The Headwear Association

Kate Middleton Named Hat Person of the Year

2012-01-25T16:14:00.053-05:00

Congratulations to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who was named Hat Person of the Year by The Headwear Association (THA). In an online poll Kate received a an overwhelming 91% of the vote, beating Rachel Zoe (4%),
Ne-Yo (2%), Justin Timberlake (1%), Bruno Mars (1%) and Charlie Sheen (1%).

The Headwear Association (THA) was founded in 1908 and is the oldest fashion trade association in the industry. The THA's mission is to promote hat wearing and the headwear industry throughout the world and foster goodwill and fellowship among those engaged in the headwear industry.

This is the third annual Hat Person of the Year award, previous winners include Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

We present some of the Duchess's most extraordinary hat fashions of 2011. Our favorites are the stunning velvet cabernet hat by Rose Cory that Kate wore this Christmas, and the exquisite maple leaf headpiece by London milliner Sylvia Fletcher of Lock & Co., established in 1676, worn on her visit to Canada.

Hats off to you Kate, your style is impeccable.

Kate was seen wearing this amazing headpiece at a Citizenship Ceremony in Quebec, Canada last July. The red, maple leaf headpiece was designed and made by Sylvia Fletcher of London milliners Lock & Co, established since 1676. Photo credit: Paul Chiasson of The Canadian Press.

On Christmas Day, Kate attended church service at Sardingham with the Royal family wearing this stunning mulled wine colored hat. The hat was designed by Jane Corbett, who was trained by Rose Cory, the Queen Mother’s milliner. Photo credit: Getty Images.

The Duchess of Cambridge looked gorgeous in this Vivien Sheriff fasincator as she attended the RNLI launch last February. Photo credit: Mark Stewart/Camera Press/Retna.

Kate was seen at a friend’s wedding last January in this chic ensemble. She wore a black ISSA dress and Libélula velvet jacket. She topped off the outfit with a black felt beret from Whiteley Fischer, a British hat manufacturer who has been in the millinery trade for more than 60 years. Photo credit: Jonathan Pow.

Not only does Kate have excellent taste in selecting her headwear, but she also dabbles in designing! Seen here at the wedding of Zara Phillips last July, Kate wore a hat she actually helped milliner Gina Foster design! Photo credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.

Kate truly looks regal in this blue outfit she wore to the Duke of Edinburgh's 90th Birthday at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel last June. The hat she wore was another designed by Jane Corbett, who was trained by Rose Cory, the Queen Mother’s milliner. Her perwinkle blue brocade coat is by Jane Troughton. Photo credit: Robin Bell.

The Duchess was seen here wearing a dove grey hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan (also milliner to the Queen) at the Order of the Garter service in Windsor last June. She wore this hat with a dress and coat by Katherine Hooker. Photo credit: WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe.

Kate looked military chic at Victoria Barracks in Windsor last June to present medals to members of the Irish Guard. She wore a McQueen military style coat dress and topped it off with another hat by London-based milliner, Rachel Trevor-Morgan, who is also hat-maker to the Queen. Photo credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

Yeehaw! Last Summer, Kate and husband William visited Calgary Canada for some traditional festivities, including the Calgary Stampede. In true Calgary tradition, Kate was "white hatted" and presented with this beautiful white rabbit fur cowboy hat by the local milliners, Smithbilt. Photo credit: Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press.

Headwear for the Homeless

2012-01-03T18:34:00.010-05:00

Our highlight of 2011: The Headwear for the Homeless drive.

Here are some pictures from the event!

Mary's Shelter & Opportunity House:

The Headwear Association in New Jersey:

The Headwear Association in Stockton, CA:

The Headwear Association in Arkansas:

The Headwear Association Sponsors Third Annual Hats for the Homeless Drive

2011-12-05T14:14:00.001-05:00

When temperatures dip below freezing, wearing a hat is one of the best ways to help keep warm. People lose as much as 80 percent of their body heat through their head .

On Thursday, December 8th, The Headwear Association (THA), the oldest association in the hat trade, will distribute warm hats to men, women and children at homeless shelters and non-profit organizations across the country.

“This the third annual Headwear for the Homeless drive, and it is our most meaningful campaign of the year,” said Ryan Seth, President, The Headwear Association. “Over the past two years, our THA members have handed out thousands of warm knit, wool and fleece hats to disadvantaged people who truly needed them to stay warm during the winter. We are honored to do this again this year.”

“We only hope we can provide a bit of comfort this winter to those who are homeless and suffering." said Seth.

Hat companies participating in Hats for the Homeless include:

Bollman Hat Company
Reading, PA

Opportunity House (430 North 2nd Street, Reading, PA) and
Mary’s Shelter (325 South 12th Street, Reading, PA).

Bollman will be donating wool, felt, knit, and fleece beanies and caps to less fortunate men, women, and children at these two locations.

NES Enterprises (with Bollman Hats)
Paterson, NJ

Eva’s Village
393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07501-2815
(973) 523-6220

Dorfman-Pacific
Stockton, CA

Gospel Center Rescue Mission
445 S. San Joaquin St. Stockton, CA

Stockton Shelter for the Homeless
411 South Harrison St. Stockton, CA 95203-3332

one.TLC School for Homeless Children
Stockton, CA

San Diego Hat Company
San Diego

Emergency Shelter for Women and Children
(619) 687-3720 http://www.sdrescue.org

PHILADELPHIA RAPID TANSIT
Haddonfield, NJ

HADDONFIELD FRIENDS SCHOOL
MITTEN/HAT TREE PROGRAM.
47 North Haddon Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ 08033-2476
(856) 429-6786

For more information about Headwear for the Homeless please contact Jill Hammer at jill@hammerink.com or 323.550.8950.

Hat Day in The Sun -- Hat Giveaway Locations

2011-06-09T19:26:00.002-04:00

HAT DAY in the SUN
June 17, 2011

The Headwear Association (THA) will be distributing free
Sun Protection Hats in cities across the U.S.

New York, NY
Harlem’s Heaven Hat Shop – 3:30pm
2538 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd
Harlem, NYC 10039

Mid-town Manhattan
Pop-Up Locations

THA will be hitting the streets of Manhattan to give away free sun protection hats. Follow THA on Twitter for hat giveaway times and locations.

http://twitter.com/THAHeadwear

Los Angeles, CA
MediaNoche – 4pm
5048 Eagle Rock Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
Eagle Rock Farmer’s Market

Philadelphia, PA
Hats in the Belfry – Noon
South St & South 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Lancaster, PA
Binn’s Park – 7am
100 N. Queen Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Royal Oak, Michigan 48073

Charleston, SC
The Hat Ladies – Noon
Corner of King St and Calhoun St
Marion Square
Charleston, SC 29403

Long Branch, NJ
Pier Village – 11am
1 Chelsea Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740

Stockton, CA
San Joaquin County Fair Track – 1pm
1658 South Airport Way
Stockton, CA 95206

University of the Pacific – 5pm
3601 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95211
21st Annual All-Star Classic Baseball Game

Boulder, CO
Weekends – Noon
1200 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302

Detroit, MI
Memorial Field Park – 2pm
W 13 Mile Rd and Woodward Ave

*This is an Advance Event on
June 11, 2011

2nd Annual Celebrity Detroit Piston –Lions Softball Game

The Headwear Association Hosts 103rd Annual Dinner at The Central Park Boathouse

2011-04-12T18:04:00.004-04:00

When we stepped into the Boathouse it felt like we’d entered a time warp. The room was filled with a glamorous crowd – and every single one of the 160 party guests at the 103rd Annual Headwear Association dinner was wearing a hat.

