The Birth of a Brand
When looking for blank hats for her clients, founding partner, Connie Collingsworth was hitting roadblock after roadblock. Either the cost was prohibitive, the fit was bad, or the materials were lacking. She knew what she wanted but could not find it. For Connie, it is always about nostalgia. She wanted something that harkened back to the style of caps from the 1970’s and 1980’s. The solution was simple. If you can’t find what you want, build it yourself, and in the process of researching and tweaking she found her inspiration.
Hailing from Eastern Kentucky and the middle of Appalachia, Connie, was surrounded by a family of strong, working-class men and women. Central to this group was her dad, Jack, and his 5 brothers. They were coal miners, mechanics, hunters, fishermen, military men, ham radio men, gentle men, loving men…..family men.
Jack was a ham radio enthusiast and went by the handle “Happy Jack” on the radio and virtually everywhere else. He was also a coal miner, and in that world, the term “hat” meant his mining hat. The hat he wore from the trucking company or feed store was a “cap.” If he said to his kids, “Go get me my cap”, they knew he meant whatever old deep fit trucker that was his current favorite. When it came time to name the new venture, Happy Jack Cap Company seemed a forgone conclusion.
Jack Collingsworth - my Dad. Known as "Happy Jack" to everyone on the Ham and CB radio waves, and in the underground coal mines where he worked for most of his life. My Dad was a rascal, a ladies man, a man’s man, a gambler, a storyteller, and a large personality. Despite only being allowed a 6th grade education, he learned everything about coal mining and ended up running a camp complex of mines for Peabody Coal Company. I have him to thank for my love of good music, good movies, and a good time.
The "Jack" cap is Coal and Goldenrod with contrasting Goldenrod stitching, and metal eyelets. It also features a Coal snapback and black woven Company tags.
William Collingsworth - Uncle Bill. I was always drawn to and fascinated by Uncle Bill. He had served in the Vietnam War, and from my earliest memories, that confused me because he always looked and sounded like the peace-loving hippies I’d seen on TV. He has always been a thoughtful man. I admired that, along with his intelligence. When Bill would regale us with stories from his travels, they always focused more on the people than the places. Bill was, and is, adventurous and up for anything. I wish more of that had rubbed off on me. My Uncle Bill is the last of the brothers still with us and I’m glad for it.
The "Bill" cap is Fatigue Green with matching stitching and sewn eyelets. It also features a Fatigue Green snapback and black woven Company tags.
With her inspiration and research firmly in hand, she created a cap for her dad and each of his 5 brothers. These caps tell their stories. The colorways are vintage, the build is vintage, and the feel is expressly blue collar
Wayne “Wino” Collingsworth. Yes, Wino was his nickname – it was even in his obituary. I loved my Uncle Wayne. Wayne was the uncle that I felt most comfortable with when I was younger. Everything was okay when he was around. If something was wrong or I was worried, he’d just put his arm around my shoulder and take my mind off it. Wayne seemed like one of those guys that was always having a great time and wanted everyone else to join in. I’m sure he had his troubles, but I never knew. Wayne loved beer. He loved women. He loved to hang out at the American Legion. He loved his family and we all loved him.
The "Wayne" cap is Mustang Red with contrasting off-white stitching, and metal eyelets. It also features an off-white snapback and black woven Company tags.
Joe Collingsworth – Uncle Joe and his wife Joleen lived closest to us when I was growing up. It wasn’t uncommon for us to make the short drive to their house for quick visits. My Dad and Joe always seemed to have some little project they were working on in the garage – fixing a motor, tearing an engine apart, evaluating some old truck Joe had “gotten a deal” on. My Mom cooked a big family meal every Sunday and, more often than not, Joe was at those dinners. He had a big appetite. Not just for food but for fun and mischievous behavior. Those meals always turned into evening poker games with everyone drinking way too many cups of coffee (Joe always had a cup of coffee in his hand) and us kids hanging on the backs of chairs wanting Joe’s attention. He was a big kid with an even bigger heart, which was ironic because he was born with a heart condition. He was a “blue baby” and the brothers would chase him around the yard when they were kids to see him turn blue and pass out. There was always something happening with Joe and his heart doctors. I remember always hearing the convos between the adults. I also remember when his heart finally gave out at a young age. He absence left a huge hole in our family and it was especially hard for my Dad.
The "Joe" cap is Vintage Cool Blue with contrasting off-white stitching, and metal eyelets. It also features a Vintage Cool Blue snapback and black woven Company tags.
Uncle Charles - my grandparents had this photos of Charles framed and proudly displayed in their living room for my entire childhood. I was fascinated with it. He looked like a movie star from some old black and white war film to me. Of all the brothers Charles was the only quiet one. He was more reserved and definitely seemed like the caretaker of the brothers. Whether they saw it that way I’ll never know. He always seemed like a hard working, decent kind of guy just doing his best to get through the world.
The “Charles” cap is tri-colored dark blue, sky blue and cream with dark blue metal eyelets. It features contrast stitching, top button and under brim. It is based on the Air Force colors of his military service to tie it back to this amazing photo.
Don Collingsworth – