The road to the embroidered five panel cap
I've been a fan of hats for as long as I can remember, whether they were decorated by ninja turtles in the 80s or when my cousin brought back a 'proper' Bulls trucker from the states in the early 90s. I've always felt comfortable in them and seen them as an expressive, practical accessory.
Yep, there's that turtles hat.
Through my late teens and into my early twenties, style and fit became more important as inspiration was drawn from far and wide. I began to travel and explore different versions of skate culture through Europe, across the US, via the South Pacific to Middle Earth and Australia.
A popular silhouette in European skateboarding circles and one that I have personally adopted as my favourite style of the hat, still wearing on a daily basis today is the Five Panel.
Like most of today's clothing staples, the five panel hat originated for practical reasons becoming the domain of courier boys in the early 20th century. Their tighter fit and low profile appearance gives a classy look while fitting well and carrying that classic 'cap' look.
The Quiet Life are known for their Five Panels and an integral brand in the Skate industry. They're also a firm favourite of mine.
Zia Suarez rocking a Five Panel recently
Making sure our five panels were just right was super important to me which is why they didn't drop with our first collection. It was very much still a work in progress until it all came together and we dropped The Hoy Classics in Birch.
Esme wearing the Hoy Classics Five Panel Hat - Birch
Launching to immediate success through our own site, Wavelength and Etsy was super uplifting and more proof (if I needed any more) to follow my heart and passions, taking inspiration from my own life experiences and the influences that make me tick.
Skateboarding royalty Eric Koston has always championed a five panel
To follow the Classics Five panel, I knew I wanted to add a point of difference to the next style in the lineup. Electing to embroider our tri-colour logo to give the branding a more three dimensional feel, the new hat comes exclusively in black allowing the 4cm logo to truly pop with understated style.
A high stitch count is important when embroidering which is why you'll find no less than 6200 stitches in this relatively small logo.
The initial digital mockup and the finished piece
6200 digitised stitches
The Hoy Classics Embroidered Five Panel Hat - Pitch Black / Sunrise is 100% cotton making for a lightweight, comfortable hat as we enter Spring / Summer 2021. A style that we're sure is here to stay as we introduce more to the range over the coming months and years.
