Zac Brown Unveils Hidden Patriotic Design Inside Custom White House Performance Suit
The patriotic surprise hidden inside Brown’s jacket is turning heads.
Zac Brown; Photos via Instagram
Zac Brown is giving fans a closer look at the custom suit he wore while singing the national anthem at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House over the weekend, and the patriotic surprise hidden inside the jacket is turning heads.
In a video shared to Instagram, the Zac Brown Band frontman showed off the custom-designed suit, noting that “it’s all in the details.”
He kicked off the clip by praising the suit’s designer, declaring, “Mitch Purgason is a bada**.”
As Brown unveiled the special details, a woman believed to be his wife, Kendra Scott, could be heard off camera admiring the design.
“Check this out…America,” he says as he opens the jacket to reveal the custom image inside, which depicts the country hitmaker riding a bald eagle with an American flag and fireworks in the background.
Scott laughs from behind the camera as Brown explains, “I might be riding an eagle inside my jacket.”
“:What about the shirt, show us the shirt,” she encourages him.
Brown then showed off custom stitching on his shirt that read “USA 250,” a nod to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
“So cool,” Scott compliments.
According to Purgason, the suit was handmade in the United States using a premium wool chalk-stripe fabric sourced from Italy. The custom design featured American flags on the back of the vest and a one-of-a-kind graphic of Zac Brown inside the jacket. Additional patriotic details included handmade tri-color buttonholes on the lapel and final sleeve button, crafted in the same Pantone shades as the U.S. flag. Purgason noted that the intricate buttonhole work is completely handmade and impossible to duplicate. Brown’s shirt was also handmade in the USA. The look was styled by Chris Santos and tailored by Mitch Purgason.
According to his website, Mitch Purgason is a custom clothing designer known for creating one-of-a-kind garments for celebrities, athletes, executives, and entertainers around the world. His clients include NFL stars such as Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Dak Prescott, and Cooper DeJean, as well as NASCAR drivers Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Tyler Reddick. He has also designed for artists including Zac Brown Band, Russell Dickerson, and Zach John King.
In 2024, Purgason made history as the first designer of the official Heisman Trophy Blazer, a custom piece that will be awarded to past and future Heisman winners for years to come.
Many fans took to the comments section to praise the look.
“The tailor for that suit is outstanding – not easy to match all the stripes – lining was incredible,” one user wrote.
Another shared, “You looked dapper and your performance of the National Anthem was amazing! Gave me goosebumps.”
Brown performed the National Anthem on Sunday on the White House lawn ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 event. Backed by the United States Marine Band, he delivered a powerful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with a flyover adding to the moment at the conclusion of the performance.
Ahead of the event, Brown doubled down on his decision to perform, saying for him, “this is patriotism, not politics.”
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Brown explained why he chose to take part.
“Man, I’m there for the troops, man. I’m there to honor America… This is patriotism, not politics for me. I mean, f*** all the division. I don’t believe in that. I love this country. I love all the people that have sacrificed so that I can live my American dream and that everyone that lives here gets a chance to do that if they work hard, make the right decisions and do that. So it doesn’t have a place in politics for me,” he stated, later adding, “There’s going to be 8,000 active service members that are going to be there.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
