enlisted the help of Alice Starr and Jayne Fader to create an official Baylor plaid that could be trademarked. They settled on a design by Hannah Maynard, BS ’13, and selected three Baylor students in the Accelerated Ventures Program — seniors Claire Major, Hob Howell and Jackson Wren — to market and sell the products. The trio started Dapper Bear Clothiers to sell the plaid design and meet the need for “stylish, high-quality apparel and accessories for the Baylor community.”

    “Once we saw how supportive the Baylor community can be, we knew this was a good idea,” Wren says. “Word of mouth is a big aspect of our business right now.” A lot of that word of mouth has come from the Starrs, who have worn the plaid to a number of Baylor events. Drew, too, has worn one of their ties on the sidelines of Baylor basketball games.

    Sic ’em, Bears in plaid!