Gentlemen and dandies were decked out fedoras, derbys, homburgs and cowboy hats; the ladies were wearing everything from wide-brimmed statement hats to the chic, modern fascinators favored by Kate Middleton.

The Headwear Association (THA) is the oldest association in the hat trade and the oldest of its kind. Originally known as the Traveling Hat Salesmen's Association (THSA), the organization was founded on January 30, 1908 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City by 34 hat salesmen.

THA President Courtney Bush of San Diego Hat Company welcomed the guests and was awarded the David Leiberman Award recognizing his year of service as president. Ryan Seth of Hats in the Belfry was inducted as the new Headwear Association President.

Headwear stalwart David Broner of Broner Hat & Glove was presented with the Ben Rosenthal Award recognizing a lifetime of excellence and leadership in the Headwear Industry. David Broner accepted this prestigious award in front of the entire Broner family – his wife, sons, daughter and grandsons all came from Detroit to attend the event.

Shawn Ferry, President of Byrnie Utz Hats in Seattle was presented with the Retailer of the Award.

Dawn Duncan, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Fashion Institute of Technology announced the establishment of
The Headwear Association Endowed Scholarship at FIT. S.H. Baik of Young An Hat Company created the scholarship and partnered with The Headwear Association and FIT.

The scholarship will be awarded to a full time student with demonstrated academic merit and financial need majoring in Accessories Design with preference given to a student with special interest in millinery design.

THA 2011 Dinner Photos - Santos Photography

2011-04-08T16:13:00.024-04:00

Hats are such a timeless accessory! This photo could be from any decade.

Xiao Li Tan, from Stetson shows us the freshest, coolest way for the ladies to rock a cowboy hat

Tracey Tooker, Tracey Tooker Hats

Toastmaster Don Rongione, Bollman Hat Company

Three Timeless Hat Shapes that never go out the style Modeled by Gary Rosenthal, Shawn Ferry and John Rosenthal

Theresa Gardner and Andrew Bleecher, San Diego Hat

Theresa Gardner and Andrew Bleecher, San Diego Hat Co. present Courtney Bush, San Diego Hat Co, with the David Leiberman Award

The Milliner's Guild

The impeccable Mr. John Jones of MR Magazine wears a Boater to the Boathouse

The Headwear Association Announces FIT Scholarship

The fantastic ladies of The Millinery Guild make a stylish entrance

The fabulously charmin Lauren Parker from Accessories Magazine

The Fabulous FIT Guests

The 2011 Headwear Hall of Fame Trophy

THA President, Courtney Bush Addresses the dinner guests

THA President, Courtney Bush

Shelly Lipton, Lipton Publicity; Lauren Parker, Accessories Magazine

Shawn Ferry, President, Bernie Utz Hats and Winner of the 2011 THA Retailer of the Year

Paul Mahon, Outdoor Cap Co

Monika Fina Millinery - a simply divine design

Monica Stebbins, Monika Fine Millinery

Matt and Julie Randsell, Matt's Hats

Kathy Anderson, Hats by Kat

Karen Alberg Grossman of MR Magazine, such a stunning smile from our style maven

Karen Alberg Grossman and Xiao Li Tan

Jill Hammer, Principal, HammerINK & THA Publicist; Don Rongione, President & CEO Bollman Hat Company

Junney Seth, Hats in the Belfry; Joe Caparosa, Dorfman-Pacific

Jenny Seth and Ryan Seth, Hats in the Belfry

Jeffrey Sun, Foremost; Todd Gardner, Dorfman-Pacific; Tracey Tooker, Tracey Tooker Hats

Jeffrey Sun from Foremost came all the way from Nantung, Jiangsu China to join us at the dinner

Jack Lambert, Dorfman-Pacific; Mark Craley, Bollman Hat Company

Headwear Industry Leaders Don Rongione, President & CEO Bollman Hat Company and Doug Highsmith, President & CEO Dorfman-Pacific

Gentlemen and Dandies Ouigi Theodore and Gabriel Garcia from the Brooklyn Circus

Gary Rosenthal presents David Broner, Broneer Hat & Glove, with Ben Rosenthal recognizing leadership and excellence in the Headwear Industry

FIT in the HOUSE

Everyone in HATS!

Ed Donegan, Hatco Presents Shawn Ferry, Bernie Utz Hats with the Retailer of the Year Award

Don Rongione, President & CEO Bollman Hat Company

Denise Woods, F&M Hat Company

Dawn Duncan and FIT Foundation Announce The Headwear Association FIT Scholarship

Dawn Duncan and FIT Foundation Announce The Headwear Asociation FIT Scholarship with Mr. S.S. Baik, Young An Hat Company

David Broner, Broner Hat & Glove, Winner of the Ben Rosenthal award recognizing leadership and excellence in the Headwear Industry

Courtney Bush THA President with Mark Schaffel, F&M Hat Co; Doug Highsmith, Dorfman-Pacific; Paul Mahan, Outdoor Cap Co.

Charlotte Dyslin and Angus Macleod from Bollman Hat Company

Bob Broner and David Broner, Broner Hat & Glove with the Ben Rosenthal Award

Bernard Grossman, F&M Hats and his lovely wife Lenore

Archi Burkel, The Hat Ladies; Beth Charleston and Jill Hammer of HammerINK

Archie Burkel, The Hat Ladies

Archie Burkel, The Hat Ladies of Charleston

A stunning day at the Central Park Boathouse enjoyed by Gary Rosenthal of Stetson

Johnny Depp Voted Hat Person of the Year

2011-03-10T20:51:00.003-05:00

The votes are in! And Johnny Depp was voted Hat Person of the Year.

The results were based on a global poll on The Headwear Association’s website where people could cast a vote for their favorite hat wearing celeb. With 38 percent of the vote, Johnny Depp beat out Gwen Stefani (17%), Hugh Jackman (16%), Justin Timberlake(13%), Kate Hudson (9%) and Nicole Ritchie (7%) to win this stylish award.

Depp is rarely seen without a hat, and favors wide brim fedoras. The shape is enjoying quite a heyday right now; similar styles can be seen on Mad Men, The Adjustment Bureau and wider brimmed fedoras were seen on the Paris, Milan and NY runways.

Congratulations, Johnny!! You wear it oh so well.

Hat Person of the Year -- VOTING Extended

2011-01-24T10:22:00.005-05:00

Exciting news! The Headwear Association has extended the voting for Hat Person of the Year.

The winner will be announced on 3/10/2011.

Stay tuned for details -- we will be announcing the winner in conjunction with launching a series of contests and hat giveaways on The Headwear Association website and FACEBOOK pages.

