Zephyr Hats: Alphabet Series

Hey everyone! I know it has been a long time... probably a couple months or so, but I am going to try and get back into regularly blogging again. To revive this old habit, I will update the alphabet series I started nearly one year ago; from there, I may just expand upon that series and make posts specific for all teams and colleges. I guess we will see. Here is the list of teams/colleges from the original alphabet series, along with when I updated the post:

Auburn (Updated 3/7/2013)
Brigham Young University (Updated 3/9/2013)
University of Colorado (Boulder) (Updated 4/20/2013)
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
University of Florida
Georgia Tech
Hawaii
Iowa
Kentucky
Kansas
Louisville
Michigan
North Carolina
NDSU
Oregon
Penn State
Quebec
Rutgers
Stanford
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Hartford Whalers
X-Line Edition
Youngstown University
ZHL Edition

Zephyr Hats: Quebec Edition

Back to the NHL: the Quebec Nordiques edition of Zephyr hats! I have done the following so far: Auburn, BYU, CU, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Gators, Georgia Tech, and Hawaii, Iowa, the "J" Edition, Kentucky, and Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, and Penn State.

Below is the Quebec Nordiques Blockbuster 2 snapback that was done with a white crown, unlike the other colorway for this style. This design features raised embroidery on the Nordiques logo under the arching script, and regular stitching on the words "Quebec" and "Nordiques." From the picture, you can tell the design was made with square brims, one-colored snaps, and contrast button and eyelets. The under-brims of  all the Blockbuster 2 snapbacks are the ever-popular green.

To the right is Zephyr's Quebec Nordiques Shadow Script snapback, a design which is, in essence, what its name is: a script with a shadow. The shadow is regularly stitched, while the curisve "Nordiques" and the Nordiques logo is raise embroidered. The Shadow Script snapback design has square brims, green under-brims, one-colored snaps, as well as contrast button and eyelets. As far as I know, this design was made solely in Bangladesh with 35% wool and 65% acrylic.

Above is an example of Zephyr's Hype snapbacks; this Quebec Nordiques Hype features some unique hat qualities. Around the front right panel is white "piping," which stands out a few mm's to give the hat some contrast. The front two panels also do not have eyelets, because the raise-embroidered word "Nordiques" and raise-embroidered Nordiques logo are in the way. The last unique characteristic to point out is the contrast stitching on the brim. Not too many Zephyr snapbacks have this, making this a must-have for collectors.

Left, and right, are Zephyr's Superstar snapbacks for the Quebec Nordiques. While these pictures show round brims, they are now solely made with square brims. Gotta love the big, bold, raise-embroidered script in the front.

To the left is snapback design that came out around late 2011/early 2012 called the Upshot. To be honest, I don't think I have seen the Quebec Nordiques Upshot until I did this post. Slanting across the front of the crown is the raise-embroidered cursive word "Nordiques, accompanied by the regularly stitched word "Quebec" and logo for the Nordiques. This snapback design has square brims, GREY under-brims, and one-colored snaps. In contrast, the White Upshot program of 2012 has green under-brims.

Above is another great snapback design from Zephyr, called "The Razzle." The picture answers any questions about the color and structure of the Nordiques Razzle snapback. One thing worth noting is the dual-colored snaps, which all Razzle snapbacks feature.

A few other hats for the Quebec Nordiques that I did not include were the Original Headliner, Black Headliner, X-Ray, and the Silver Slash.

Zephyr Hats: Jackson State/James Madison Edition

In preparation for the next post, I began searching for "J" schools. I really wanted to do James Madison University, but I could only find a couple Zephyr hats for them. My next choice was going to be Jackson Sate, but they too had very few choices. So I decided I would post both halfway through the week, and then continue on to "K" next week.

This Jackson State Tigers Superstar Snapback is definitely one of a kind. The raised-embroidery looks outrageously good on this snapback. On one side of the hat is the Tigers logo, and on the other is the Zephyr-identifying "Z." It has a square brim, green under-brim, white eyelets and button, and white embroidery. You want a unique hat, here you are!

