Talking Heads

Talking Heads
Fashionable headwear never stops making sense

by Karen Butler

DEMI Moore isn’t the only one happy to see Ashton Kutcher (as of press time anyway). Headwear manufacturers across the nation should be sending royalty checks to the hip 20-something for single-handedly creating a fashion frenzy with the trucker cap.

“Years ago this mesh-backed hat would only adorn the heads of tractor operators and gas station attendants,” confirms Mark Stern, vice president of sales for Hicksville, N.Y.- based Sonette/Yupoong/Flexfit Headwear. Now the “trend has morphed into a total style.”

Girls can play, too. Hop on to eBay and see how many Paris Hilton Von Dutch trucker hats come up — both pink and camouflage. “The popularity of the Von Dutch hat line — of which they sell their hats for upwards of $75 for a basic trucker cap with a simple patch — has influenced corporate and activewear companies to add this style to their lines,” explains Rich Soergel, director of innovation for San Diego’s Pacific Sportswear & Emblem Co. “Many high-profile celebrities are wearing these caps, thus consumers and promotional companies are asking more and more about these styles.”

Several companies have expanded or introduced trucker cap lines to keep up with the trend — a move Cliff Quicksell, MAS, CEO of Frederick, Md.-based Headwear USA might not recommend at this point. “Word is the trucker cap is on the way out,” he confides. “I just attended the Canton and Hong Kong Fairs in China, and many new fabrics, appliqué reflectives, more complex embroidery techniques and earth colors seem to be taking center stage.”

Dan Saferstein, president of Lenexa, Kan.- based Sportsman Cap Network, does point to several other popular styles — and stars — beyond the trucker cap. “In her latest appearances, Britney Spears has worn variations of the bucket cap or the engineer cap,” he says. “And Justin Timberlake is often seen wearing a skullcap.”

Stern agrees the emergence of the knit headwear category has been encouraging. “This style progressed from being a purely functional purchase to a fashion-forward, trendy look,” he explains. “Sales have remained strong even during warm weather and in warmer climate regions.”

Jacqui Spangler, Port Authority accessories buyer for Seattle’s SanMar Corp., also predicts functional headwear will maintain popularity. “As we move into fall, we expect the trend toward beanies and fleece headwear will remain strong,” she says. “This has been driven by younger generations. Classic colors like navy, charcoal and black are in high demand.” She also points to the continued appeal of fitted caps.

Several suppliers report their best-selling hat is a fitted one, with repeated kudos going to the Flexfit series. “This one-size-fits-all stretchable designed hat continues to be the most imitated style in our product line,” Stern reports. However, not all imitations are equal. “My 12-year-old son recently purchased this type of hat for $26 from a well-known rapper’s clothing line and, after a friend wore his hat, it stretched out and would no longer fit my son’s head. He has not worn the hat since.”

Beyond fitted headwear, other noted trends include sandwich bill caps; the use of moisture-management fabrics; low-profile, cotton styles; washed finishes; colors — from corporate to red, black, camouflage or pink; and special custom decorating touches including buckles, buttons, seam tape, sweatbands, labels, razor tags and visor tops and bottoms.

Headwear’s greatest charm is its longevity. “It’s one of the few wearables that is ‘one size fits most,’” Spangler explains. And, as Chris McConnell, vice president of sales and marketing for Outdoor Cap Co. in Bentonville, Ark., says, “People will wear a favorite cap every day versus wearing a shirt once a week.”

Clay Spurgeon, marketing manager for RCC Koozie/Norwood in San Antonio, says, “People like caps: They’re functional, fashionable and — if done well — look great, too. It all combines to create a product that end users will want to keep wearing, which keeps your name in front of the public.”

That public attention is what makes headwear such a great fit in the promotional products industry. “A cap is the perfect platform for advertisements,” notes Saferstein. “It is a walking billboard. Caps are always in style — only the look changes. Also, advancements and creativity in embroidery allow companies to express their message in many different ways, which allows you to differentiate from your competition.”

While many people look to unique hat styles to catch attention, original embellishments can be just as impressive. “Innovative decoration techniques are the hottest trend in headwear right now,” declares Jessica Johannes, marketing coordinator for PremiumWear in Minnetonka, Minn. “Headwear is one of the most prominent places for a logo and by combining that with an original decoration technique, you can make the hat stand out from the rest.”

Roger Carroll, vice president of marketing for Grandview, Mo.-based King Louie International, says many distributors aren’t aware of how much versatility clients have in decoration. What’s more, today’s manufacturers can be differentiated by their unique offerings, including in-house or domestic embroidery, different cap brands, hundreds of styles, low-minimums for high-end services and factory-direct pricing.

With all these options, no wonder business is booming. “Demand was so strong last year, that RCC has more than doubled our embroidery capacity for headwear,” states Spurgeon. A similar report comes from Soergel. “We focus on the surf, skate and activewear markets,” he says, “and have increased our polyester/mesh business three-fold.”

As business goes gangbusters for many suppliers, one simple truth remains: No matter how simple headwear may seem, there are always profound lessons to be learned (besides the fact that celebrities can breathe life into long-dead concepts). David Chen, sales and marketing manager for Mega Cap Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., couldn’t agree more. “Before I came into this industry, I thought headwear was just caps — but boy was I wrong,” he explains. “Headwear is more than just caps: It’s about style; it’s about personality; it’s a way of life.”

Wild Wild Life
Wacky insights from suppliers

• The average head circumference is 7.25 inches.
• Bucket hats and five-way panels may be on the fizzled fads list.
• Tucking a cap to hang out of your back pocket is becoming fashionable.
• One supplier’s largest order was 200,000 caps for a distributor to sell to Red Man Chewing Tobacco; another company manufactured more than 800,000 hats for a fast-food chain.
• To remove perspiration stains and odor from well-worn caps, apply a paste of baking soda and water 30 minutes before laundering.
• Wearing caps backwards seems to have turned around.
• All hats are not $1!
• No man has ever thrown out a hat without an ultimatum — or unsolicited assistance — from his wife.