BUCKET HATS- HAT TRENDS

OK, OK, I know that I have been harping on about the admiral cap trend, so if you are not buying them or adding them to your line then it's your loss.
I have been watching the bucket trend percolate the past 6 months and I think I am ready to "call it". One of my buyers tried some units on my recommendation a few weeks back and is back for more as they sold out;-)).
It makes sense that the bucket/fisherman hat is trending if the retro admiral cap is happening.
They recently have donned the heads of performers like USHER, KID CUDI and SCHOOLBOY Q at the south by southwest annual music jamboree in Austin Texas.

USHER

SCHOOLBOY Q

• They have also shown up in a number of European men's runway shows.

Shaun Samson

MARGARET HOWELL

Stay posted............

WHAT IS BOILED WOOL?

Boiled wool is a special type of fabric primarily used in berets, scarves, vests, cardigans, coats and jackets. Created by a mechanical process using water and agitation, shrinking knitted or woven wool or wool-blend fabrics, compressing and interlocking the fibers into a tighter felt-like mass.

Boiled wool/felt yardage is created commercially by first weaving or knitting wool fibers resulting in a fabric of uniform thickness.

TUBULAR KNITTING MACHINE

UNDYED AND UNBOILED HATS

FLAT MACHINE FOR MAKING SCARFS

 The material may either be dyed first or left natural, with or without design and embellishment. Then "boiled" and agitated in hot water and suds. Thus, shrinking the fabric without the use of chemicals. The result is tighter and more dense and will have shrunk from twenty to fifty percent. Wool that has been boiled/felted is thought to be warmer, more durable and windproof.

If you have ever accidentally shrunk a wool sweater in hot water you are witness to the process of boiled wool.

In strictly woven fabrics, as opposed to knits, there is a similar wool finishing process called fulling.

During the boiling process the material is dyed into the fashionable colors of the season.

The workers check got even quality and a final pressing before the hats are sent to the sewing department  for the final finish and trimming.

WHAT IS SUBLIMATION PRINTING

Sublimation printing, also referred to as dye sublimation printing, is a printing method for transferring images onto a substrate (usually a cloth material such as polyester). Sublimation refers to a process where a substance moves from a solid to a gas state without ever being in a liquid state. Sublimation printing normally involves the use of a digital printer to produce mirrored images on paper that has been specially coated with a transfer material.

CAP VISORS PRINTED AND READY TO BE CUT AND SEWN.


Here we see a worker using a sublimation machine to print onto a sweatband.

The machine it totally automatic

The printed material runs through very hot finishing procedure.

For samples the process is still done my hand.