To be honest, I am not even sure what this design is, where to find it, and all that good stuff. I saw some fake Zephyr James Madison University snapbacks, and I didn't want to share them because I am not even sure if they got the design right. Zephyr makes hats for a bunch of "small schools", you can see pictures on their Facebook page.

This is part of a series that included Auburn, BYU, CU, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Gators, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, and Iowa. I'm going through the alphabet, so feel free to leave a comment what NHL team or College I should do for "K"!


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Zephyr Hat Updates

Hey everyone, I haven't posted in a few days; if you haven't seen my website, be sure to check it out and the last two posts: Zephyr North Carolina Hype Snapback Hat Review and the "Hat of the Week." In my hat review, I noted some stitching errors that I found on the brim as well as on the band lining the inside of the crown. Two reasons why I think it was like that: I bought it on eBay for a discounted price and it was made in China. I spoke with the President of Zephyr, Mr. David Gormley and was reassured that if anyone were to find a lack in quality with a hat, it would be in a China hat. However, most of the hats that Zephyr makes are made in Bangladesh; there are still hats made in China for a variety reasons that are complicated and lengthy. It is also to be noted that Zephyr is "always working on China to do better" as far as their hat making.

On the other hand, the "Hat of the Week" was a Zephyr Arizona Wildcats Front Runner snapback, one of the latest and most unique esigns Zephyr has made. A retro Arizona mascot logo is centered on the front of the crown. In the background are the three embroidered lines, the middle line highlighting the word "Wildcats."

Be sure to like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, subscribe on YouTube, and check out my website: Zeke's Snapback Hats.

Zephyr Hats: Florida Gators Edition

This post should be fun! I could be considered a Gators fan, but the main reason I like these hats is that I love the orange and blue colors Florida uses. This is part of a series I have done that included Auburn, BYU, CU, Detroit Red Wings, and the Edmonton Oilers.

To surprise my readers, I want to start off the post with a rare snapback that has been on the market for a while, but just recently has gained more attention: the Rally snapbacks. The embroidery on these hats are completely jaw-dropping. The detail and precision of the embroidery is just incredible, almost flawless. Another great thing about this style is that it features a two-colored snap in the back. This design has green under-brims and square brims as well. The design on the front of the crown mimics a flag that has the word "GATORS" on it. Exceptional Zephyr hat.

To the right and left are Blockbuster 2 snapbacks. The one on the right is an additional concept because of the white crown, which allows for variety as well as color coordinating with clothing. These are quality and beautiful snapbacks.


The Hype snapbacks that Zephyr makes are interesting. The whole right side of the front of the crown features the logo of the teams mascot while the other simply has the raise-embroidered words for the team or mascot. The reason why I say these are interesting is that the stitching is not a straight as usual. From what I know, this design was made in China, as opposed to Bangladesh (where most Zephyr hats are made). The stitching on the hats made in Bangladesh are flawless in comparison to those made in China. I am sure Zephyr is working on addressing this issue.

The Gators Zephyr Shadow Script snapback is another great design featuring the cursive "Florida" with its lingering shadow. It also has the Gator logo on the bottom right of the crown. The contrast between colors on the lettering makes the hat distinctly stand out, as well as the raise embroidery of the lettering. The snap in the back is blue, the brim is squared with a green under-brim.

 Below, a Zephyr X-Ray snapback, another incredible design that's going to hit full-stride on the market soon.

To the left is a Zephyr Black Headliner snapback for the Florida Gators. The three types of Headliner snapbacks are explained in this blog post: Zephyr Headliner Series. Most are available on Hatmonster.

Below, another recent design from Zephyr called the Front Runner, and there is no doubt this Florida Gators Front Runner is outstanding. The square brim, green under-brim, one-colored snap, and the raise-embroidered Gator logo on the front makes this design a must-have.

Be sure to check out my website, Facebook page, Pinterest, and Twitter for more pictures and news regarding snapbacks, other hats, and most of all, Zephyr!

