The headwear market is doing quite well these days, thanks to durable materials, unique decorations, and the rising popularity of both trucker and dad hats. Suppliers are inspired by treatments such as sublimation, patch decoration, and embroidery to appeal to end users across the board. Demand has been—and will continue to be—incredible for headwear as the year progresses, suppliers assert.
Laurie Prestine at Golden State Activewear reveals that Multicam dad hats are trending because they are ideal for decoration and available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. “Driving this trend is the popularity of streetwear, designers, and influencers,” she shares. “Multicam adds a new dimension to the classic dad hat design.”
Jan Ennis of MV Sport Trends agrees that the garment-washed twill dad cap continues to be a top trend. “The popularity of performance fabrics has crossed over into headwear making these hats in high demand,” she contends. “These headwear trends are driven by casual clothing that is designed for exercising and is now worn everywhere.”
According to Continental Headwear’s Miranda Persaud, it’s all about retail. “We find that a lot of customers are looking for durable fabrics and out-of-the-box decorations, but at a fraction of the retail cost,” she says. “We’ve been working on more retail-type caps recently as opposed to the basic six-panel that has been done time and time again as free giveaways, etc. Everyone is looking for a little more bang for their buck.” Persaud points to the following as emerging 2019 trends: dad hats, visors, buckets caps, and knit caps.
Emily Potter at Outdoor Cap Company, Inc. also weighs in on the popularity of retail-inspired headwear. “We look at styles that are bought and sold in stores, as well as looks we see on social media influencers to inspire the new products we’re developing,” she comments. These trends inspired the company to add corduroy and quilted styles to their repertoire, to name a few.
“Trucker hats are still super hot in the promo market,” Potter continues, noting that the company’s favorite new style is an adjustable cap available in the “Pro Round Crown” shape that features a stretch-mesh with a soft snapback closure.
In agreement that trucker hats are on fire, is Paige Hofer at Sportsman Cap & Bag. “Out of Oregon, the Richardson brand is in demand—not just in the Northwest, but across the country,” she enthuses. “The Richardson 112 Trucker Snapback is the hottest hat out there! With over 70 color combinations this trucker snapback sells itself. It resonates with different demos and is building a passionate following. People now know the brand and are asking for it by name.”
Kati Sportcap & Bag’s Danny Spier believes that hats are a cost-efficient brand builder and mini- walking billboard for messaging, that makes them a go-to promotional product, adding that trucker caps are a recurring trend made popular by companies like John Deere and retail brands such as North Face. “The trucker is always evolving, but a new embroidery trend seen on the trucker has recently emerged with decoration on the left front panel—giving the trucker cap a new flair,” he says.
Patch decoration is a current top headwear trend, Rhyen Campbell of Cap America asserts. “Whether it be embroidered, leather, sublimated, or another technique, patches are a very trendy decoration option,” Campbell explains. “The driving force behind this trend seems to be a desire for retail-inspired looks. Headwear suppliers have always done well in the promotional products industry with classic fits and fabrics, but we are starting to branch out into more fashionable styles and colors. With that comes a need for more fashion-forward decoration methods, patches fit that need. “
Headwear suppliers are buzzing about the new and best-selling products that are available in this market segment. Specialized sublimation applications, unique treatments, and one-of-a-kind fabrics and styles will perform well this year, according to suppliers.
Hofer at Sportsman Cap & Bag is extremely excited about the company’s new chunky knits and pigment-dyed hats. “Our new Sportsman SP90 Chunky Knit is an immediate hit,” she states. “Available in eight colors, including heathers; this fashion-forward beanie is a winter wonder.
“Our Sportsman pigment-dyed hats come in a variety of styles—including a trucker, dad hat, and visor,” she continues. “They are getting rave reviews for their comfort and color variety. Sales have been strong in collegiate and resort categories.”
Over at Kati Sportcap & Bag, Spier notes than emerging decoration styles has been to match the embroidery to the mesh color of the trucker for a tone on tone look.