Become a fan of The Headwear Association on FACEBOOK today so you don't miss out on any of the upcoming giveaways!

To vote: http://www.theheadwearassociation.org

Vote Now for Hat Person of the Year

2010-12-22T11:24:00.006-05:00

Voting begins today for The Headwear Association's "Hat Person of the Year."

This year's nominees are: Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie.

The winner will be announced on National Hat Day, January 15.

To vote: www.theheadwearassociation.org

Today - Headwear for the Homeless event

2010-12-10T13:24:00.005-05:00

December 10 -- To help disadvantaged people keep warm this winter, The Headwear Association will donate today thousands of hats to homeless shelters and non-profits nationwide.

Participants in this year's campaign includes:

Artex Knitting Mills, Bollman Hats, Dorfman-Pacific, Grace Hats, Modern Millinery, NES Enterprises, Outdoor Cap, Philadelphia Rapid Transit, San Diego Hat and Swan Hats.

Hats and Literature: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

2010-12-09T10:38:00.003-05:00

Illustration by "Phiz" from the 1950 Modern Library Edition of David Copperfield. Top Hats were de rigour in 19th Century England.

Readers of the HAT BLOG and other Information and Resources pages at VillageHatShop.com [see the top navigation bar] know that headwear’s role, as symbol and metaphor, in art and literature is vast, stretching back to the beginning of humankind. One finds never-ending examples of hats being used to convey nuanced – or not so nuanced – ideas. Here are a few examples plucked from my latest read, Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield.

Mr. Dick is a masterfully wrought character. The only comparable example in fiction that comes to mind is Chauncey Gardiner portrayed by Peter Sellers in the movie Being There. Dickens: "This veneration Mr. Dick extended to the Doctor, whom he thought the most subtle and accomplished philosopher of any age. It was long before Mr. Dick ever spoke to him otherwise than bareheaded; and even when he and the Doctor had struck up quite a friendship, and would walk together by the hour, on that side of the courtyard which was known as the Doctor’s Walk, Mr. Dick would pull off his hat at intervals to show his respect for wisdom and knowledge."

David Copperfield was madly in love with Dora. He was obsessed with everything associated with her. Copperfield: "I never saw such curls – how could I, for there never were such curls! – as those she shook out to hide her blushes. As to the straw hat and blue ribbons which was on the top of the curls, if I could only have hung it up in my room in Buckingham Street, what a priceless possession it would have been!" He references Dora’s hat and her curls again on the pages that follow. I do agree that the relationship of a women’s hat and her hair can be very attractive. As a hat merchant, and someone who has been asked his opinion on matters of this kind hundreds of times, I have often stated words to the effect, and to many a woman, "I like the way that hat works with your hair." Women in hats were alluring in Dicken’s day, and for many men, they still are.

In a most dramatic passage, Mr. Peggotty decides to commit his life to finding his niece who ran off with David’s friend, "I’m a-going to seek her, fur and wide." As he finishes a poignant soliloquy and is ready to depart, this description follows: "He said this solemnly, bareheaded; then putting on his hat, he went down the stairs and away." That simple act of putting on a hat and leaving had a kind of literary power in the 19th Century, you see it in pre-1960 films as well, but is virtually gone in this day and age. [Note the slightly different uses of bareheadedness in the Mr. Dick passage and in this one. Mr. Dick refrained from wearing a hat as deference to power, much the same as a king’s subject would remove his hat in the company of the king. Mr. Peggotty’s deference was to the solemnity of his discourse and implied an oath (to a power even greater than a king).]

The book is full of references to hats. Here’s my last example, a slight variation of a metaphor that is in my collection of Hat Metaphors and Similes. Mrs. Crupp, Davids’ landlady in London, is eccentric, nutty in fact. One of her paranoid preoccupations is her "… constitutional objection to spies, intruders, and informers. She named no names, she said—let them the cap fitted wear it . . ."

Sleuthing for hats in literature is quite simple; references are easy to find. Social status, religious observance, challenge to the enemy, temperament, emotion, financial means, geographic identity, historical period, hobbies and interests, and much more is illuminated by the use of hats. As R. Turner Wilcox in her forward to the classic The Mode in Hats and Headdress writes, "No part of costume is so universally important as the headdress, which is worn even when body garments are dispensed with, as the appearance of the aborigines abundantly proves." With the force of expression that hats intrinsically carry, it is no wonder why artists and writers use them copiously.

Fred Belinsky

VillageHatShop.com

Headwear Hall of Fame Announces New Inductees

2010-10-20T09:24:00.009-04:00

The Headwear Association today announced the newest inductees to the Headwear Hall of Fame. The famous hat-wearing winners are:

Aretha Franklin
Cameron Diaz
Carlos Santana
Gwen Stefani
Ne-Yo
Payne Stewart

Winners will be formally inducted into The Headwear Hall of Fame during The Headwear Association's annual gala dinner on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City.

Tips for Buying a Sun-Safe Hat

2010-06-21T12:17:00.007-04:00

The Headwear Association recommends the following tips when buying a sun-protective hat:

- Size: A hat with a minimum of 2 1/2" brim can provide adequate sun protection for the neck, face and ears

- Shape: Hat shapes that protect better against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) are ones that curve down to follow the contours of the head and neck

- Material: The material of a hat should be lightweight and breathable. Fabrics should be closed weave straw, raffia, cloth or felt

Hat Day in the Sun Was a Success

2010-06-21T12:09:00.003-04:00

The Headwear Association distributed thousands of free sun protective hats nationwide on Friday June 18th. These hats were given away to generate public awareness of how wide-brimmed hats can protect against sun damage, skin cancer and premature aging.

Here is a group of people protecting themselves from the sun in their new wide-brimmed hats at Chicago's Oak Street Beach.

Straw Hats

2010-05-11T09:41:00.001-04:00

There is a book - perhaps even a serious scholarly research project - waiting to be written on this rich and varied subject. People have been harvesting plants endemic to their region of the world and fashioning the derived natural material into headwear as long as there have been humankind. Today, go virtually anywhere in the world and one will find the latest iterations of this very long history of making hats from plants.

Some, like people on the western coast of South America (primarily what is now Ecuador), have taken this to the level of a highly refined craft. Carludovica palmata (paja toquilla to the locals) is harvested, cleaned, bleached, dried, split length-wise into various width sizes with the finest being the size of thread, bundled according to size and quality, sold to weavers who can take months to weave a single hat, sold again to middlemen who sell yet again to hatters who finally block the material into any number of popular shapes, finally adding sweatbands and trimmings. These straw hats make their way to the market in most of the world as Panama hats (not from Panama but so named because of the hat's trading route explosion onto world markets during the building of the Panama Canal).

