Hot Topic

I'm not a frequent shopper or customer of the apparel store Hot Topic. If you're not familiar with this store, it's full of pre-teen to young adult themed clothing, patches, toys, band t-shirts, cds and accessories; mainly skirting the "Goth" look popularized in the last ten years. For example, you may see a teenager wearing baggy, black jeans with multiple zippers and chances are they purchased these at said retailer.

I was in there today shopping for a friend who has a particular taste in music and I found a 100% wool, black fedora with cloth sweat labeled on the retail tag as "Punk" themed. As far as hats go, it was crap, but honestly, if I'd never seen a good wool felt or, hush, a fur felt fedora and I wanted something better than a stingy brim, this would be the ticket. Or in other words, kids out there may be becoming acquainted with the style.

Little by little, as slow and awkward as it may be, fedoras are coming back into mass market fashion - albeit a trendy and likely shortlived one.

Yes. What's nice is that it means that the negative comments the rest of us may be exposed to may decrease, and we'll still have nicer hats than they will.

Plus we'll still have our little secret society here.

I have had friends who like shopping in Hot Topic, so I have been in there numerous times in the past five or so years and have noticed "fedora-ish" wool hats that they sell. They certainly aren't the greatest quality, and for someone who prefers the "traditional" fedora, they aren't the right option. It certainly seems like some model of the fedora has become acquainted with some members of the goth or emo crowd.

Can't say that I shop there.

I've never been to a Hot Topic. But, it's a good thing for us Retailers to hear that the younger crowd (late teens and early twenty's) are getting into hats.
Marty Mathis

My husband shops there. He is perhaps typical of their customer, someone looking for something black and cheap, that can be worn to a quick, early death (the article of clothing's, not the wearer's), or lost and easily replaced. He loses, or sits on and damages accessories, or spills something on them. No interest in a fedora as of yet, that I know of, but I agree as in the Wal-Mart cheapy fedora thread of last year, it gets the style out there for the masses to see.

Marty M. said:

I've never been to a Hot Topic. But, it's a good thing for us Retailers to hear that the younger crowd (late teens and early twenty's) are getting into hats.
Marty Mathis

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I imagine a good number of the younger guys will develop more than a passing fancy to good looking headwear.

ScionPI2005 said:

I have had friends who like shopping in Hot Topic, so I have been in there numerous times in the past five or so years and have noticed "fedora-ish" wool hats that they sell. They certainly aren't the greatest quality, and for someone who prefers the "traditional" fedora, they aren't the right option. It certainly seems like some model of the fedora has become acquainted with some members of the goth or emo crowd.

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I think I know to which hats you are referring but I assure you, the ones I saw were wide brimmed (2 1/4-1/2"), classic style hats.

Undertow said:

I think I know to which hats you are referring but I assure you, the ones I saw were wide brimmed (2 1/4-1/2"), classic style hats.

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I actually work at a HotTopic, and we did indeed get a few of the wider brim "fedoras", though the majority are formed cotton stingies (usually pin-striped or *shudder* glittered). I've had a good bit of customer interest in them while I'm working, but it's usually from customers that admired whatever hat I happen to be wearing, and thought that mine was from the store...once they realize that the vintage Stetson or Akubra on my head isn't the same they'll either ask for the brand of my hat (usually older customers) or buy the cheaper stingies we sell (for the teens). As you mentioned, they're not of any great quality. The felt-style ones were wool, but felt almost like craft felt with a ribbon of the same, fabric band, and no liner. But, they're usually in the 14-20 dollar range, so I can't really complain!

Part of me really hopes that as some of these kids grow up they'll maintain their appreciation of hats, suspenders, and ties that they've picked up from our store (but in an obviously higher quality, more adult version). Most, I'd imagine, will either continue to follow trends or simply transition to a more mainstream look. Unfortunately I don't see many correlations between the skinny synthetic ties, 80's style clip-on braces, and cloth hats we sell and an appreciation of more traditional versions (at least in many of our regulars).

I must admit, though, I do get a few odd looks when I'm working in my polished shoes, vintage lid, handlebar moustache...and Social Distortion t-shirt! Every now and then I'll even wear a suit to REALLY throw the kids off (usually under the guise of a Halloween costume).