Zephyr Hats: Detriot Edition

To continue a series of blog updates dedicated to a specific team or college, I chose the Detroit Red Wings for this week. Other previous posts have included Auburn, BYU, and CU.

To begin this post, I want to start out with the well-known Superstar snabpacks. These continue to amaze me with the quality raised-embroidery as well as the overwhelming amount of swag it has. These two Detroit Red Wings hats are more recent because of their square brims.

Seen at the right is a Zephyr Detroit Red Wings Shadow Script snapback. This sleek design has the cursive-worded "Red Wings" across the front of the crown, as well as a looming shadow. Under the script is the Red Wings' logo, a tire with wings. These Shadow Script snapbacks were made with green under-brims and square brims. The snap is black; the button, black; and air holes, white. An overall great design by Zephyr.



Next is the Red Wings Upshot snapback, which is one of Zephyr's newer designs. With a white button, white airholes, and a white snap, the Red Wings Upshot's colorway has the white over-brim, green under-brim, as well as a square brim. It is similar to the Shadow Script snapback in that they both feature slanted, cursive lettering and logo on the front of the crown. However, clear distinctions can be seen between the two, such as the brim color, the background lines, and any additional words (like "Detroit").

Seen to the left is unique Zephyr hat, the Blockout snapback, which is not seen too often, but displays a bold, raise-embroidered script. To the right is a Zephyr Razzle snapback, a recent unique design that dazzles friends and family.

 Above, and to the left, exemplify the Detroit Red Wings Refresh snapback. The one above was made with a unique material similar to fleece, and has a grey underbrim and one-colored snap (red). The Refresh to the left has the more common materials, a green underbrim, and two-colored snap (red and white). I am contemplating that the untypical, unique-materialed Refresh could be the next snapback I purchase. It would coordinate well with a grey polo that I have.

To the right and left are two examples of Zephyr's Headliner snapbacks, which include the Black Headliner, seen left; the Solid Headliner, seen right; and the Original Headliner, which you can identify in the Headliner Snapback Series blog post.

Next is the Blockbuster 2 snapbacks, which are essentially the filled-in version of the original Blockbuster snapbacks. These have sqaure brims, green under-brims, and many other attention-grabbing features!

Lastly, I want to cover the latest available snapback that Zephyr has released: The Frontrunner snapback. I have yet to see one in person, but from the pictures seen on the Zephyr Facebook page, the design is definitely a front runner among latest snapback designs! They have an album named "Frontrunner first wave sampling", where you can see other schools and teams featured with this design. These have yet to be posted on the major online retailers, but I suspect it will be soon. They square brims, green under-brims, and one-colored snaps.



Be sure to check out my website, Facebook page, Pinterest, and Twitter for more pictures and news.

The Miami Heat Wins 2012 NBA Championship

This post may not be associated with Zephyr as much as it should; but I will do my best. As many know, the Miami Heat won the NBA Championship yesterday, June 21st, 2012. Led by the trio of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Heat took the series against the young, yet talented, Oklahoma City Thunder. I thought I might add some posts about other relevant sports news, and throw some Zephyr-related information to spice it up. How could I incorporate the Miami Heat winning the NBA Championship into this? Well, Zephyr does make NBA hats for a number of teams. In summary, because sports leagues have negotiated multi-year deals with hat companies, rights and licenses are very strict and compicating. With the NBA, Zephyr only has the rights to sell NBA hats to arenas. Because the only way to get them is from the arena, certain die-hard Zephyr fans will go to games to buy from these arena collection snapbacks. Examples of some of the arena collections that Zephyr has made with the NBA can be seen below.

While I am on this topic, I want to quote something that the President of Zephyr noted: "some of the [hat] companies that have these licenses [to NBA, NHL, etc.] look to our college or NHL lines and then turn around and knock off our styles to the best they can and sell them in NBA, NFL, etc." I myself have seen this in a number of Mitchell & Ness hats. Zephyr looks "forward to someday making all these other Pro Leagues and upgrading their fans hat selection in a big way." What a day that will be!

