Designing For Hats (New Era, etc)

[the trendoid]

It seems like New Era hats are the new medium for all creative brand types. I know that to get these hats made you have to go to a local retailer who specializes in making hats for teams (like colleges, and little leagues, etc). Minimum orders are like 35 hats (a team's run) and can cost up to $35 each to be made. I'm curious to know if anyone has designed their own hats and gotten them made by New Era? What's the process like and what are the parameters for the design? Let's discuss.....

-TRENDOID

[powerglov]

I have also noticed New Era hats poppin up all over the place, and have been curious about this same process. I've heard my local skateshop has some comin in soon, Im gonna talk with them. If anyone knows, let us know.

[jjs home]

I've actually done this

I've designed hats for several local stores in my area.

as far as the process went it don't know the inner worknigs. i have a relationship with several stores owners in my area. so i just detailed out the hat to them. Haded them a printed out version of what logos I wanted and like 4 months latter they came in.

It was a little restricted, cause I just designed them for the store because I wanted them for myself. The store ordered like 60 and sold them for their own profit. They gave me two in my sz for designing, but I didn't really do the whole affiar for a profit, just to get a fresh fitted I wanted exactly

as it was explained to me the store made contact with their new era rep, showed him the designs and had to wait 4 months for the hat to come in. It can even take longer. Costs I wasnt involved with

best strategy, design the hat, and "sell"/ convince a local retailer to make it

[Blanc0]

New Era has a form to fill out when making hats with them. You pick base colors/fabrics (or you can use custom fabrics, but it's a bit of a different situation, and the lead times are longer, of course), then pick details, provide logos (or discs if you have your logo already digitaized for embroidery), and pretty much go from there. Usually you get a strike off of the embroidery for approval. The waiting game can be a little frustrating when you wnat them, and also, as with pretty much anything else in the industry, it ALWAYS takes longer than expected, reported.

[jjs home]

yeah the biggest hassle is the wait, but you have all the facts you need now, wihtout the exception of how to contact a NE rep. The sourcing of fabrics can be a major issue if you want a really special fitted, because they'll probbaly want you to help them get it. You could even go to new eras web site www.neweracap.com and check cause i do believe they have a custom order section

good luck

[genemachine]

anyone know some stores/brands that currently have some custom NE hats out? links or contacts would be sweet. i heard of DQM X NE hats a while back, have they dropped yet?

[jjs home]

huf, supreme, dqm, undefeated, and many more

those are just store spefic which is kinda the new craze, but many stores do others customs such as area codes, state outlines and all types of other stuff depending on how they work

[emmel is here]

Edited by emmel is here on Mar 16, 2006 at 11:51 PM

[genemachine]

how much for the blank ones? which colors do you have in size 7 1/2?

[emmel is here]

Edited by emmel is here on Mar 16, 2006 at 11:51 PM