Dress Hats

Headwear from Church to Derby

The peak time for dressy hat sales is now and this business doesn't have a lot of competition. So if you have what customers are looking for, you most likely have a captive audience. Church hats and derby hats are two separate markets, but the hats that appeal to these customers are the same.

The dressy hats that are dominating sales this season are sinamays, super widebrims, and traditional polypropylene dress hats. First sinamays have occupied the top spot in ladies dress hats for the last few spring seasons. The Queen's visit to the Kentucky Derby certainly helped when she appeared in a different suit and matching sinamay hat for every state function as well as the derby. Sinamays have British flair and the Brits certainly know how to design and wear dressy hats.

Another hot spot is super widebrims in straws or toyo. Ralph Lauren gave these hats a big push when his designs previewed the elegant look on the spring runways a year ago. Now we're in the second year of super widebrims and if you think they haven't caught on, type Kentucky Derby hats into Google Images and you will see oodles of them. Include this look with sinamays and you will have an impressive selection of spring dress hats.

Causal Hats

Festivals, Beaches, Outdoors, & Country Music

Almost anything outdoors calls for hats and the consumer attraction to them is growing every season. Accessories Magazine 2008 Census Report was recently released showing sales statistics for each major area of the accessories market. Hats enjoyed increased sales in 2008 over 2007 and the forecast for 2009 is up again.

When we think causal hats and outdoors, sun protection comes to mind first. Here again widebrims are enjoying great popularity. Fashion magazines show how stylish these hats can look and it doesn't take any special talent for someone to put these hats on and instantly get that great look. Call the widebrim "the easy-to-wear hat" that consumers feel at ease wearing.

The only hats that will outsell widebrims this summer are cowboy hats. Shapeable straws are the summer's leading seller in cowboy hats. These hats just look too good to ever go away. This authentic American look in headwear has character that everyone likes to identify with- especially the younger generation. The romanticized image of The Wild West didn't end with movies like Giant and stars like John Wayne. Changing Fashion by Annette Lynch and Mitchell Strauss is an up-to-date book on fashion that has a sub-chapter entitled Cowboy Culture Rides into the New Millennium. Guys especially are drawn to "the spirited appeal of the Western myth to the American imagination and sense of identity". But gals look stunning also in cowboy hats.

The recent airing of Country Music Awards shows how everyone can look cool in cowboy hats. For this crowd, western hats are more a necessity than an accessory. Be sure to include some straw cowboy hats in your casual headwear because inventory at the end of the season will most likely show these to be your best seller.

Trendy Hats

Cool Hats for Teens & Tweens

If teens and tweens are your customer base, then trendy hats are a must. This age group loves MTV and imitates the style of the entertainers they see. Trendy hats on the heads of celebrities this season are fedoras, newsboys (or cabbies), and ivy caps. These trendy hats are on TV, in the celebrity magazines, and strutting the runways.

All three are popular for summer 2009, but fedoras seem to be the top seller. Retailers are seeing a strong market for fedoras that includes both guys and gals. Stingy brim and the fifties look are both selling. Knits, linen fedoras, plaids, pinstripes-they are all doing well. With this kind of increase in popularity, you want to include some fedoras in your summer headwear selection especially if you have a young clientele.