Other cultures have similar traditions. We here at the Village Hat Shop have employees whose cultural roots are from The Philippines. One day I was presented a finely woven straw hat traditional to the native people of Negros Occidental. The material comes from the inside leaves of the acaba tree. The hat is light and airy and, like Panama hats, the product of painstaking work. The people wear the hat for protection from the blazing sun of the region as well as for provincial festivals. Buntal, a popular straw hat material in North America and Europe -also fine and light weight-comes from yet another Filipino plant, the buri palm tree, from Baliuag, Bulacan. The list of exquisite straw hats made by indigenous people from endemic materials is very long. The Native Americans of the Northwest make a cedar bark hat. The native peoples from California make a hat from pine needles. Raffia is one of the most popular straw materials in the world. The island of Madagascar is the home of high quality raffia, but variations of the plant are also found in Africa. Many of the beautifully adorned crowns of feathers, shells, animal parts, and skins that we associate with African arts are started from a base of raffia straw. Baku, another lightweight, very fine, and expensive material that is in high demand in wealthier countries, comes from the taipot palm in Malabar and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). For my money, one of the best straw hat values in the world today is the very durable sewn-braid palm leaf hat from Guatemala, yet another example of a plant and a people in an enduring relationship.

Milan straw has a complicated and controversial history. The original material (if I have my facts straight) was a hand-braided wheat straw from Italy (hence the name Milan from the Italian city of the same name). Real milan, the natural material, is still available but becoming prohibitively expensive for most hat buyers. The Chinese make something synthetic and call it milan; this is mostly what is found in the hat market today. [Synthetic "straws" are all over the place and not the topic of this article other than this: if you are a buyer of what you assume is a "straw" hat, beware.] The Japanese make a material from hemp (I need a botanist to tell me if hemp bears a close relationship to the original) that is a natural material facsimile of milan.

Some cultures whip up a hat in minutes from plants in their area. When I visited Tahiti in 1981, the local people would impress tourists by cutting palm fronds and weaving, from the unaltered material, a good hat for sun protection in 5 to 10 minutes. The hat starts out as green and becomes brown over time. When it finally becomes too brittle to properly function, one simply tosses it and makes another. Many cultures - likely the majority - operate somewhere between the extremes of complicated Panama hat makingand simple Tahitian hat making. Perhaps, from a global perspective, the most iconic hat on the planet fits this description-the conical hat we associate with Asia. The shape has likely prevailed throughout time and place because of the simplicity of its design and supreme functionality. I have witnessed the hat as good rain gear, excellent sun protection, and a good wind break (one simply tilts into the wind). It's very strong albeit lightweight; a structural engineer can explain why. The straw material varies from place to place. I own Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai variations of the style. Each is made well and with minimal effort in order to achieve the hat's purpose. Sometimes, one will find elaborations on the theme, but for the most part the hat is made to function well in the weather.

The American straw hat making industry traces its origins to Betsy Metcalf. Betsy may not have made the first straw hat in America, but in 1798, at age twelve, she made a straw bonnetthat is believed to be the first documented straw hat made in the USA. Her next move immortalized her. She then "learned all who wished to make bonnets", thus launching an industry. I've seen pictures of these early bonnets and the straw, neatly hand-sewn in rows, looks like "straw"-the stuff we see in bales found on farms.

Many straws are closely associated with a specific hat style. Coburg straw is associated with Italian Skimmers (also known as Boaters or Sailor Straws-think barbershop quartet). I don't know which plant species Coburg straw comes from, but hats made from this material predate synthetics, so I am quite confident it is a natural straw layered in plies making the skimmer hard and durable. Shantung, the straw we associate with better western hats, has a history similar to milan. Its origins may be natural, but now it is a man-made material. Although many people associate a "Panama Hat" with the fedora hat style, this material is made into virtually all men's and women's hat styles. The optimo style - where there is a crease running laterally on the top of the crown - likely evolved from the natural crease created when a soft, unblocked, good quality Panama hat is rolled for storage or portability. Sinamay, the product of a process of preparing the acaba plant from The Philippines (see above) that includes weaving the straw on a loom has become a material of choice for women's straw hats. In fact, it is the most popular millinery material in the hat-loving UK.

Many years ago, I traded for a hat made by the Cofans from the Agua Rico River of the upper Amazon in eastern Ecuador. This crown's impressive feature is the green iridescent beetle casings that ring the headpiece. The casings are affixed to a sewn plant material from the area. Amazonia, First Nation Americans, remote regions of The Steppes, tribes throughout Africa, East Asia, India, etc. all have hat making traditions. Simply documenting whatever has survived into the 21st Century would be enough to justify a scholarly project. However, why did some cultures elevate this craft to art and others simply whipped off functional apparel? Is there a clue to other elements of cultural development and values that can be gleaned by this study? How did human cultivation of plants for hat making change an area's botany? Were hats used for trade or were they considered useless outside of one's indigenous region (in part because hats were so closely connected with one's rank in the society, or religion, etc.)? Good questions could make a long list.

I've read that historians believe hats were the first apparel worn by humans. These hats of course were made from plants or animals. Where's the book on this extraordinary subject? Much of the material is still out there.

Enjoy your hats,

Fred Belinsky
VillageHatShop.com

What New Trends Will Emerge From This Year's Derby Season?

2010-04-16T11:45:00.001-04:00

As May 1st fast approaches, and horse racing and the headwear industry gears up for another exciting derby season, I can’t help but wonder “What new trends will emerge from this year’s Derby series”? Nowadays it is difficult to open a fashion magazine or turn on an awards show and not see an A-list actor or actress pushing the envelope with some type of new cutting edge chapeau, but the derby is where this tradition all started. Chances are the derby might have been the originator of that stylish topper.

If you don’t think that the derby events have as much to do about celebrity, fashion, and emerging trends, don’t take my word for it. Even the Kentucky Derby’s own official website shows as many hats on its home page as they do horses. There is no doubt that the stars seated on “Millionaire’s Row” wearing their lavish hats and posing for the camera help to sell the event as much as the actual race does.

So while we gear up for another grand derby season, we insiders are as much a spectator as anyone outside of the headwear industry. We can only guess as to which styles, colors, brands will adorn the stars heads. We will gaze at the beautiful large brims, and sinamay cloches, and revere in the waves of classic panama stingy brims and fedoras. When it is all over, we’ll go back to the drawing board and try to figure out what trends we predicted we would see, and where we missed the boat. We may even be inspired to go out and create a new masterpiece that will become next year’s millinery sensation. Either way, it all starts at the derby.

-Ryan
Hats in the Belfry

THA DINNER TONIGHT

2010-03-18T10:09:00.003-04:00

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the THA Dinner tonight in NYC. Looks like we have a nice crowd (125+) for our new venue - Central Park Boathouse.

I am not sure which hat to wear...fedora or trilby.

My last event as THA President....good luck to Courtney Bush.

-David Goldman

THA Celebrates 102nd Year Anniversary

2010-03-16T18:00:00.004-04:00

The Headwear Association (THA) celebrates its 102nd year anniversary with a gala dinner at the Central Park Boathouse, E. 72nd St & Park Drive in New York on Thursday, March 18th at 6pm.

