Hat Blog

The Fourth Annual Del Mar Pre-Race Day Betmar Hats Trunk Show

                             The Village Hat Shop & Betmar Hats

in anticipation of Opening Day at Del Mar 

presents

The Fourth Annual Pre-Race Day Trunk Show 

Saturday, July 12th

11am-2pm

at The Village Hat Shop in Seaport Village. 

 

Kimberli MacKay, Director of Design at Betmar, will be flying in from New York to help head up the event.  Customers will have the chance to meet with Kimberli, chat with her about her designs, the fashion industry in general or, most importantly, to have a hat selected "just for her". 

   

She will be bringing with her preview pieces from the 2009 Spring /Summer dress line.  Attendees will not only have the chance to sneak a peek of what designs are in store for next year, but will also have the chance to buy these hats, thus making their purchase "one-of-a-kind" until the line is formally released next spring. 

    

We will also have 50 of Betmar's custom high-quality hat boxes on hand, which are only available at trunk shows, to be given to the first 50 customers who buy a Betmar dress hat that weekend.

 

www.VillageHatShop.com

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Reviews

 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Reviews from a Hat-Centric Point of View

First of all – it wasn’t a premier; just a lowly screening.  Han Solo did not step out from behind the curtain.  Karen Allen was probably back on her farm in New England.  Spielberg was off planning his next serious project.  We were simply at an early viewing along with various other overweight fan boys, geeks and merchants of Indiana Jones various licenses.  Although the geeky skateboarding kid from Clueless who falls in love with Brittney Murphy was in attendance with his friends.  He seemed like a pleasant enough fellow.

So to be fair – right of the bat we were a bit disappointed.  We didn’t even get to view it at Mann’s Chinese Theatre as promised (and where I had never been).  It was at the multi-plex upstairs.  We were duped.  Mislead.  And aggravated.

When the movie finally started, our first partial glimpse of Indy in nearly 20 years came as a pleasant surprise – it was not actually our boy, but his hat.  And, I should add it looked damn good.  In fact the hat was a major character throughout the movie (and one of the best).  That can’t be a bad thing for the hat industry.

The movie on the other hand was sort of a disappointment.  It wasn’t a bad movie; in fact I’m giving it a B+ (just barely – like 87.5% with a cool teacher).  But compared to the first three (A+, 100% on Raiders, A-, 92% on Temple and solid A, 97% on Crusade), it just does not hold up.  Indy looked old – which is fine but they should have had much more fun with this fact.  Other than a couple brief mentions they seemed to ignore his advancing years as he beat the hell out of men half his age (sometimes three at a time).  Karen Allen looked like an aging athlete trying to get back in the game (think Larry Holmes circa 2004).  She seemed so pleased with herself that I kept thinking she was going to look at the camera, wink, and say, “Isn’t this just the greatest thing ever!  I’m acting!”  And as far as Shia LeBeouf goes, I have yet to be all that impressed with a single thing he’s ever done.  I don’t particularly dislike him mind you – he’s nowhere near my almost pathological hatred of Brendan Frasier (what has that jackass ever done that’s worth a damn and why is he famous and rich?)  He’s just blah.  And he continues his blah streak in this movie.  I mean, really – Shia LeBouf?  A tough guy with a switchblade?  Man, I am just not buying it.

Despite all that criticism, I was entertained for most of the two hours of the movie.  Any chance I get to see Indiana Jones/Han Solo/Rick Deckard on the big screen speaking in Mayan, brushing off cobwebs in some 4000 year old grave, cocking that beautiful hat and teaching some punk kid a thing or two, I still walk smiling.  Even if the story has some absurd holes and ridiculous twists towards the end, Harrison Ford has the ability make it all worthwhile, as anyone who came of age in the 70’s will attest to. 

My verdict is – go see it.  Just don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.

Bruce Zales – Designer of Jaxon Hats
www.VillageHatShop.com
www.JaxonHats.com

 

I would say the film is an 8.5, definitely a lot of action and an interesting story line.  I would rate it as the number 4 movie in the series. 

A lot of references to the hat, at least 3 majors ones that I remember.  The hat is almost a character in itself!  One interesting tidbit, Indiana Jones does wear a different color fedora in a few scenes in the movie.  A grey felt fedora with a black hat band; this hat is soon lost and never recovered. 

