Dal Denim

Dal Denim consists of custom black Levi’s Denim Jackets for Dalhousie Engineering Students and Alumni.

Orders are processed at the end of Jacket Week, the last week in September!

Patch Details

History

In 1907, the Nova Scotia Technical College was founded.

In 1980 the Nova Scotia Technical College became the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS).

In 1997, the Technical University of Nova Scotia became part of Dalhousie University.

By 2003, the engineering student society had been operating independently for a long time. While the school was transitioning from the Technical University of Nova Scotia to Dalhousie University, and with third-year students coming to Dalhousie from Associated Universities across Nova Scotia, it was the engineering society who recognized the need for building school spirit and a true brand for students on Sexton Campus.

Therefore, the engineering society officially created its DAL ENG brand with the cog and phoenix. Once the logo was created, it was first embroidered on “Mechanics Jackets”, which were ordered in 2003. These jackets were extremely popular and kept for some time as an affordable option for all students. From that point forward, the engineering society took it upon themselves to grow the DAL ENG brand by bringing all students together by outfitting them with merchandise and hosting events, including engineering orientation day, the engineering gala, and engineering week, over the next three years.

At the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES) Congress Conference, which is currently known as the Canadian Engineering Leadership Conference (CELC), it became clear to the engineering society that Dalhousie Engineering needed its own signature jacket; engineering schools across the country, such as Queen’s University, University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo, all had long-standing traditions where first-year students would receive their own engineering jacket.

In 2004, with support from members of the engineering society executive team, Mathew Antolin and Scott Wetton, created a design and produced the “Original Dalhousie Engineering Leather Jackets” for all staff and students on Sexton Campus.

These DAL ENG Leather Jackets were authentic leather jackets with the traditional DAL ENG crest embroidered on the back and varsity letters on the sleeve to indicate your discipline.

In 2018, on Dalhousie University’s 200th birthday and the unveiling of the Design and Innovation Buildings on Sexton Campus, Kirk Drabble designed and worked with the DUES executive team to officially launch a new engineering jacket: the “Dalhousie Denim Engineering Jacket” (also known as DAL Denim).

DAL Denim jackets are custom Levi’s black denim jackets, which have the traditional DAL ENG crest embroidered on the back and are sealed with the university crest on the left sleeve. One of these engineering jackets was given to Dr. Richard Florizone for his leadership behind the Innovation and Design in Engineering and Architecture (IDEA) Project.

Within the next four years, the Dalhousie Undergraduate Engineering Society (DUES) executive team hoped to establish a tradition where all incoming first-year students and all new third-year students would receive their own DAL Denim jacket. After committing to a discipline in their third year, they would receive their own discipline patch to be sewn on the right sleeve. In addition, students in their final year would receive a signature patch for their graduating year.

The true vision behind the jacket was for them to be worn at engineering conferences and competitions, to develop a sense of community on Sexton Campus, to stimulate extracurricular involvement by creating patches for all societies and design teams, and to give students a signature jacket that represents the best program Dalhousie has to offer.