Highlights of the evening include:

-- Induction of new members of the Headwear Hall of Fame. 2010 inductees are: Humphrey Bogart, Brad Pitt, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Jessica Parker, Audrey Hepburn and Jennifer Lopez

-- To honor outgoing THA president David Goldman, with the David Lieberman Award

-- To present the annual Hat Retailer of the Year Award to Martin Mann of Hats Plus in Chicago

-- To present the Ben Rosenthal Award to S.H. Baik of Young An, a leader in the headwear industry

For more information, please contact THA's publicist Susan W. Littman, SWPR at 312-222-1337 or susan@swpr.biz

Hats Make a Perfect Gift for Valentine’s Day

2010-02-04T14:17:00.004-05:00

According to a survey released by The National Retail Federation (NRF), shoppers will be more practical and economical this Valentine's Day. In fact, more people indicated that they will chose winter accessories and other clothing options in place of jewelry this year.

With budgets tight and Valentine's Day around the corner, The Headwear Association recommends buying your sweetie a stylish hat.

Popular styles for men: fedora, stingy brim, newsboy/ivy cap and western.

Popular styles for women: cloche, beret, newsboy/ivy cap and western.

Every Hat Has A Story - What's Yours?

2010-01-05T17:21:00.006-05:00

Whether your hat has been passed down through generations, bought for a special occasion, or just really looks good on you...tell us in 100 words or less why your hat is so memorable and you can be eligible for a chance to win a free hat if it's posted on our website.

Send your essay along with a photo of you wearing your hat to: susan@swpr.biz

Headwear for the Homeless Event

2009-12-14T15:22:00.006-05:00

On December 10th, members of The Headwear Association gave away about 5,000 hats to more than 20 shelters and nonprofits nationwide during its annual Headwear for the Homeless event. A big thank you to everyone who participated in giving warm hats to those in need during this very cold December.

Annual “Headwear for the Homeless” Campaign kicks-off December 10

2009-12-02T13:22:00.003-05:00

It's common knowledge that you lose as much as 80 percent of your body heat through your head. As temperatures plummet outside, wearing a hat can be one of the best ways to keep warm. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford proper headwear to protect their head and ears during the long winter months.

In an effort to help disadvantaged people keep warm when outdoor temperatures drop, The Headwear Association will donate thousands of hats to homeless shelters and nonprofit organizations nationwide on Thursday, Dec. 10.

"Many of us read or hear about those less fortunate than ourselves and wish there was something we could do to help," said David Goldman, president of The Headwear Association. "We decided that our organization could do our part by providing wool, felt, knit and fleece beanies and caps to underprivileged men, women and children to help keep them warm during the brutal winter months."

For anyone who spends time outside this winter, wearing a hat while it's cold outside is a small preventive measure to help avoid getting sick, If your body doesn't have to work so hard keeping warm, it will have more resources to keep you healthy during the cold and flu season.

The participants of this year's Headwear for the Homeless campaign includes:
Bollman Hats, Dorfman-Pacific, Grace Hats, Hat Attack, Jay Gerish Co., Kathy Jeanne, Inc., NES Enterprises, Outdoor Cap, Outback Trading, Philadelphia Rapid Transit, and San Diego Hat.

For more information contact Susan Weiss, SWPR, 312-222-1337, susan@swpr.biz

Always Listen to your Mother

2009-11-20T14:15:00.003-05:00

Remember, as a child, when your Mom told you that you would catch a cold if you didn't wear your hat during cold weather? Turns out she was right (of course).

Most of your body heat escapes from your head. Therefore, wearing a winter hat is a very effective way to stay warm. And, stay with me, staying warm conserves your body's resources which can be used to fight off a wintertime cold.

Just another reason why hats have been such an important part of human existence. And just another reason to thank your Mother this Thanksgiving.

Top Hats and Fedoras – Presidential Inauguration or Pop Culture Awards Show?

2009-10-28T12:28:00.001-04:00

While the debate continues whether or not gentlemen's hats have disappeared from the political spectrum for good, pop culture icons like British comedian Russell Brand and singer Ne-Yo showed us traditional men's hats are not lost forever.

The long awaited 2009 MTV Video Music Awards aired a few weeks ago, and not to anyone's surprise there were as many unexpected outbursts and actions this year as in years past. Thank you, Kanye West, for rushing the stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video. We now have more to talk about than your collection of white sunglasses.

But what I look forward to every year with the MTV VMA's is all of the new styles. No other awards show truly welcomes the originality of each artist's fashion sense. From classy evening gowns to over-the-top lace body suits that cover your face (Lady Gaga wins the award for most outrageous!) we're always in for a treat.

Hosting the awards for the second year in a row, Russell Brand did not disappoint with his edgy British style. Dressed with ultra-skinny pants, he adorned his attire with a top hat! Brand offered a new spin on this traditionally old men's hat to give pop culture a look at how we can take something from the past and turn it into a piece that works with fashion today.

Then of course, all eyes turned to Ne-Yo as a performer and presenter this year. Known for his trendy headwear, Ne-Yo stood true to his style in a variety of fedora hats. Almost always topping his look with black hats, he looks stylish and sexy with the traditional men's hat turned into a trendy compliment for all his clothes. Now, if the fedora could make all men look as good as Ne-Yo, that would be perfect!

After an exciting evening of performances and awards, we have seen some interesting changes from some artists and classics that work so well they need not be changed. Whether you want the edgy style of Russell Brand or sultry style of Ne-Yo, be sure to top it off with a hat!

-Katie
Hats in the Belfry

Hats Off to 2010 Headwear Hall of Fame Inductees

2009-10-21T10:09:00.005-04:00

Three showbiz icons and three modern day performers were chosen as the newest inductees into The Headwear Association's Headwear Hall of Fame.

Whether singing, acting, dancing or serving as a goodwill ambassador, this year's inductees literally wear many hats including stylish ones in their off-screen lives.

The 2010 Headwear Hall of Fame inductees include:

Humphrey Bogart
Audrey Hepburn
Jennifer Lopez
Sarah Jessica Parker
Brad Pitt
Frank Sinatra

Annually, The Headwear Association recognizes the positive influence of famous hat wearers by choosing six people to be inducted into the Headwear Hall of Fame. These inductees comprise current day hat wearers as well as early influencers that have had a positive impact on the evolution of hat wearing and headwear fashion.

Winners will be formally inducted into the Headwear Hall of Fame during The Headwear Association's annual gala dinner on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City.

A Few Good Hat Movies

2009-09-16T15:14:00.002-04:00

I have recently seen 3 very good movies featuring hats: The Sting, Funny face and Grey Gardens. While the first 2 are the classics and the 3rd is a bit of an acquired taste, all 3 feature many stylish, unique and inspiring hats.

Funny Face

The Headwear Association Reveals Hat Person of the Year 2009

2009-09-08T11:03:00.003-04:00

Brad Pitt can add one more award to his mantle. He has been crowned the winner of The Headwear Association’s Hat Person of the Year, an annual event for the 101-year-old organization.

With 37 percent of the vote, Brad Pitt beat out Justin Timberlake (18%), Sarah Jessica Parker (17%), Samuel L. Jackson (11%), Jessica Simpson (9%) and Nicole Kidman (7%) to win this illustrious award.

“We created this award to honor well-known people that wear a hat in their everyday life,” said David Goldman, president of The Headwear Association. “This year, we tip our hat to Brad Pitt, who wears many hats on and off the screen and recently has been spotted globe-trotting in ivy caps and stingy-brim fedoras.

