Short flap, long flap and wide-brimmed. That is the way some people choose to tackle the scorching sun. No marks for guessing what we are talking about. In Chennai, this is the season for caps and hats. And certain shops on Sydenhams Road are making the most of it. They stock a wide variety of summer caps in cool colours – and in large numbers too. Khaleel Cap Mart sells around 5,000 caps per month. During summer, their count goes up to 40,000. The caps are priced between Rs.40 and Rs.200.
Highly popular among the range of caps and hats offered at Khaleel Cap Mart are the baseball cap with a long flap, the cricket hat, the pith hat and the fisherman cap made a turkey fabric. ‘In summer, pure cotton caps are in demand,” says Quraishi of Khaleel cap mart. As it has a manufacturing unit, Mart is able to meet this seasonal demand.
Beating the heat may be the goal, but people want to do it in style. “Caps in bright and cool shades get sold the most,” says Ashok Jain, who runs Sundar Apparel at Shakti Plaza, Pondy Bazaar.
Companies, Government departments place bulk orders for certain caps and hats, during summer. For example, the solar pith hat – a lightweight cloth covered helmet that is made of cork – is sought by the police department during the season. According to Ananda Rao, one of the partners at P.Ganu Rao and Sons, even the forest department buys this summer headgear.
“Two years ago, close to 6,000 pith hats were supplied to the police department. They place their order a year in advance. These hats generally last a year,” he says.
If you don’t want to take on the sun and shop outdoors for caps, then visit hungrygift.com. The Chennai-based merchandise portal with an office in KK Nagar has tracked the colours of the season. Says Raja Mukesh of hungrygift.com: “A variegated cap is the in-thing this summer. Among single-colour caps, blue is the most popular shade.”
