Ecommerce shops or High street

I am writing this post, as someone who has been, and still is, on both sides of the fence, what I mean by that, is that I am both a retailer and a consumer. So, armed with my experiences I am going to try to sum the whole thing up from both points of view.

I was in my local town recently handing out flyer's for Outcast Hats, 10 minutes into it, I suddenly felt an extreme sense of guilt, shoving flyer's into peoples hands seemed quite invasive, about 20 minutes in, I had a retailer giving me grief because he sold hats too, this brought on a second bought of guilt, times being hard for the high street and so on, and there I was, promoting a company on a local high street that retails worldwide.

After this experience, I gave some thought to my day and on reflection, I can see why shoppers and shops are going online.

From a customers point of view: You can shop from the comfort of your sofa or desk, you don't have pests shoving flyer's into your hands, there's no queue to check-out, you can take as much time as you like, you can go in and out of the shop as much as you like comparing prices and styles, you can spend time learning more about the company selling you goods and more importantly you can get to know what they are all about by checking out their blogs and so on... And on top of all this, if you really want to do your research you can window shop in the high street, find what you want, then go online and find it cheaper.

So, it's no wonder high street retailers feel like they are at war, the modern era has, it seems, got the upper hand.

From an online stores perspective: The Internet makes retailers open and honest, there really is no hiding, because if you try to be dis-honest as a company you will be quickly found out, social media is so big now, that bad news travels at the speed of light, it is much easier for a small independent high street retailer to escape this. Therefore, it offers E-tailers a chance to bring personality into play, we can interact with our customers in a way that would be impossible on the high street, when customers choose us instead of our competitors, it means that on some level we have connected with them and they liked what they saw. It also means that being online we can pass many overhead savings onto our customers, which is great for everyone. We also often get some people who prefer to talk to us and order their hat over the phone, we love this, because it gives us a chance to interact directly without the worry of having to speed up the sale because of the queue, the list goes on.

So, here you have our take on the situation, in conclusion, we believe that more and more fashion stores will be taking to the Internet, and because it is almost infinite, there should be enough room for us all, however, what about the high street? well it is my opinion that there will always be a demand for retail outlets, simply because, the act of walking down the road and popping into a shop is so integrated into our psyche that we will always need to do it, and frankly it wont matter if you don't buy anything, because, chances are that the shop you just walked out of without buying anything also has an online store that they sell products from.

So, from both sides of the fence, it's win win, why not browse around our store, no pressure, take your time, and ask us anything you like, just drop us a line.

Brixton Ltd Hats

We love stocking these hats, we love selling these hats and best of all we love wearing these hats. What? you may ask, is so great about Brixton Ltd?

Well, I first came across Brixton Ltd hats a while ago as a customer, I was shopping in town and hidden within a small shop right at the back was a small number of Brixton hats, I picked one up, tried it on, and from that very moment, I was hooked.

Hats tend to be part of my make-up, I have always worn them, but the problem with this passion, is that over time you become very selective and more often than not you get disappointed. This, however, has never been the case where Brixton are concerned, these hats are designed with an almost effortless sense of what people want, the quality is second to none and each hat feels special, almost as if it is the only one in existence.

The brand was started by a few friends in California, their aim, to convey their lifestyle through unique products. When you buy a Brixton hat, that is exactly what you get, a very unique product. Not only is this brand super in-touch with it's end user, but dealing with their representatives (Out Of Step) is a pure pleasure, from our point of view, to have a supplier who is honest, conscientious and reliable, is so vital and makes the experience that much more rewarding.

These ethics are so in line with ours, it is scary, and probably the reason we are so tuned into Brixton Ltd. After all, Outcast Hats was formed out of the passion for these garments, not just the need to fill a gap in the market.

