Hats have made a grand comeback, becoming a staple in men’s fashion for both work and leisure. Leading the charge in this trend is Wear Brims, a breakthrough Black-owned luxury hat brand that has made history by being featured in luxury department stores Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.
Established in 2016 and officially launched in 2017 by Archie Clay III and Tajh Crutch, Wear Brims operates on the principles of family, faith, and confidence. Clay, a sales and marketing expert with a degree from Tuskegee University, brings experience from his previous roles in human resources and operations within the retail industry. Crutch has a degree in Information Systems from Troy University.
“When we launched, we had a pop-up, and a lot of people came, so we knew we were on to something special,” says Clay.
Wear Brim’s products went on sale at Nordstrom on March 1, becoming the first Black-owned luxury hat brand to be featured in Nordstrom stores.
Based in Atlanta, Wear Brims has attracted the attention of celebrities such as actor Lance Gross, model Eva Marcille, NBA player Chris Paul, and comedian Cedric the Entertainer. The company’s hats are available through the Nordstrom website and in three brick-and-mortar locations: Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, Garden State Plaza in New Jersey, and New York Men’s Store in Manhattan.
Wear Brims items are unisex. The fedoras are available in various colors and bands. Other items include T-shirts, hoodies, and adjustable one-size-fits-all baseball caps.
“We want to be a luxury house of accessories – jackets, belts, bags, and even more,” Clay admits.
More than just the product itself, creating a hat company was a way to address the industry’s lack of minority representation, he asserts. He and Crutch envision Wear Brims as a thriving, accessible luxury brand without exorbitant price tags, making hats more inclusive and attainable for everyone.
“We want to be fashionable, but we also want to be accessible,” Clay says.
Wear Brims is also committed to social causes, including cancer and mental health awareness, in keeping with the founders’ contention that it is important to create a meaningful experience that not only brings financial success but also positively impacts customers’ lives,
“We wanted to create a philanthropic company. My grandmother passed away from cancer. My father had a mental breakdown when I was young. So we wanted our brand to be active in impacting these issues,” Clay explains.
With the growing popularity of hats as as a fashion statement, Wear Brims wants to break traditional norms and encourage individuals to wear hats beyond formal occasions, fostering a sense of style and versatility.
“Hats can be worn for nearly every occasion and can make the wearer feel more confident and stylish. Hats set the mood,” Clay points out.
As the company’s website states, “Our vision is to create a world where low self-esteem is a thing of the past and confidence is the wave of the future, all while leading the charge in expansive diversity in luxury retail.”
Being an entrepreneur means, in part, inspiring individuals to think like pioneers, to possess an enterprising mindset that refuses to accept “no” as an answer, Clay contends.
Clay envisions a multimillion-dollar future for Wear Brims, reaching hat enthusiasts worldwide. To that end, plans to expand and elevate the brand’s market position already are in the works.
