LIDS Hat Blog

Minor League, Major Craze

LIDS Minor League Baseball selection is yet another example of you wanted it, we listened and now it’s in stock.  In a grass roots effort stemming from customer requests in our stores for hats bearing local MiLB teams, the program initially started out with five skus and has quickly grown to what will be nearly 200.  As online sales through the LIDS website continue to fuel the demand, the question that now comes to mind is whether or not the increase in popularity is due to a fan driven interest in the league or just another fashion craze? 

When looking at MiLB attendance stats,  numbers have been on the rise.  According to the latest digits posted by the league, so far in 2010 more than 21 million fans have come out to root on their favorite teams.  This is up from 2009, which was recorded at nearly one million less for the same period.  Seemingly, the famous American Pastime no longer appears to be a thing of the past.  So are reasonably priced tickets and ballpark food the reason behind the cap craze, or is it something entirely different?  Could it be MLB fans have discovered a new appreciation for the affiliates of their favorite major teams?  

As a fashion-conscious society, it could be that we are just craving a little diversity in our sports fashion.  Spotting local trends, teams representing the colors light blue and dark blue have primarily done quite well.  Other trends could be affected by an affinity for different mascots.  A few teams that have been rocking the popularity charts include the defunct Albuquerque Dukes (they are now the Albuquerque Isotopes), Everett Aqua Sox, Quad Cities River Bandits (primarily due to their new logo) and the Wilmington Blue Rocks. 

 

  

So for all those fans rockin' the latest LIDS MiLB fashions, tell us which one is the reason behind your decision.  Is there a particular local team you follow?  

As always, check out lids.com for the latest and greatest selection in MiLB hats.

Saddle Up For The End of Summer With A Straw Hat!

With only about a month of summer left, many people are flocking to the nearest beach or to a great concert with their friends in order to soak up as much  sun as possible.  The summer is always a great time to catch up with your friends at a beautiful outdoor venue and enjoy some of your favorite tunes.  Many of  music’s biggest and brightest stars are touring across the country this year including Keith Urban, Jack Johnson, Tim McGraw, Dave Matthews Band, Lady Antebellum, Tom Petty, Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga and many others. 

While traditional cowboy hats are the norm among many of country music’s biggest names, many concert goers rock out in straw hats to set off their summer look.  While country music fans love to get decked out in full country gear – from their straw hats all the way down to their cowboy boots, others have been taking a cue from celebrity style opting for the more chill, casual straw fedora for their tailgating and concert look.  Ashlee Simpson (above) wears a straw fedora and illustrates straw hats aren't just for country music artists any longer.    

Whether gearing up for the beach with a sun hat or catching a concert in a straw hat, be sure to visit your local LIDS retail store or online at lids.com to grab all your straw hats.  As always, stay up to date on all the current hat happenings and releases by checking in daily with the LIDS Blog.

Photo:  Ashley Olsen (left), Drew Barrymore (center) and Cameron Diaz (right) all sport super chic straw fedora hats to compliment their stylish looks. 

   

Photos: Ashley Tisdale (left) rocks a straw fedora hat with a casual light, layered look.  Jessica Simpson (right) flaunts a classic straw cowboy hat with a flirty dress and cowboy boots. 

New Styles Arriving Daily!

We've got so many new styles arriving daily that it's difficult to choose which ones to highlight.  So many hats, so little time!  We have TONS of new styles ready to hit our site and store shelves so be sure to check lids.com daily!  For your viewing (and wearing) pleasure...

MLB Digitone New Era 59Fifty

MLB Team Crest New Era 59Fifty
(additional teams are still being added to the website)

 

NCAA Playmaker by Nike Team Sports

MLB C-Script New Era 59Fifty

 

Monster Hats

One of the more frequent requests we receive is for Monster Energy hats.  So much so that we have a difficult time keeping them in stock.  However, we currently have two sick Monster Energy hats and a stylish tee available and wanted to share.

The Monster/Bong Fitted (shown right) is a collaboration between Billabong and Monster Energy.  It is a fitted New Era 59Fifty that features an embroidered Monster Energy logo on the front, Billabong logo patch on the back and New Era flag on the left wear side.  Billabong + Monster Energy + New Era = Gotta have it!

Monster Energy is well known among the action sports world for their sponsorship of some of today's top extreme athletes and events.  Monster Energy has sponsored everyone from Ken Block (rally car racer), Rob Dyrdek (skate and MTV reality TV personality), TJ Lavin (BMX and MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge host), Shane Dorian (surfer) and Ricky Carmichael (motocross rider turned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver). 

