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

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

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?

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

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....

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"

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.

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Pub Caps Offer a Hip Hop Spin on the Classic Ivy

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