Wearable. Collectable. Tradable. Patch Hats Launches First-of-Its-Kind Kids' Customizable Accessories Line

MENDHAM, N.J., April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Spawned from an adult's love of a well-worn favorite hat, Patchworks Apparel, LLC, today launched Patch Hats™, a unique new line of high-quality customizable baseball-style hats designed for children aged three to seven that feature a series of removable, collectable and tradable character patches.  Patchworks, based in Mendham, NJ, also announced its support of and affiliation with RC24, the charitable foundation established and directed by Robinson Cano of the NY Yankees and his mother to benefit children in the Dominican Republic, the United States and around the world.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120411/NY84615 )

Patch Hats (PH) feature lovable cartoon characters on circular patches that are affixed by Velcro to the front of hats and are interchangeable on an array of colored hats.  The patches come three-to-a-pack with each hat purchased.  The richly illustrated patches, known as Patch Pals™, have been exclusively developed for Patch Hats, and come complete with brief background information about each character, making them educational, informative and fun. The initial release includes 24 characters, including Connor the Frog, Bill the Rhino, Kimberly the Dolphin and Zack the Monkey. Patchworks will continue to expand the roster of characters, hat colors and retail distribution of the product line in the coming months.

"Patch Hats successfully combine two factors that help define childhood needs and interests – collecting, and controlling what you wear," said Patchworks Chairman David Jurist, who is also the president and co-founder of the Tomorrows Children's Fund national charitable organization.  "It's a simple but powerful concept -- the product line is novel, and hits at the heart of these two profound truths.  In this respect, Patch Hats is highly appealing to young children, and we think the concept can easily translate to older children as well."

1,000 hats with custom-made patches featuring Cano's image donated to kids; company helped facilitate ambulance donation

Patchworks executives traveled to the Dominican Republic in January with Robinson Cano of the NY Yankees in support of Cano's RC24 Foundation.  The company donated 1,000 customized Patch Hats featuring Cano's image, swing and RC24 logo to needy children in Cano's hometown of San Pedro de Macoris.  Working with RC24, Patchworks recently helped facilitate the donation of several ambulances to the town, and plans to continue supporting RC24, the mission of which is to touch the lives of underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic and around the world to improve their opportunities and better their future.

"I absolutely love Patch Hats, and am grateful to Patchworks for their generous donation to RC24 and the children of the Dominican," said Cano.  "The kids love these fun, educational characters, and the hats are beautiful and not quite like anything I've seen before."

Books, mobile apps in development

Several extensions to the PH brand are now in development.  Patchworks is in discussions with publishers and educators to launch a series of fun, educational books based on the characters, and each book will come with a patch.  The company is also developing mobile apps featuring its PH characters.

As it did for Cano and RC24, Patchworks will custom design patches for charitable organizations, companies, teams, schools, camps and other entities.

The idea for the product line originated with Allen Baus, Jurist's 38-year-old son.  "Allen had a favorite hat, well-worn with just the right feel to it," said Jurist.  "To keep it 'fresh' and give the hat a different look from time to time, he decided to affix with hand-applied Velcro a variety of interchangeable patches to the front of the hat.  This gave birth to the idea of creating a fun, collectible product line of character-based patches and hats for kids.  Our son Sam Jurist then took Allen's concept and turned it into a viable business opportunity, and Patch Hats was born."

Patch Hats are available online at www.PatchHats.com and at multiple retail outlets, including at 22 ShopRite supermarkets throughout the greater New York/New Jersey area.

Patchworks Apparel donates Patch Hats and accessories from the line to various community organizations and schools throughout the New York/New Jersey area,  including the 92nd Street Y Community Center and the Tomorrows Children's Fund.  Patch Hats and patches are available in two hat types and nine different colors, with 24 Patch Pal characters.  Pricing:  The Patch Hat w/ Patch Three Pack: (SRP, $12.99) and Patch Single Pack: ($1.99). 

For more information, visit www.patchhats.com.

SOURCE Patchworks Apparel, LLC