Wallaroo Hat Company goes après ski in headwear:
Wallaroo Hat Company, the Boulder, Colorado based Aussie-inspired line of UPF 50+ hats launched a new hat line called the W Collection. The fashionable winter hats are in faux fur, suede and fleece, and retail for $40. According to Stephanie Carter and Lenya Shore, co-designers of the W collection, the line of colorful sun protective hats are for Après ski fashionistas and everyday urban and suburban dwellers. The W collection will be shown at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in August and will be available in stores and online this fall.

“Everyone knows that UV rays don’t take a break in the winter, in fact they often are more intense, due to the reflective nature of snow. That’s why we designed the W collection with sun protection for year-round use.”

The W collection includes the Tasmania hat, inspired by the classic shearling coat. It is made of faux suede with a faux fur interior and a 2 1/4” brim. The Brindabella is made of soft chenille braid with a 3 1/2” brim. The Melbourne is fleece with a faux fur interior and a 3” brim. Most Wallaroo hats have an internal or external drawstring to make it one-size fits most. The collection also includes 2 new bags.

For more information on the 2006 collection visit their site: www.wallaroohats.com.

The Wallaroo Mission: “Because Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the U.S, Co-founders Lenya Shore and Stephanie Carter feel a responsibility (and a calling), to make skin cancer prevention easy and attractive. Wallaroo donates hats to many groups, including the American Cancer Society. They recently donated 100 hats to cancer survivors who participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.” Contact them at: (303) 494 - 5949 or (303) 517 – 6260. mail@wallaroohats.com

BLOCK Headwear® and Mixwell® have created a Limited Edition Hat Line that mixes Block’s hip youthfulness with Mixwell’s musical savvy. The line is available at www.mixwellusa.com and at better specialty stores. The two brands connected a year ago after one of Mixwell’s DJ’s, Josh One started wearing a Block Hat. The collection of hats consists of six styles. The partnership was so successful that they have already planned a spring 2006 collection. Retail prices range from $28.00 to $65.00. The styles consist of: A knit Herringbone Cap with a small peak, a knit houndstooth beanie with a peak, an Oversized Beanie with open weave pattern that is hand-knit and oversized, a paneled knit ivy cap, an Argyle Trilby in brown/orange/light blue, forest/gold/black, navy/cardinal/tan and a DJ DooRag in Stripes. For more information check out: www.blockheadwear.com - for information on Mixwell see: www.mixwellusa.com. Sales inquiries: Kevinjohn Tandoc, Mixwell at 562.403.6381.

Hat Lover Opens Hat and accessory store in Ferndale, Michigan.
Mita Pasqualle, (a self-confessed Hat freak) recently opened an upscale savvy hat and accessory store called Pompadour in Ferndale, Michigan. She also received a nice write-up this week in the Detroit News. Although Pasqualle opened the Magic Bus in Dearborn, Michigan (with her husband) 10 years ago, she had a burning desire to sell more sophisticated hats. "I was disappointed with the selection of hats in this area. There are fine places for men, but not women. I've wanted to sell finer hats for years, but our store in Dearborn caters to people 18 to 30, who prefer less expensive hats, like Kangol.”

Pompadour attracts an older customer willing to pay up to $300 for a hat to go clubbing or to wear for church. With up to 200 hats to choose from, Pasqualle wants to provide a greater selection than department stores. "It's not like the old days when people wore hats all the time," she said. "But hats are coming back, more so now than a few years ago."

Pasqualle sells Rod Keenen hats, Eugenia Kim, Cha-Cha's House of Ill Repute, as well as sunglasses, jewelry and handbags, but she is looking for men’s hats that are hand blocked and hand-stitched in fur, felt or straw that retail from $150 - $200. So far the best selling hats are: The Kangol 504 cap, the fedora with stingy brim and the trilby. She is also selling Hobo bags from Hobo International very well (800-277-4626). If you have great men’s hats contact Mita at: (248) 545-1818 - 22442 Woodward Ave., Ferndale Michigan 48220. "I would love to do more accessories, more purses and I love jewelry," said Pasqualle.