Interview with Bruce Zales, Jaxon Hats Designer

The Hat Blog sat down with Bruce Zales in late October 2005 for this interview.  Bruce is the founder and designer of Jaxon Hats, JaxonHats.com. 

HB:  Bruce, thanks very much for stopping by.  We appreciate it. 

BZ:  Good to be here.

HB:  Bruce, why another men’s’ hat line?

BZ:  We had the capabilities.  We had the know-how.  We know what styles are classic and timeless.  We thought we could do it right.  We thought we could do it well.  We thought we could do it better - and we have. 

HB:  What differentiates Jaxon Hats from other men’s’ hat lines or hat brands? 

BZ:  Quality hats at prices that are much better than what is otherwise out there.  Twenty-five years of experience has gone into an analysis of what the customer wants.  We simply put this knowledge together into a package - this line of hats.  Also, nobody is doing the fabric hats like we are – the ivy caps, eight-quarter caps, walkers, spitfires and the like.  They are beautiful - really unique at anywhere near this price.   The values are phenomenal at $12.95 to $16.95.  We have been selling hats and caps like this imported from Italy at four-times this price.  They are beautiful hats, but these Jaxons are equally as beautiful at a fraction of the price.

HB:  We notice that you sell Jaxons at Wholesale or Business-To- Business.   Do you have to be in the hat business to buy at those lower prices? 

BZ:  Not necessary at all.  Simply go on line and add the hats to your cart.  It’s all set in pre-packs. 

HB:  So you need to purchase the pre-packs?

BZ:  Yes, you do have to take the pre-packs.  We typically ship in two days.

HB:  I can’t figure out what your logo is all about.  What can you tell Hat Blog readers about it?

BZ:  We were trying to come up with a name and a logo.  I was walking the dog - my dog - Jaxon.  I was trying to come up with an idea that would represent the line as well as it could possibly be represented.  The dog was doing something funny; he had a really goofy grin on his face.  He had that stupid dog smile and made my heart sing with joy.  I thought what is better to represent the line than Jaxon – true, loyal, good, faithful, and representing all of the goodness of mankind and life. 

HB:  What plans do you have for the Jaxon line in the future?

BZ:  We will be expanding more into straw.  We have been busy looking at samples.  Some, in fact, arrived today.  This analysis will all lead toward a major straw rollout.  The warm weather line will also include cotton hats and caps.  We have been busy discussing our requirements with various factories.  We hope to see what we envision come back to us as production samples soon. 

HB:  Thanks for sitting down with us today Bruce. 

BZ:  My pleasure. 

Comments

[Fred]

This is totally off-topic, so hopefully you won't take offense! But someone asked me earlier what the tassel on the top of a beret is called. Does it have a more prosaic term than 'tassel'?!

Thanks

[Arthur E. Lloyd III]

Where are your Derby hats manufactured ?

[Louis Burleson]

I wanted to buy one of your 8/4 white cotton twill newsboy hats. I cant find a store who sells them anymore. The village hat shop listed for San Diego says they are discontinuing this line. Is it possible to order a couple of these hats from the company that manufacturers them? If so how do I go about it. Thanking you in advance.

[thebathoholic]

What are your Fedora'a priced at. I like the look on both women and men.