The results were based on a global poll on The Headwear Association’s website during the month of August where people could cast a vote for their favorite hat wearing celeb.

For more information about The Headwear Association, please contact Susan Weiss, SWPR at 312-222-1337 or email susan@swpr.biz.

THE HEADWEAR ASSOCIATION REVEALS STYLISH AND AFFFORDABLE HAT TRENDS FOR FALL/WINTER SEASON

2009-09-01T11:39:00.008-04:00

Retro hats prevail as stingy-brim fedoras and cloche make a comeback

Need something to spruce up you fall and winter wardrobe during this gloomy economy? Hats are the most practical accessory to refresh your style and update your look without breaking the bank.

Placing a hat as the centerpiece of your wardrobe allows a cost-effective way to modernize your attire; to get noticed, and to transform a rather ordinary look to one that is memorable.

“As consumers continue to worry about the economy, men and women are looking for something special to give them a lift. A hat can be that unique piece, injecting color, texture or a new style,” said David Goldman, president of The Headwear Association.

While hats used to be a sign of conformity – it now viewed as a sign of individuality. Some of the current hot trends include the stingy brim hat, fedora and the cloche hat.

For the fall and winter season there has been a revival of the stingy-brim fedora, which is a brim of 1½ inches wide. This style offers a cool-factor; a laid back, and smart look. Fabrics range from wool flannel, to traditional herringbone, plaids, and wool felt.

Fedoras in all styles continue to top the hat trend with winter fabrics like wool and tweed. Between Johnny Depp donning a fedora in the recent movie “Public Enemies” and Don Draper (actor Jon Hamm) sporting one in AMC's dramatic series “Mad Men” – it has been a widely popular year for this type of hat.

A fedora has been around for more than a century and it was the signature hat style of movie legends like Humphrey Bogart as well as gangsters, private eyes and newspaper reporters. A fedora can totally transform your look and is compatible with suits to jeans. It comes in every color imaginable – with black, grey, tan and brown as the most popular.

When wearing a fedora, it is important to have the correct size, so that it doesn’t fall down over your ears or leave a red mark on your forehead when it’s removed. A fedora looks best angled slightly to one side and titled forward so the brim rests right above the eyebrows.

Even though a fedora is seemingly menswear-inspired, it can still have a feminine touch by adding a hat band, beads, flowers or feathers. Some hats can be trimmed to fit women’s smaller frames by making the brims shorter – which can look more flattering.

Cloche hats, a fitted, bell-shaped hat made popular during the 1920s, are a great way to add sophistication to women’s fall and winter outfits. This versatile hat is worn during the day or night and should be worn pulled down over the head falling right above the eyes. Recently, the cloche has been seen on actress Leighton Meester on the TV show “Gossip Girl” and on Angelina Jolie in the movie, “The Changeling.”

For more information about The Headwear Association: contact Susan Weiss, SWPR 312-222-1337 or susan@swpr.biz.

# # #

WSJ article

2009-08-18T12:18:00.004-04:00

My Saturday morning got off to a great start - sunshine, workout at gym, good breakfast and the Wall Street Journal article on headwear!!
"The Latest Hat Craze....Thin brims, straw trilbies and the ins-and-outs of wearing one" captures some of the new styles and looks currently being offered by many manufacturers and retailers in the THA.

Hope that you enjoyed your Saturday as well.

THNX
David Goldman
President
THA

All You Need is One Signature Hat

2009-08-11T15:08:00.001-04:00

From dressy to casual, one thing remains constant - all you need to look hot for any occasion is one signature hat! What better look to take home than arguably one of the most classic of all hats, the fedora. What started as the must-have accessory for men years and years ago, is clearly the must-have fashion item for men AND women today!

Take it from fashion icons like actor Brad Pitt and athlete Dwyane Wade who have added this signature hat to their dressy styles.

Or for a casual day relaxing on your boat or strolling through the city, follow the lead of some of Hollywood's most fashion forward stars like P. Diddy and Zac Efron who sport their signature fedoras with casual ease.

And of course, ladies, I have not forgotten about you - a signature women's fedora looks just as good, if not better, on you than it does on men! Whether you're looking to cover your "bad hair day" or for a stunning finishing touch to your smart attire like Victoria Beckham, this hat does it all!

-Katie

Hats in the Belfry

Keep Cool and Protected this Summer with High Tech Headwear

2009-07-28T11:47:00.009-04:00

Lightweight and breathable fabrics offer year-round comfort

Whether you are working or playing outdoors, the key to feeling good and looking great this summer is to wear a hat with breathable fabric.

Hats with lightweight, breathable fabrics will provide safe protection from the sun along with built in ventilation to allow cool air to circulate and keep the sweat off your scalp.

The Headwear Association (THA), a 101-year old hat trade organization, and the creator of the official Headwear Hall of Fame™, Hat Person of the Year™, Hat Day in the Sun™ and Headwear for the Homeless™ recommends the use of technical fabrics for versatility, performance and practicality for warm and cold climates.

“Lightweight breathable fabrics such as microfiber, tight weave mesh, cotton straw and CoolMax provide moisture wicking capabilities to keep sweat off your scalp,” said David Goldman, president of The Headwear Association. “By keeping the sweat off your skin and scalp you reduce the odor and the bacteria associated with sweat and perspiration."

When hats get wet from perspiration it sticks to the skin and hinders the evaporation process. The evaporation process keeps our body temperature at its appropriate level to keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

When shopping for a hat here are some guidelines to help you determine the best choice for your activities:

Moisture Wicking – lightweight and breathable fabric that is used for outdoor activities such as running, walking, biking, tennis, hiking, and playing or working near water (e.g. lifeguard, boating)

CoolMax® is a moisture wicking fabric that can move perspiration away from your head, and through the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly, allowing the wearer to feel cooler and more comfortable. Whether you’re an athlete, construction worker, hiker, gardener or tour guide - Cool Max offers year-round comfort to match your needs.

Microfiber is a moisture resistant fabric. When dropped in water such as a pool, lake or ocean, microfiber will not immediately absorb water; therefore the hat will float. In addition, the microfiber will also serve as a quick drying material to help get the hat back in shape.

Quick-dry fabrics are lightweight, comfortable and durable. Fast-drying and sweat-defying fabrics wick away perspiration better than cotton to keep you cooler and drier in the summer and warmer in the winter. Great for travel.

For more information contact: Susan Weiss, SWPR at (312) 222-1337 or susan@swpr.biz

ORIGIN OF MEN'S HAT ETIQUETTE

2009-07-24T14:08:00.003-04:00

Below are a few men's hat customs and their origin compliled by asking an older, hat wearing gentleman. It's up to you to follow them or not.

TIPPING YOUR HAT

Used when meeting a lady or as a way to say thank you, excuse me, hello, goodbye, you’re welcome or how do you do.

This custom comes from the military custom of saluting which is derived from the medieval knights raising their masks as a show of friendliness.

REMOVING YOUR HAT INDOORS

Hats are to be removed indoors except in places akin to public places such as train stations, hallways, elevators (unless women are present) and places of worship, depending on custom.

