| Boulder, Colorado-based Wallaroo Hat Co. manufactures an Australian-inspired line of UPF 30+ and 50+, colorful, fashion-forward everyday hats.
During September 2022 Surf Expo in Orlando, Stephanie Carter, CEO and founder, shared some of the trends the company is seeing at the coast. “Fedoras have been really big in the last few years. Also, color is really big.”
The company’s popular Sanibel hat was recently introduced in Cornflower Blue, and the Kristy hat, which has also been a big seller, is now available in coral. Made with a unique polypropylene fabric, it is extremely lightweight and packable, according to Carter — great to travel with.
Wallaroo has added a chin strap to many of its popular coastal styles “because so many people are asking for hats that can work well on a boat or if it is windy at the beach,” explains Carter. Visors have also gained traction. “With our visors, we tend to do slightly larger brims so you get more coverage. The company has also expanded its men’s line and introduced a petite size.
Wallaroo has seen a steady increase in sales — a trend that Carter expects to continue. “I think that coming out of the pandemic, people are spending a lot more time outside. You see a big increase in the number of people sailing, camping, hiking, running, walking. Our sales have doubled in the last five years, and we still see the trend continuing to go up.”
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