THE TRASHY SIDE OF FASHION

In case you haven’t heard, the New York City Sanitation cap is a runaway best seller.

“The fashionable brown cap, with the Sanitation Department light blue logo, is the new must-have item - even among celebrities - since the city launched the products last year. The collection is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's goal to profit from the city's official landmarks and logos,” said the AP report.

'I'd wear that,' said Tam Smail, a 33-year-old tourist from Edinburgh, Scotland, who tried on the cap while browsing for souvenirs at a Times Square shop. 'It's a very popular look right now. You see it everywhere.'

The Police Department and Fire Department have sold souvenir T-shirts, sweat shirts, caps, mugs and toy vehicles. But sales were below $1 million annually until after September 11th, when they surged to $28 million.

Mayor Bloomberg's administration realized the city was losing millions of dollars because City Hall lacked a central licensing operation to capitalize on the city's popularity and help eliminate unauthorized use of its logos.

The new company - called NYC Marketing – has the sanitation cap (which is sold at Target stores) and T-shirts. The city's film and television agency has also produced tees and loungewear stamped with a 'Made in NY' logo.

The agency's marketing strategy includes promoting the merchandise to Hollywood stars to generate a buzz. Martin Scorsese, Nick Lachey, Liv Tyler, James Gandolfini and Jamie-Lynn Sigler have been seen wearing different NYC items.

Officials are currently focusing on promoting the FDNY, NYPD, Sanitation, Film, Transportation, Parks and the Taxi & Limousine Commission.

The designs are created by manufacturers that submit bids to the city. Marketing officials give them direction as to how they view the city's agencies and brands, and the manufacturers propose the styles.