I caught a few references to the past storylines, I'm sure there were more that I didn't catch.

Cate Blanchett was great as the new villain - thirsty for power; and Shia LeBeouf played the rebellious youth, his energy was a great part of the entire cast ensemble.

As for Harrison Ford, he was great!  He still has that charm that guides us through all of his adventures throughout the world. 

The story touches upon the mortality of its main character, we learn that heroes can't live forever but their legends live on. 

All in all, I think the 4th installment stays true to the series, fun and exciting; I would definitely see it again!

Susan Lee – Designer of sur la tete Hats
www.VillageHatShop.com

 

I went to the screening of the new Indiana Jones movie last night! The picture will certainly be the blockbuster of the summer. It was fun, exciting and action pack. Harrison Ford played the classic Indiana Jones we all remember and loved. He still has it!

 

Best of all, the movie really focused in on the hat! Several close-ups and laughs drew attention to his hat. Truly solidifying the Indy trademark.

 

The movie ended with the hat blowing in from a gust of wind. It lands at the feet of the kid (Shia LaBeouf). He picks it up and is JUST about to put it on. You are thinking the hat is passing on to Indy's predecessor. BUT... Indy swiftly grabs it, puts it on, and strolls out of the building.

 

Classic ending that left you with a smile and relief Indiana Jones will live on!

 

Gear up for big "IJ" hat sales next week. The movie has sold it!

 

 

Lisa Deluca Zimmerman – Hat Seller of Official Indiana Jones Hats

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Coming Next Week

After a two decade hiatus, Indy is back. If you’re a HAT BLOG reader, you know that this is big news for the hat industry (see past postings either here at the HAT BLOG or at EZINEARTICLES.COM or VILLAGEHATSHOP.COM). Because we are authorized dealers selling the officially licensed Indiana Jones Hats, we have been invited to the world premiere of the movie this Tuesday in Los Angeles (yes, Harrison Ford will be there - we’ll say hello to him for you). Return to the HAT BLOG on Wednesday May 21st, to read the first movie reviews for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as we will post them on that day.

Hold on to your hats Indy fans, for the fun is about to begin again!

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com

Indiana Jones and the Fedora

New Movie coming May 22nd - Wear Your Indiana Jones Fedora to the Movie Theater!

The hat industry is buzzing, giddy in fact: “It’s coming. It’s coming.” No, it’s not the Russians or the Martians. It’s the new Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. These Indiana Jones movies – the first one was released in 1981 - have meant more to the hat business in the last half-century than any other event on the planet. [The only thing that comes close is the relatively new realization that hats serve an enormous benefit in protecting people from the harmful effects of the sun. Imagine, the direct relevance of hats to one’s health has had less impact on this industry than a series of movies!] Indy’s hat is a modern-day icon. Its current influence on the hat buying public is nothing short of phenomenal. The current popularity of fedoras can be traced to the first Indiana Jones movie when Indy, played by Harrison Ford, wears a safari style fedora, where the medium-to-large brim is turned down in the front and the back. The hat has become emblematic of the man. After that, all fedora styles took off. Today’s fashionistas like their fedoras with stingy (short) brims - very much on the other side of the fedora brim length continuum from Indy. Whether they know it or not, these young hipsters are the direct fashion descendents from Indiana Jones' Hat.

The newest installment is scheduled for release in May 2008. Harrison Ford was recently quoted, "I'm delighted to be back in business with my old friends. I don't know if the pants still fit but I know the hat will."

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com
www.Berets.com
www.JaxonHats.com

Customers Review Hats at VillageHatShop.com

A few months age VillageHatshop.com introduced Product Reviews at their site. Hats at the site have received hundreds of reviews and as a result of the feedback VHS says it will continue to improve their offerings.