In addition to his MX duties, Ricky Carmichael is now driving the No. 4 Monster Energy-backed Chevrolet Silverado for the high profile Kevin Harvick All-Stars team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  Known as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), it's only fitting this this cap showcases some of the great brands of all time in the action sports realm.  Without further adieu, the Fox Racing Monster RC Replica Flex hat and Fox Racing Monster RC Replica Tee. 

So what do you think?  Will you be wearing the M-claw loud and proud?  Do you have a favorite Monster Energy sponsored athlete or perhaps a favorite Monster Energy drink? 

"The Dark Side" of the ESPYS

As one of the few people left NOT to have seen the Academy Award winning movie The Blind Side, I was a bit lost during the "The Dark Side" trailer which was shown during the ESPYS.  The parody showcased a crazed Sandra Bullock and frightened Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. 

I rarely watch movies (it's sort of an running joke around the office that I've never seen Back to the Future), but I've had The Blind Side on my list of movies to watch for quite some time.  I took full advantage of a lazy Sunday and finally rented it from Red Box.  What a great movie!  Of course, it was a bit predictable--in part because it was based on a true story, but who doesn't like an easy to follow movie that wraps up nicely and leaves you feeling triumphant on a Sunday afternoon?   

For those of you that missed the ESPYS or who refused to watch because Norm McDonald is no longer hosting, here's the clip from "The Dark Side."  If you've got some extra time, check out the goofs and the trivia on IMDB.  Having recently watched the movie, I can recognize several of these situations where aspects were inconsistent.  All in all, The Blind Side (which also won an ESPY for Best Sports Film) is definitely worth renting. 

Have you seen any great sports movies lately?  Which sports film is your favorite?  How about any good movie that's worth paying almost $20 to see in a theater?  Perhaps only rental worthy? 

A ‘Major’ Return to Greatness: Tiger Woods Chases The Open Championship at St. Andrews

Tiger Woods and a star studded field return to the Old Course at St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, for this year’s Open Championship.  Tiger is hoping to capture his third Open Championship at the historic Old Course and in the process regain his spot as the best golfer in the world with his first victory of the year.  In his pursuit for another major championship, Tiger will try to cure his putting woes and battle the strong Scotland winds dressed head to toe in Nike Golf gear.  For the first time in over a decade, he has swapped out his Scotty Cameron putter for a new Nike putter, completing a full takeover from his Nike sponsorship from his TW hat, to his shoes, to everything golf-related in his bag.

Tiger has been seen sporting the white Nike TW Tour Swoosh Flex Cap in his practice rounds while perfecting his stroke with the new Nike Method putter, which he hopes will lead him to his fourth Claret Jug.  While Tiger has already been seen battling the elements and the British press, he eagerly awaits the first tee where he can slip behind his Nike shades and back into his comfort zone as he aims to take apart The Old Course like he did in 2005.

Will Tiger claim his fourth Open Championship and raise his black Nike TW hat in triumph on Sunday?  Or will defending champion Stewart Cink repeat and show the world another brilliantly colored Nike Golf Tour Perforated Cap like last year? Tune in to watch all the The Open Championship action this weekend and visit lids.com for all your Nike Golf Hats and Sunglasses.

Stay tuned to see whether Tiger can regain his form at the birthplace of golf and outlast the field to capture his 15^th major title by making sure to visit your local LIDS retail store or online at LIDS to grab all your Nike Golf hats and sunglasses.  As always, stay up to date on all the current hat sightings and releases by checking in daily with the Lids Blog.

Started Here

Lafayette, Indiana. It is commonly associated with its location across the Wabash River from West Lafayette, home of Purdue University.  Hat fans should hold a certain reverence for this ordinary midwest city as its Tippecanoe Mall is the birthplace of Hat World, Inc.  The July 12, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Journal & Courier newspaper featured LIDS' ownership group's humble beginnings.  Below is a photo of Store #1 back in the early days and featuring Company Co-founder Glenn Campbell greeting customers at the door. 

STARTED HERE

Built in Lafayette, businesses find a wider world of customers

By MAX SHOWALTER
mshowalter@jconline.com

City limits and county lines couldn't hold them. Not when there were customers to be served and money to be made.

Hat World, Arni's and Lafayette Auto Supply are names that have spread across the state -- and, in one case, beyond. And they are companies that got their start in Lafayette.

At Tippecanoe Mall, the familiarity of a national brand with local roots wasn't lost on Hat World customer Ryan Bunting, who was checking out the selection over the weekend. Sporting a spotless, spring training model New York Yankees cap, the Lafayette resident said he knew Hat World's start.

