It's all about the Red Suit
It's all about the Red Suit
Santa's suit wasn't always red, but for nearly a century the red suit and white fur has been the symbol of holiday joy. Now, Santa Dave proudly carries on that tradition, wearing the classic look with care and joy
Santa's Fit for 2025
Santa is getting an upgrade!
Thanks to the families and photographers who've welcomed Santa Dave into their holiday traditions, it’s time to take things to the next level. You've given Santa the space to shine, and the starter suit just wasn't up to par with the experience Santa Dave wants to provide — and you deserve. It was time to invest in something worthy of the full Santa moment.
You won't find this suit in any galleries just yet, but you can expect to see it make its grand entrance at your event in 2025 and beyond.
The "Cola" Suit
Santa Dave’s new “Cola” style suit from Pro Santa Shop is a rich and timeless design that pays tribute to the iconic red suit popularized in mid-century Christmas imagery. Made with deep X-Mas red velvet, the fabric offers a classic, saturated tone that captures the warmth and nostalgia of the season.
It's trimmed in Polar Bear plush fur, a thick, snow-white faux fur that balances elegance with practicality. The coat’s open bishop-style neckline and flowing bottom flair are directly inspired by Bing Crosby’s look in White Christmas — one of Santa Dave’s personal favorites.
This suit was custom made to Santa Dave’s exact size and vision, built to match the way he moves, sits, and connects with families during visits. And for those with furry family members, it’s a welcome upgrade. Without the extra inner fur lining found in earlier versions, it’s lighter, more comfortable, and more dog-friendly for all those paws-on-lap moments.
History of the Suit
The red suit we know today has roots that stretch back centuries. It begins with St. Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century bishop known for his generosity and compassion. Early depictions of Nicholas showed him in long religious robes — often deep red, gold, or green — carrying a staff and wearing a bishop’s mitre. These images were tied to religious tradition, but the seed of something bigger had been planted.
By the Victorian era, the legend had taken on a new form. Poets like Clement Clarke Moore reimagined Santa in verses like ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, describing him as a small, plump figure — joyful, but still far from the full-size Santa we know today. Artists of the 1800s showed him in a variety of outfits: green cloaks, brown coats, fur-trimmed robes. Some Santas were thin, others more elf-like, and the color red was just one of many in rotation. There was no single “Santa suit” — not yet.
The first big step toward that image came with Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist working in the late 1800s. Nast gave Santa a home at the North Pole, a toy workshop, a naughty-and-nice list, and for the first time, a more consistent visual identity. His Santa was still shown in long coats and furs, but the color red began to appear more frequently — and with it, the beginnings of something iconic.
That icon was fully realized in the 1930s, when Coca-Cola commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to create a Santa Claus for their holiday advertising campaign. Sundblom’s version was everything people loved: warm, round, approachable, and unmistakably jolly. He wore a bright red velvet coat with white fur trim, matching trousers, black boots, and a wide leather belt. The look was classic, practical, and instantly recognizable. Coca-Cola didn’t invent the red suit, but they amplified it — and made it the global standard.
Through the 1940s and ’50s, illustrators like Norman Rockwell and filmmakers like those behind White Christmas gave Santa even more polish. In movies, Santas often wore versions of the red suit with clean bishop-style collars and dramatic bottom flairs — the kind that moved beautifully on screen. Bing Crosby’s iconic Santa look helped bring elegance and Hollywood charm to the design, making it feel larger-than-life while still deeply personal.
Today, the Santa suit continues to evolve — but its core design remains a tribute to everything that came before. Some suits lean into bishop robes, others go full workshop-style, and many stick to the Coca-Cola silhouette with custom touches. For Santa Dave, this suit is more than a uniform. It’s a reflection of the families who’ve trusted him with their holiday moments, and a tribute to the legacy he’s proud to step into — red velvet, white fur, and all.