Some highlights among the most highly reviewed hats will follow [5 stars is tops]:

For Men:

1. The Jaxon Crushable C-crown Fedora and Jaxon Crushable Pinch-front Fedora have received 32 reviews and 16 reviews respectively. C-crown averages 4.69 stars and Pinch-front averages 5.0 stars (all reviews are 5-star!) These two hats are very similar. Price is $28.95.
2. Wool Greek Fisherman’s Cap has 26 reviews averaging 4.88 stars. $19.95, made in Greece.
3. Indiana Jones Fur Felt has 24 reviews averaging 4.88 stars. $105. (New Indy movie is coming this spring.)
4. Golden Gate Panther has 9 reviews averaging 4.89 stars. $72, made in the USA.
5. Bailey’s packable/crushable hats all receive great reviews. Made in the USA.

For Women:

1. The Betmar Enchanted Cloche has 4 reviews (3 are 5-star and one is 4-star). $52. Many of the Betmar hats have been reviewed.
2. The Plaza Suite Bryant Park has 3 reviews, all 5-star. $125.
3. All the Canadian made sur la tete cotton berets – 10.5-inch Beret, 11.5-inch Beret and the Pointelle Beret – have good reviews. $12.95, $13.95, and $24.95 respectively.
4. The Lanakai by Scala is available in a large selection of colors and is very highly reviewed.
5. Ivy Caps and Eight-quarter Caps are very popular with women right now. The reviews have mostly been great.

For Either Men or Women:

1. Virtually every Beret has been reviewed and people like them all. The big winner is The Jaxon Basque Beret with 11 reviews - all 5-star! We import this beret directly from Basque Country, in the Pyrenees Mountains in Spain. $48.
2. The Kangol 504 Cap has 15 reviews averaging 4.87 stars. $33.60.
3. The Maroon Fez with a Black Tassel has 6 reviews, all 5-star. We offer many different fez/tassel color combinations in this same quality all-wool Fez. $16.95.
4. The French Pith Helmet and the Indian Pith Helmet have of 4 reviews each - 5 are 5-star and 3 are 4-star. $28.95.
5. The USA made Deerstalker (Sherlock Holmes) Hat has 7 reviews averaging 4.43 stars. $25.95.

By far, the Jaxon line is the brand with the most reviews. People seem are nuts for these hats.

Importantly, you no longer need to take VillageHatShop.com’s word alone with regard their products. These customer reviews add a lot of information.

Jaxon Hats Brings The Authentic Basque Beret To North America

Everything we wear is made in China these days, right? Wrong. It’s true that berets – classically European - are made in Asia and sold in droves in North America, but not all berets.

This iconic headgear originally hails from Europe’s Pyrenees Mountains, home of the Basque culture. With the US Dollar consistently losing ground to the Euro and the quality of apparel from Asia getting better all the time, who in their right mind these days would go to Europe for hats? Answer: Jaxon.

“In our quest for the best, we wanted to bring this authentic headwear to our customers where the differences in quality are obvious,” says Jaxon Hats designer Bruce Zales. Pressed for details, Zales begins by lecturing on the making of wool felt, likening it to a kind of “conjuring” where one hatter’s felt-making formula (compressed, entangled fibers making an incredibly strong material) can be “light years” better than another’s. The quality of the wool-felt material is the important starting point in any felt hat, and if that were the only difference it would be sufficient reason to go to Europe for the Basque Beret. But it’s not the only difference. This meaty pure virgin wool beret is “Impermeable” (Waterproof). The sweatband (many berets don’t even have sweatbands) is made from genuine leather (most US importers of European berets have gone to vinyl as a cost saving strategy). The lining is sewn (not glued) to the inside top of the hat, but not on the sides (so that the beret can “breath” on the wearer’s head). Together, these details make a big difference in comfort, looks, and functionality.

Price? Not an arm and a leg, as Jaxon purchases the substantial quantities required for working directly with the factory-no middleman. The retail is $48 and bulk purchasers/resellers can buy directly from Jaxon at $27.50 each with a purchase of 12 units minimum. You’ve got to see these berets to appreciate this value. Stay warm, stay dry, and be cool.

The Jaxon Basque Beret is available in three colors: Black, Navy, and Grey. Five sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, Double-extra Large.