Hot on the tail of the trucker cap is the dad hat, which has been the top seller at Continental Headwear for the past several years. Persaud notes that it is a durable enzyme-washed chino twill with classic slide buckle closure. The company has also introduced a recycled polyester cap due to the growing demand for environmentally friendly products, which is made out of all recycled materials, bottles, wasted fabric etc. “This helps to reduce waste and also gives a cost-driven product that is still pretty high quality for a low cost,” she explains.
Different fabrics are all the rage at Cap America. “New for us this year are several different fabrics, including chambray, corduroy, and a blended wool acrylic,” Campbell says. So far, the company’s best sellers are a modified flat bill with a blended wool acrylic front and colored trucker mesh (available in red, navy, white, and black) and an “Easy Shade” retro green undervisor.
Ennis at MV Sport also speaks to the importance of new sublimation applications, patches, and unique styles and fabrics. “Basic garment-washed twill will continue to be our best seller, but we are seeing increased sales in our sublimation and performance fabrics,” she comments.
Outdoor Cap Company’s Potter reports that snapbacks and mesh backs are still very trendy in all markets, especially when complemented with the company’s Pro Round Crown shape. “Dad hats with low profiles, washed fabrics, and soft mesh are still popular among millennials,” she notes. “Heathered looks and performance fabrics are dominating headwear in the athleisure market, and fishing camouflage is breaking into the outdoor sporting industry. Two distinct fabrics are making a fast comeback in the promotional apparel space: corduroy and suede. We have incorporated those into our 2019 line.” The company has also released its first ponytail cap this year due to industry demand. “Our customers kept asking us when we were going to have a ladies shape with a cut-out for ponytails and buns, so we set our product development team to the task,” she adds.
Multicam is a top performer at Golden State Activewear, Prestine notes, adding that the Yupoong 6245CM dad hat is noteworthy with two Multicam patterns receiving attention.
Suppliers agree that samples sell. “Chunky knit and pigment-dyed caps are a sure thing right now.” Hofer Sportsman Cap & Bag comments. “Get samples in hand and you’ve got a sale.” Kati Sportcap & Bag’s Spiers agrees, adding that the best way to sell a cap is to walk into a customer’s office with a sample cap already embroidered. Ennis at MV Sport agrees that it is important to provide a sample that customers can touch and feel.
Persaud at Continental Headwear takes this concept one step further, urging distributors to offer customers spec samples at no cost. “It’s nearly impossible to sell primarily based on a virtual image on the computer,” he says. “We find that giving our customers all the tools they need to make the sale really helps to close the deal.” He cites no charge spec samples, sample kits, no charge DST tapes, and setups as well as offering to go to one-on-one meetings with them, attending end-user shows etc. “It’s all about communicating, asking the right questions, and giving the right tools.”
Hats act as a walking billboard right at eye level that will never be covered up by a jacket like a T-shirt will, Potter of Outdoor Cap notes. “It’s a proven fact that consumers have a more positive impression of a brand after seeing someone else wearing their logo,” she states. “Once your customers understand the value of headwear, it’s just a matter of picking which cap is right for their brand. 
Recent studies by ASI show caps average 3,400 impressions and are kept for 10 months. However, what these studies don’t consider is if you really know the audience you’re targeting, you can design a cap that will far exceed the average.”
Vaughn at Vantage Apparel recommends that distributors look at their favorite team gear. “You’re seeing these types of looks become hot sellers,” he says. “Or spend a few minutes walking around a mall and take note of what headwear is prominent. You can provide your client with those same looks. If it is on trend it will be on recipients’ heads and not tossed in a closet.”
Prestine at Golden State Activewear concludes, “The great thing about selling hats is that they are unisex and take a variety of decoration—embroidery, screen printing, and patches. This makes it easy to match a customer’s budget and style. Customers can get creative with design and imprint areas. It’s easy to choose a hat and own it.”