The Big Interview


arrival of the 59Fifty cap by New Era into the mainstream in the late 90s caused some ripples in the headwear world for a while but, as Tony explains, its cost exceeded what football clubs were willing to pay for a cap.


“In America they sell the 59Fifty to your head size. Over here, if a guy wanted one, the reply would be ‘what size is your head?’ Who knows the size of their head? Whereas in the States people know the size of their head, believe it or not. The fitted caps sold really well, but shops were left with excess stock in small and very large sizes, which sinks your profit. As a buyer you would never know which sizes would sell, having said that New Era are getting something right as they are the most famous and successful headwear manufacturer in the world,” explains Tony.


Coming to the forefront With the onset of coronavirus at the beginning of the year, Tony and his team have seen other styles come to the forefront. Jacquard bobble hats have been a big winner in recent months, particularly in demand from rugby clubs, hockey clubs and the promotional world. Tony uses a factory in Turkey for these as the minimums and lead times are much lower. In the corporate world, businesses have been seeking embroidered beanie hats to put into care packages, along with other items such as hand sanitiser, for their employees and customers. For 2021, Tony predicts that the structured classic six-panel cap and unstructured dad cap will be very popular, in a move away from flat peak caps. “I think people are a lot more comfortable in a cap that fits their head properly,” he adds.


When it comes to decorating trends over the years, Tony has seen it all, from laser badges and ink-filled badges to badges that light up. However, nothing beats a good clean embroidery on the front of the cap. “It’s traditional,” he says. Tony has many tales to tell of his trips to China over the years to find factories to work with. He has dealt with one of his main factories for over 20 years and now works with half a dozen factories across the country.


“It still amazes me today the processes involved in making a cap. It’s quite remarkable. It starts with being just a sheet of fabric, then the panels are cut, then they sew the sweat band on, then they have to combine it with the peak. Then they add the inner label and another


person stamps the button on the top. Eventually, it becomes a cap. One of the factories we work with even makes the fabric from raw cotton. It’s quite an incredible process,” Tony explains. Some of the factories that Tony visits are huge, with embroidery set ups as big as car parks. “It’s so noisy as well!” he adds. One particular tale that Tony likes to regale about a visit to China starts by trying to find his way to the factory. The owners would not organise transport from his hotel to the factory, so Tony got in a taxi – and four-and-a-half hours later found his destination. “We eventually arrived, and the taxi driver looked warily at me. Neither of us spoke each other’s language, so I held a finger up to sort of say please don’t go anywhere! I was inside the factory 45 minutes before heading back to the taxi – it was horrific! Then the taxi driver took a wrong turn on the way back to the hotel and we ended up on a military base with helicopters circling above and machine guns pointing at us! Ten hours later, I managed to get back to the hotel, never to repeat the journey again. I took the hint that if the factory doesn’t want to pick you up there is obviously something to hide! Every trip is an adventure,” he says.


Plain stock To meet customer demand, 2020 saw Product Zone supply a plain stock range for the first time.


“During lockdown I began to think of other ways to expand our business. At every trade show we have attended, we get asked what plain stock we do. We’ve always had to point down the aisle and direct potential customers to our competitors. We thought we were missing a trick, so decided to launch a plain stock range. If someone wants just six hats or a thousand hats, we can now supply them from stock,” Tony explains. The range consists of 17 different hats, caps and beanies in a variety of colours. Printers and embroiderers can now purchase the same quality products that had previously been only attainable by merchandise buyers. These items are manufactured in China but stocked in the UK. An embroidery service is also offered by Product Zone. Tony expects this side of the business to grow rapidly in 2021 as word gets round of the plain stock range. As he approaches 40 years in the merchandise world, he says he has not regretted any job he has ever had and that it’s been an absolute blast.


We thought we were missing a trick, so decided to launch a plain stock range. If someone wants just six hats or a thousand hats, we can now supply them from stock.


– Tony Marks, director, Product Zone www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk


As with all items of clothing, hats come and go, in and out of fashion. Here are Tony's thoughts on what will be hot in 2021.


The sandwich peak has dipped in popularity in recent years and is unlikely to make a comeback this year


The embroidered bobble hat saw a boom in A/W 2020. This is likely to continue


The flat peak snapback remains a popular choice among a younger client base


The six-panel cap is a classic that will never go out of fashion


January 2021 |47 |


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