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com
www.Berets.com
www.JaxonHats.com

The Baseball Cap

The baseball cap in an American icon. It is in fact the only hat style that is an American creation. Its popularity in the United States received a big boost in the era of Babe Ruth, when baseball fans wore the cap as a badge of identification with their favorite team. This simple and functional style was a perfect fit for a country that glorified democracy, anti-elitism, and the like. Baseball, the national pastime and a passion for more than a few, also had the distinction of being the only American sport where a hat was an official part of the uniform. A cap could be created with the logo and colors of a basketball, football, or hockey team, but only in baseball could you wear an exact replica of the hat worn by your heroes on the field. From there it was a short step for truckers, farmers, and laborers to incorporate the ball cap as de rigueur in their daily attire. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the baseball cap become a hot fashion item, propelled in large part when it became associated with hip hop music artists. Like Coca-Cola and McDonalds, the baseball cap became a symbol of America. Those who feared American hegemony wouldn’t get near one, but those who wanted to identify with American popular culture, began their wardrobe with a ball cap on his or her head and sneakers on the feet. Today, I think you’d be hard pressed to find any American without at least one ball cap style in his or her closet, drawer, or car trunk. Imagine that! With the explosion of digitized embroidery and advances in silk screening, the ball cap with its message on the crown became a walking billboard. With a message on the top of one’s head, the wearer could let the world know just what brands they preferred, their political point of view, their favorite activities, where they’ve traveled lately, their favorite band, movie or cartoon character, and of course, the roots of it all, their favorite team. Hence, a perfect headwear marriage, made in America. A simple, portable/pack-able, functional, even mundane, hat style popularized by middle-America now adorned with a personal, individual, specific, colorful, message attesting to the wearers unique preferences and choices.

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com

The Fedora

Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. Clark Kent and FDR. What happened to the Bowler and the Top Hat? After all, for most of the 20th Century, up until 1960 when John Kennedy took off his hat at his presidential inauguration, men were not considered dressed for work without a hat. In that century, the fedora was king (also known as a trilby in Europe) supplanting, in short order, all other styles for men. Although the style is mostly associated with men, the name “Fedora” comes from the heroine of French playwright Victorien Sardou’s drama presented in Paris in 1882. She wore the hat style that would become the hallmark of movie tough guys, Chicago gangsters, private eyes, newspaper reporters--in fact by the 1930s, virtually every man who put on a suit of cloths topped off with a fedora. If you are reading this and your grandfather came from either Europe or North America, chances are he wore a fedora. Today, the fedora is, hands down, the best selling men’s style (we’re talking full size hat-not ball caps and the like). The safari style, a fedora crown with a brim turned down in the front and the back, received a huge boost with the Indiana Jones movies where Indy’s hat was emblematic of the man. When we in the hat business engage our fantasy of men’s hats coming back in general fashion, what we picture is the fedora. The fedora was and can be again, everyman’s hat--the true successor to the bowler. Snap the brim and let your girlfriend know “Here’s looking at you kid.”

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com
www.JaxonHats.com

The Beret

Although worn as military headgear in ancient Greece, the modern origin of the beret is traced to the Basques, people living on both the French and Spanish sides of the Pyrenees Mountains. Centuries ago, the Basques were great fishermen and sailors, a fact that might explain the appearance of a very similar hat in Scotland. Both the Scotch tam and the beret are woven in one piece without a seam or a binding. The original Basque beret was either navy blue or red, but today the beret is available in a wide array of colors. An influence of WW1 was the general adoption for sports wear by both men and women, of that very smart dark blue cap worn by the French Alpine troops, the age-old Basque beret. Few items of clothing have been adopted by so many varied groups of people living in different periods of history as the beret. In WW11, the French Resistance movement, the Maquis, wore the Basque beret. Because it was the most common French headwear, the Maquis was able to wear it without bringing undo suspicion to this covert operation. The covert military connotation was propelled further when the beret was taken up by special forces, often with the suggestion of ‘undress’ uniform, such as USA Green Berets, Black Berets (USA Rangers), UN Blue Berets, to name a few. It was a short leap for these sub-surface ciphers to have been embraced by artists and revolutionaries. Che Guevara, a hero of the Cuban revolution, made the beret a worldwide symbol of the revolutionary guerilla fighter. The Guardian Angels, a vigilante group who patrols the subways and streets of some of the world’s major cities, wear red berets. And who can forget that American artist and revolutionary, Monica Lewinsky hugging President Clinton in her beret?

Fred Belinsky
www.VillageHatShop.com
www.Berets.com