This custom is derived from military men removing their helmets as a gesture of good intentions.

2009-07-21T11:09:00.009-04:00

Online Voting Begins for The Headwear Association’s Hat Person of the Year

For the first time in The Headwear Association’s 101 year history, it will crown one person as Hat Person of the Year.

The male and female nominees include:

Justin Timberlake

Brad Pitt

Samuel L. Jackson

Sarah Jessica Parker

Jessica Simpson

Nicole Kidman

Nominees for Hat Person of the Year must meet the following criteria:

Living

Well-known publicly such as an actor, athlete, musician or someone easily identifiable to the general public

Wear a hat in their everyday life – not just performing on screen or stage

The voting process is open to the general public via an online poll at The Headwear Association’s (THA) website http://www.theheadwearassociation.org/. Voting will continue through August 31, 2009.

The winner will be announced on the THA website and via press release in early September.

For more information, please contact Susan Weiss, SWPR at 312-222-1337 or email susan@swpr.biz.

How about U.S. hat making?

2009-07-13T15:10:00.012-04:00

I believe it is time for Americans to wake up! In the United States, 3,832,000 manufacturing jobs were lost between 2000-2008. A recent poll indicated that 81% of Americans believe America’s manufacturing industries have a significant impact on their standard of living. And also, 68% believe that America’s manufacturing industries have a significant impact on national security.

Is there a future life for U.S. manufacturing? How about U.S. hat making? As we all know, many American manufacturing companies have been forced to close or downsize due to the flood of imports from Asia. Unfortunately, we hear all too often about another manufacturer that has had to close its doors putting more Americans out of work. As president of one of the largest and oldest remaining hat manufacturers in the U.S., I can attest to the painful process of layoffs.

However, there are still consumers in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and elsewhere who place added value on “Made in U.S.A.” products. With U.S. unemployment nearing 10%, I believe there is a renewed interest among Americans to purchase products manufactured by American workers and American companies.

It’s difficult to compete with Asia on pricing given that U.S. labor rates can be 30 times or greater that of China. When you include employee benefits and environmental compliance, the playing field tilts even further. Clearly, manufacturers in the U.S. can’t compete on price alone.

Where we can compete is with a superior product and speed to market. For retailers looking to maintain a tight control in their inventories, U.S. manufacturers can respond quicker by virtue of the travel time to ship by boat or air from abroad alone. If the price is going to be twice as high, the perceived value must be as well. Quality, performance, styling, safety, brand identity, durability, and innovativeness are reasons why consumers might pay more. And, I would again add to this list “Made in the U.S.A.”

It is time to stand up for our jobs and create employment opportunities for our children and our grandchildren. Manufacturing is losing its place in America and that puts our economy into the hands of others. For this reason, The Bollman Hat Company is about to launch “Save an American Job” campaign. We will provide a branded identity for U.S. manufacturers to tell their individual stories with a unified voice. Founders and members of this initiative will choose from a variety of services, branding components, networking opportunities, public relations campaigns, and promotions.

A website is in the works and a membership recruitment drive will kick-off following Independence Day. Independence was the basis for creating the United States: saving American jobs may determine the future of the United States!

Don Rongione, President & CEO, Bollman Hat Company

My favorite running hat

2009-07-07T09:16:00.005-04:00

Early this morning I headed out on my morning run with my new sneakers, bright colored moisture wicking tshirt and my favorite running hat. Before I get to the running hat let me ask a general question...."who are these people who go running in the early morning hours or at night in a low light situation with dark clothing?" This is crazy. The cars on the road are most likely driven by people talking on the phone, day-dreaming or just don't see you in all the dark clothing. I saw one guy recently who looked like a cat burglar with his all black clothing. Hopefully he arrived home safely.

Back to my hat.

Years ago we all wore cotton twill or wool/acrylic baseball caps for multiple activities - little league baseball, cutting the grass, etc.
In 2009 I still see folks exercising in cotton twill baseball caps.
This seems a bit strange to me - - why wear a cotton cap with moisture absorbing properties so that your hat becomes a wet rag as you sweat. Just think of your sweaty scalp and nappy hair under that cap. I am sure the cap smells great the next day. Of course on a cool day when you begin to cool-off that wet cap now becomes a cold wet rag chilling your body.

Back to my hat.

My favorite cap is our #5508 - that is our local running club's logo on the front. It is unstructured, low crown "built for speed performance model" made of microfiber and mesh featuring reflective piping.
The microfiber and mesh combination provides me with a lightweight cap that allows my scalp and head to receive fresh air while the microfiber will not absorb the sweat but pull it off my skin and then dry quickly for a comfortable feel.

Hope that you try on a new athletic performance cap from Philadelphia Rapid Transit or another great headwear manufacturer sometime soon. Enjoy the cap and enjoy your run.

DAVID GOLDMAN
www.phillyrapid.com

It's a Win-Win.....

2009-06-16T10:50:00.001-04:00

We all hear a lot about the sun protection and fashion aspect to hats. I can tell you that over my career with Dorfman Pacific, which is over 30 years, I have seen many different aspects of my third love-HATS. (Now that my wife and son are appropriately recognized) I see another great opportunity for we in the headwear industry.

This opportunity is to make people more aware of the benefits of hat wearing as it pertains to the prevention of skin cancer and premature aging. As I see it, we have a responsibility, as parents and grandparents, to lead by example and wear more hats so that the next generation won’t endure the ravages of melanoma as we are experiencing now. To this end, I also want to see a concerted effort on the headwear industry to actively and aggressively pursue more substantive relationships with organizations such as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and/or the Skin Cancer Foundation.

The benefits derived from this type of association will speak volumes to consumers and retailers. It will be a classic example of Win-Win-Win-Win.

I see the next step to be a unified effort from THA with a game plan and resources devoted to make this happen.

Who is with me on this?

F&M Giovannio Hats

2009-06-15T13:38:00.003-04:00

Hats are hot!
Fashion Editors are using more hats in their editorials than ever seen in recent years. They especially like bold prints and tie dye patterns. Extra large brims are very popular this season, for both Derby and casual sun hats. Not to be forgotten are the very popular trend caps: golfer or driver and mod caps. The excitement in hats seems to be continuing into fall. The trilby continues to be seen both on the street and in the stores. Important shapes continue to be the driver and mod caps along with a growing desire for small face framing felt cloches.

Whats your favorite hat?

2009-06-10T11:59:00.005-04:00

June 10th, 2009

What's your favorite hat?
That's a question I get asked a lot. The answer is I have a lot of favorite hats.
Remember, I sell hats for a living and I have many favorites for various reasons. But they all don't look good on me. So I have my personal favorites and they all have one thing in common. The brim size is always 2 inches or less, never more. You can guess that sun protection is not my goal. It is just that my face gets lost in those big brim hats. Sometimes you can see these guys with the long jaw and the big brim hat on his head looks fantastic. That guy is not me. To me, the biggest trick in finding the right hat for you is finding the right brim size. Then it gets easy. For example, I have 3 hats in my closet now that I wear, depending on where I go. They all have a 2 inch brim, like I said, but one has a pinch front crown, one has a center crease crown, and the other is a traditional pork pie crown. Oh, and I like the snap brims. Lately, I have been wearing the brims up. But sometimes that is too much "rock'n'roll" for a corporate event, so in those times I snap the brim down. If I can figure out how to put a photo on this blog site, I'll attach the hat I've been wearing lately. The brim size is an inch and three quarters.