EDIT: I do find it encouraging, however, that a good amount of customers actually notice when I'm wearing a proper fedora and seem to appreciate the look and are quite complimentary. When I started wearing a real hat I didn't think many customers would realize it wasn't the same as the one-size-fits-most wool and cotton numbers we stock.

We don't have Hot Topic up here, but we have stores with a similar idea. They also have a few hats thrown on top of the racks, but they tend to look more like something Rocky Balboa would wear.



Not that there's anything wrong with that look, of course. I have one of the same sort of style.

CdnDandy said:

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Than an M65 Stallone is wearing there? I'm trying to find a good one, that isn't camouflage, or green, or black, and will take the proper liners like that one.

i've not been a fan of hot topics genre... but might have been when i was in grade school. and i've definately been acquainted with kids over the years that would have favored thier niche.
but i may have to enter their dungenous store (wait i'm confusing it with Spencers, possibly) and check out the lids they sell.

fatwoul said:

Than an M65 Stallone is wearing there? I'm trying to find a good one, that isn't camouflage, or green, or black, and will take the proper liners like that one.

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I could have given you one but they were camo and green.[huh] And those jackets were never very warm.

Undertow said:

I was in there today shopping for a friend who has a particular taste in music and I found a 100% wool, black fedora with cloth sweat labeled on the retail tag as "Punk" themed.

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Sorry, I have to do this... I hear this song every time
I see this thread. Hopefully this will exorcise the song from my head.

(MC Lars is more punk than you)

Go!
Books about Evanescence (Are not punk rock!)
Guns ‘n Roses watches (Are not punk rock!)
Hello Kitty iPod cases (Are not punk rock!)
Rob Zombie lunch boxes (Are not punk rock!)
Slipknot binder paper (Is not punk rock!)
Tinkerbell pillow cases (Are not punk rock!)
Led Zeppelin air fresheners (Are not punk rock!)
Tupac incense burners (Are not punk rock!)

Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)

Misfits candle tins (Are not punk rock!)
ICP throw blankets (Are not punk rock!)
Beaded Elvis curtains (Are not punk rock!)
Talking Lambchop plush dolls (Are not punk rock!)
AC/DC hair clips (Are not punk rock!)
Spongebob wristbands (Are not punk rock!)
Sex Pistols boxer shorts (Are not punk rock!)
Disco back catalog (Okay. Maybe that’s punk rock.)
Dischord back catalog (Okay. Maybe that’s punk rock.)

Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)

Hot Topic is a contrived identification with youth subcultures to manufacture an anti-authoritarian identity and make millions. The $8 you paid for the Mudvayne poster would be better spent used to see your brother’s friend’s band.

DIY ethics are punk rock
Starting your own label is punk rock
G.G. Allin was punk rock.

But when a crass corporate vulture feeds on mass-consumer culture, this spending mommy’s money is not punk rock!

I, too, have not been a fan of hot topic. there is one in the mall near my house. I only remember walking by it and laughing at the thought that people actually like to dress this way.

interesting lyrics... i suppose that would be lars, meaning the band is Rancid. which in my day rancid themselves going a bit major would have been questioned if that was punk rock or selling not. but whatever. that's a different topic for a different forum.

so i was at the mall today, and decided to take a walk inbetween coffee and reading at teh bookstore. i happened upon Spencer Gifts. who had quite a few non felt brimmed hats. one porkpie style and other fedora style. they were priced around $20 and very low quality, of course. many misshaped to say the least, or not even symmetrical bashes.

the only valuse i find in these is that it allowed me to try them on in a mirror and i am thankful for that... as if you have read the topic i started about my venture into fedoras...

so i liked the hat on my head, that's the whole point.

i entered Hot Topic, they had one horrible looking paisley canvas starchy black and white paisley brimmed head wear. (i wont disrespect the forums here and call it anything else). in wandering around thinking about the new trend... i saw one in a window of a urban-hip-hop styled shop. they sond no other, only had this onein the window. and the employees diddnt seem familiar if they had just sold out of the others or what.

so i learned that i still have an interest in getting something new ofr my head.
glad for this topic that got me thinking to look at these shops. but i've never buy anything i saw....they were horrible. i only hope the ones i'm considering (see my thread) are higher quality than those. im fearing it wont be....
can we say "internet order return policy?"