"I got this one last week down in Indy," Bunting said, tipping his cap. "Always looking for something different. And I always tell them down there that I know where the first one was -- that I get stuff from the first store. They think that's pretty cool."

From its first store at Tippecanoe Mall in Lafayette, which opened in time for Christmas shopping in 1995, Hat World has grown to more than 900 shopping mall-based stores throughout North America. The company started by selling officially licensed ball caps that bear the logos of college and professional teams.

"You have to be half crazy to work in retail," said Glenn Campbell, vice president of strategic initiatives for Hat World Inc. He was co-founder of the company with Scott Molander, who now serves as senior vice president of real estate.

"Scott and I thought we had a neat idea. We had a business plan for five stores. All were supposed to be local -- Champaign, Muncie, college towns. It took off ... and has almost taken on a life of its own. It's pretty amazing."

When it was launched, Hat World had a 60-day lease with Tippecanoe Mall. Campbell sometimes slept in the back of the store after he closed at night, so he'd be there to open in the morning. Sales in the first two months totaled an astonishing $108,000.

"It's almost like you're the typical entrepreneur, living hand to mouth anyway. You worked all those hours yourself," he said. "When I look back on it now, it was really different. If I was 30 again, I'd try it again."

Growth has been rapid for the specialty retailer. Hat World acquired Lids Corp. in 2001, Hat Zone Inc. in 2002 and Cap Factory Inc. in 2003. In 2004, the company that got its start in Lafayette was bought by Genesco Inc. for $165 million.

Now, a $22 million expansion of its Indianapolis headquarters and distribution operations, coupled with the acquisition of competing companies in the embroidery and screen-printing industry, translates into more progress.

"Retail is a service industry. We were fortunate enough to find a niche that young people clamor for. We've been lucky along the way," said Campbell. "If you just take care of the customer and have the right products in stores, you'll have those customers for life.

"I truly believe if you have a concept, are willing to work hard and surround yourself with good people, you'll succeed. I still will shop places where I'm treated good. Trust me, I'll be back. If you're going to be in retail don't be afraid to take a chance."

Click here to read the entire article.

In other LIDS news, the Indianapolis Business Journal also featured LIDS the same day as the J&C article.

LIDS Daily Poll: Would you rather...?

NEW YORK -- Japanese eating champion Takeru Kobayashi has been freed after a night in a New York jail over a hot dog scuffle.

via sports.espn.go.com

Everyone knows the game "Would you rather?" so after this weekend's annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest I pose this question...would you rather eat 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes or spend a night in jail?

LIDS is full of uber competitive people; however, eating 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes might be a bit much, even for this group. Give us your thoughts...hot dogs or jail? 

What's the silliest task that you've turned into a competition?

The Chase Is On: Who Will Sign Lebron James and Other Star Free Agents?

After months of speculation, the NBA free agency signing period has finally arrived! The futures of some of the biggest names in basketball will begin to take shape as stars visit NBA executives all around the country seeking maximum contracts and championship quality teams in an effort to dethrone the Los Angeles Lakers.

As soon as the clock struck 12:01 AM Thursday July 1^st, NBA teams began to roll out the red carpet for the biggest and best free agent class the league has ever seen. 

The most coveted player in the star studded class is none other than Lebron James.  Many NBA teams have been prepping themselves for the summer of 2010 for the last few years in an effort to land the two time league MVP and seriously contend for the NBA title.  The Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and New Jersey Nets are all expected to make the biggest pushes to sign the featured attraction of the free agent class prying Lebron out of his hometown away from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Other teams are eagerly awaiting the first domino to fall with Lebron’s decision and then the free agent feeding frenzy can begin.  Where do other top free agents like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh end up?

 
Do the Miami Heat stun the league and sign Wade, Bosh, and Lebron effectively changing the competitive landscape of not only the Eastern Conference, but the NBA as a whole? Can the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and the Phoenix Suns resign their star players in hopes of capturing that elusive NBA championship?  We will begin to see answers to many of these questions as free agency heats up the summer. 

Will Lebron see his name in bright lights in New York for the Knicks or the Nets next year? Or will D-Wade be able to lure him down to South Beach to play for the Heat?  Where do you think Lebron will end up? Are looking forward to possibly a dream team situation in Miami with the Heat signing Wade, Lebron, and Bosh, like I am?

Stay tuned to see where Lebron and other top free agents sign by making sure to visit your local LIDS Store or online at lids.com to cop your favorite player’s new team gear.  As always, stay up to date on all the current hat sightings and releases by checking in with the Lids Blog.