Bob Broner

2009-05-26T14:30:00.001-04:00

From Rude Boy Ska to Runway Couture

We've all seen the traditional rude boy ska style, whether your favorite bands include Reel Big Fish and The Specials or not. This fashion trend has been popular for years, but what you may not know is that this style is not just about thick rimmed glasses or thick sideburns; the essential accessory that adds the finishing touches to such a classic look is the pork pie hat.

And here's a bit of news that may shock some of you - this casual men's hat is now one of the hottest fashion must have accessories. As the models stepped out onto the runway earlier this year for a St. Louis fashion show, fashion headwear was the focus. Pork pie hats provide an ultra sleek, super cool runway couture look that can easily go from day to night.

Take it from Chris Meloni, star of Law & Order SVU, who recently attended a fashion show at Bryant Park wearing a stunning gray pork pie hat.

Still don't believe me? What if I told you this accessory has topped the head of soccer superstar David Beckham for a casual day of travel with his family?

What's more - trendy ladies have been seen stepping out in these typical men's hats. Fergie and Mischa Barton have been known to bend the rules before, so it's not surprising that they've added pork pie hats to their funky celeb style.

-Katie

Hats in the Belfry

www.hatsinthebelfry.com

The Best way to promote hats....

2009-05-18T18:54:00.007-04:00

If you are reading this you probably have something to do with the hat business and are interested in promoting hat wearing. Please stop reading and put on a hat. Enjoy the compliments from your fellow citizen and rest easy knowing you did your part to promote hats. Repeat as needed until we elect a president who again wears a hat.

Yes, its just that easy.

THA Kicks off Annual "Hat Day in the Sun"

2009-05-11T15:22:00.016-04:00

With 90 percent of all skin cancers caused by sun exposure, The Headwear Association (THA) is once again launching Hat Day in the Sun on Friday, June 19, 2009 to coincide with the first weekend of summer.

Hat Day in the Sun, an annual national public awareness campaign will educate adults and children about how the right hat can protect against skin cancer, premature skin damage and the advance aging process. To celebrate this event, THA members will be giving away free wide-brimmed sun-protection hats across the country as well as tips for sun protection.

“A hat with a wide brim along all sides of your head should offer good sun protection for your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck,” said David Goldman, president of The Headwear Association. "In the case of sun protection, a good hat should be both stylish and functional."

To be sure you are purchasing the right hat to protect against the harmful effects of the sun; The Headwear Association recommends the following tips:

Size - A hat with a minimum 2 ½” brim can provide adequate sun protection for the neck, face and ears.

Shape - Hat shapes that protect better against ultraviolet radiation (UVR) are ones that curve down to follow the contours of the head and neck.

Material - The material of a hat should be lightweight and breathable. Fabric should be a closed weave straw, raffia, cloth, or felt.

For more information about The Headwear Association or Hat Day in the Sun, please visit http://www.theheadwearassociation.org/ or call Susan Weiss, SWPR at 312-222-1337.

# # #

Pub Caps Offer a Hip Hop Spin on the Classic Ivy

2009-04-22T14:16:00.003-04:00

No one knows fashion better than A-List celebrities. I mean, let’s be honest, they pay enough for their personal stylists, so they better step out with the hottest trends of the season. That being said, it’s no wonder pub caps, or duckbill caps - the same hat known by a different name, have made their way onto the heads of fashion forward men across the globe.

Offering a young, hip spin on a traditional “old man’s hat,” stars like Ne-Yo, Usher and Brad Pitt to name a few, have paved the way for pub caps, this spring’s must have fashion accessory.

Usher made a bold statement in a sleek, all white pub cap for his album release celebrations in New York City.

Ne-Yo, famous for topping off his sophisticated, urban style with trendy hats has traded in his fedoras for pub caps in recent appearances

So where did the pub caps trend begin?

Some believe what is said to be the hottest accessory this spring started gaining popularity just over a year ago with Brad Pitt. One of Hollywood’s most respected actors and someone the ladies just can’t get enough of, Brad Pitt began selling these trendy hats for his “Make it Right” charity which aimed to build new homes for the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans.

As Pitt put his best face forward with a variety of pub caps, the popularity of this trend began to grow. Now pub caps, the more fitted version of traditional ivy caps, offer a brim with the perfect oval arch to frame your face and give you the hottest spring style.

The only question I am left with is when women are going to get an opportunity to take advantage of this hot style trend? I’m waiting for fashionistas like Alicia, Rihanna and Britney to join the men and make pub caps the universal IT accessory.

-Katie
Hats in the Belfry
www.hatsinthebelfry.com

"cold rain and snow"-like

2009-04-20T16:44:00.004-04:00

"Well I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life
Run me out in the cold rain and snow"
GRATEFUL DEAD - COLD RAIN AND SNOW

Not sure what the boys meant to say with these lyrics but here in Philly today there is plenty of cold rain but gratefully no snow.

In weather like this everyone needs a hat to keep warm and stay dry. This morning I grabbed my classic six-panel baseball cap made with warm fleece (#6613). Hopefully tomorrow is a bit drier.

Getting back to the Dead they are coming to Philly in a few weeks. I have tix for May 1. Need to grab a good hat for the show.

Drop me a line and tell me what's on your head?
-David
dgoldman@theheadwearassociation.org

spring time headwear

2009-03-24T12:29:00.003-04:00

Nothing like a 26 degree morning (in Philadelphia) to remind everyone that spring is here.
The forecast is for sunny and high 40s this afternoon - perfect for my recycled cotton knit beanie; made in the USA.

Hope that you are warm/cool and comfortable where ever you are and remember to wear hat.

-David Goldman
President
dgoldman@theheadwearassociation.org

The Headwear Association Celebrates 101st Year Anniversary

2009-03-12T17:02:00.003-04:00

The Headwear Association (THA), the oldest association in the hat trade will celebrates its 101st year anniversary with a gala dinner on Thursday, March 19 at The Tavern on the Green, Central Park at West 67th Street in New York.

As The Headwear Association celebrates its 101st year, the organization has a renewed focus and energy. The mission today is to promote hat wearing and the headwear industry throughout the world and foster goodwill and fellowship among those engaged in the headwear industry.

Highlights of the evening include:

To formally induct Jackie Kennedy, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Princess Diana, Samuel L. Jackson and Vince Lombardi into The Headwear Hall of Fame

To honor outgoing president, Bob Broner with the David Lieberman Award

To present the Annual Hat Retailer of the Year Award to Sam Meyer from Meyer the Hatter

To present the Ben Rosenthal Award to Bernard Grossman, a leader in the headwear industry

For more information, please call THA's publicist Susan Weiss at 312-222-1337 or susan@swpr.biz