So, we now stock a wide range of hats from Brixton Ltd including cap's, porkpie's, beanies, army cap's, flat cap's and loads more funky styles on their way for Spring/Summer 10. Go check out our Brixton section on the website and see for yourself, we stock all of the hats we display on the site so you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

Paul De Nagy

Last winter - Marocco

Last winter saw us land on Moroccan shores for our annual winter surf trip there, here you have me and the team in some nice waves, and general fun stuff.

Bit of mint tea

Me on a nice one! Yippeeeeee!

The FOOT Flower in full bloom.

The twins, merge.

Joey wondering if he can fit a propeller to his board! Faster faster



Rockin out.

An expanse of rugged coastline.

Anchors surf spot - going off, small for this spot!!!

Wow, what a winter, I wonder what this year holds for us in California.

Don't forget, Brixton Ltd hats in this week, so keep checking the site.

Outcast hats...it's good...for your head.

How to follow a trend without being too obvious

This is a big question, so, how do you pull it off? being naturally in tune with current trends is almost a mindset, something some individuals seem to be able to do without even thinking about it, however, others find it hard to be trendy without screaming it from the rooftops. I mean, the very essence of fashion and cool, is being different, being a leader not a follower, being an outcast, if you like.

The current trend for example in hats would be without a shadow of a doubt, the porkpie and bowler hats, although, looking at what the high street has to offer, which is so generic and low quality, that in my opinion it no longer becomes a trend, it becomes boring, almost just a token tribute. I see this time and time again with not only hats but clothing in general.

So, how do you beat this stigma? how do you lead? The answer is simple and lies with some of the great designers and brands out there that now more than ever, are offering us a choice. Take a look at our hats coming under the category of Trilby & Porkpie or click the title to see this page, what we have here is a vast array of porkpies all with subtle differences, some have a feather, some have a telescope crown, others have a diamond crown and so on, there are various colours, various size brims, some are made solid and others are made crushable. Now, take a look at our Bailey Derby the bowler hat, not quite the Thompson twins is it, for starters, it's brown and it has a feather, how cool is that?

So, in conclusion having a choice of hats with these subtle differences and picking one that suits you is the way forward, I guarantee (and I talk from personal experience) that when you put on one of these hats and go out, whether it's to the office or out and about at night, you will get big love and positive comments, you will feel a million dollars and in essence you will no longer be a follower, you will be a leader.

So there you have it,

Outcast hats, cures any bad hair day!

By Paul De Nagy

Bailey Porkpie and Bowler hats just in.

HI,

We have just taken delivery of this seasons Bailey Porkpie and Bowler hats, all hand-picked by us. We are so excited about these hats as they really are things of beauty, the porkpie Fur Classic with it's classic styling and smooth feel and the Bailey Derby smooth finish Bowler hat is the one that surprised us all, we all know that Bowlers are very much the trend at the moment but the mere mention of a bowler in general conversation stirs thoughts of the Thompson twins in Tintin and so on.. HOWEVER, we got them in brown, they have a sexy little feather in the side and when you put this hat on it feels sooooooo right. Othe styles include the silko, the Darron and the Jamison all beautifuly styled and all offering a different spin on the classic porkpie. Check them all out, right here, only we would bring these sexy little numbers to you, for your enjoyment.

Paul De Nagy

Kangol caps and flat caps now available

Our range of kangol caps and flat caps have just arrived and we are super excited. We have all the Bailey hats arriving soon and we have some Brixton hats in and more on the way.

I hope you'll agree, we have some lovely styles for this winter.

Buy Kangol, Bailey and Brixton Hats online

At outcast hats we are about as psyched about hats as you can get, we have spent a considerable amount of time to ensure that we can provide you with the coolest and most individual hats out there.

We stock some of the best fashion hat brands from around the world, these include, the super cool Baileys of Hollywood, Brixton Ltd and Kangol. Our hats reflect individuality, personality, current fashion trends and a passion for life. If you are looking for the that little bit of magic, which is just as individual as you are, then you're in the right place. Oh....and don't forget, the price you see, is the price you pay.

We hope you have a pleasant shopping experience.