Custom — when one hears this word in reference to menswear, usually the first thing that comes to mind is a suit. That’s no longer case. Men around the world are seeking to personalize their clothes, from collar shirts to pants. You may have heard this referred to as Bespoke. These days, you can get a bespoke suit, shirt, tie or even shoes, and now a bespoke cap, thanks to Gents.
Gents is a new lifestyle brand offering consumers upscale and sophisticated baseball caps and a custom-build e-commerce website that was founded by Josh Reed, former Calvin Klein PR Director.
“Baseball caps are a must-have for a man’s wardrobe, but lately seem to be flat brimmed or with a sports team logo. Gents aims to fill this niche by providing luxury, curved brim caps that one can custom build to fit their personal style and wear in a more upscale manor. Made of the finest fabrications, these caps exude a minimal and clean aesthetic that is still masculine and fashion- forward,” says Reed.
The Gents website uses award-winning technology for real time customization. Starting with a base fitted silhouette, customers can choose from a range of colors from neutrals, including black, navy and white to bolder colors such as royal blue and maroon. After selecting the base color, cap enthusiasts can select one of 24 pre-made graphics in black, white or tonal embroidery and then monogram 1-3 characters available on four locations. What makes designing your personalized cap so great is the ease and flexibility that the website offers.
When talking with Josh Reed, I wanted to know what separates his caps from any cap you that can get from a hat store. What I got from him was that it’s all about the detailing and construction of his caps. Each luxury cap comes with the brand’s signature royal purple detailing, including signature, trademarked taping and a stretch-fit band inside that provides the ultimate in comfort and the perfect fit along with the brand’s trademark vertical stripes as the rear logo.
As we all know, custom items can be costly, however Gents aims to make attainable luxury products. The caps prices start at $59 for the base collection and customization and run through $69 for a custom built monogrammed cap.
With the launch of the e-commerce website came along an ad campaign that was inspired by the classic Helmet Newton sensual images (see above). The campaign stars internationally renowned male models Adam Senn, Chad White, Kevin Sampaio and the introduction of Melissa Bolona. The campaign was shot by famed fashion photographer, Yu Tsai. The Gents 2013 advertising campaign captures classic, provocative and powerful images which communicate the masculine, sophisticated and luxurious brand ethos beyond the initial product offering of upscale caps. When asked who would be good brand ambassadors for the brand, Reed mentioned he would love to work with Ryan Gosling, David Beckham and Brad Pitt.
Next time you are going to get a custom shirt or suit think about adding Gents to your list. With a turnaround time for custom caps for about 7-10 days you could be wearing your custom cap in under two weeks.
To view the full collection or create your own cap, visit Gents at www.gentsco.com
-Phaon K. Spurlock
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