Zephyr Hats: Colorado Edition

A weekly project I have been working on displays a variety of Zephyr hats for a specific school or team. I've done Auburn and BYU so far; this week features the University of Colorado.

The University of Colorado Zig Zag snapback (right) is unique because it is not seen very often. Zig Zags can be found on Lids.com but only come in round brims. However, the Zig Zag should not be confused with the CU Upshot snapback, above. Some characteristic of all Upshot snapbacks include the square brim, grey underbrims, and one-colored snaps. I really like the Upshot in Colorado's colors.


To the right is the original Blockbuster snapback, and to the left is the Blockbuster 2. The main difference is that the Blockbuster does not feature the  filled-in coloring or square brims that the Blockbuster 2 has.

To the right is one of Zephyr's newer design snapbacks for Colorado, called the ReVault snapback. ReVault snapbacks feature an retro logo that the school has used in the past; I am not sure how old this logo for the University of Colorado is. These snapbacks feature square brims, green under-brims, and dual-colored snaps. I really have come to enjoy the ReVault snapbacks because of their old-school designs and the incomparable quality that Zephyr makes them in. A similar style and design from Zephyr is call the Sideshow snapback, which can be found on the Fanzz website and in their stores.

Zephyr Solid Headliner snapbacks have come to be one of my favorite snapback designs because of the outlining of the raised embroidery that makes the embroidery stand out. Neatly placing the schools name in cursive, the Solid Headliner also includes the mascot above in small capital letters. Features a square brim, green under-brim, and dual-colored snap. There are three different versions of the Headliner snapbacks that are further explained and illustrated in this blog post: Zephyr Headliner Series.

One of the popular designs by Zephyr is shown on the Superstar snapback. The bold, raise-embroidered letters arch across the front of the crown. The only significant change besides colorways that the Colorado Superstars have undergone is the fact that newer Superstars have square brims. Otherwise, the Superstar snapbacks have uniform-colored snaps and green under-brims.

The University of Colorado Refresh snapback features a closer view of the Buffaloes logo, as well as a square brim and green under-brim. One popular aspect of snapbacks I have realized is the two-colored (or dual-colored) snaps in the back. This CU Refresh snapback has a yellow and black snap. Above the snap is the raise-embroidered word "buffs".


To the left is a retro-styled CU Supersonic snapback. These were only made in round brims, green under-brims, and one-colored snaps. While the design is capturing and attention-grabbing, the Supersonic is not seen very often, at least for me. The more I talk to people, the more I think that Zephyr would make another line for this style with square brims.



Lastly, the CU Shadow Script snapback is another clean design from Zephyr that has the word "Colorado" slowly decrease in size as it flows across the the front of the crown. There is also a shadowing script that flows behind the original lettering. The Buffs logo is located under the smaller part of the script. The snap in the back is black.

Because I do not post as often on this blog, be sure to check out my website for hat reviews and other Zephyr-related information.

 Above, the Colorado Equalizer snapback, features raised embroidery on the outline of the equalizer, as well as the block script underneight. As you can see, the undervisor is authentic green, the snap is one-tone.

Left, the Colorado Square Brim Fitted. This two-tone hat has the raise-embroidered standard logo on the front, and a simple script on the back. No contrast button or eyelets.

Above, the CU Buffs Predator snapback, which features a lion-like design on the brim. As pictured, the hat features a two-tone snap and raised embroidered on front and back logos. A hat very similar to this picture right, a Refresh snapback with a Xline logo of Ralphie, CU's mascot. This hat is essentially the same as the Predator except it doesn't have an animal print on the visor.

Above is another Refresh snapback featuring the exclusive Ralphie design, except this time it's in CU's vintage colorway, nuggets blue and yellow.

Left, the CU Gamechanger snapback, a design that looks oldschool because of a logo placed over a broad script. This three-tone snapback features a green under-brim, square brim, one-tone snap in the back, and raised embroidered on the Buffalo logo.

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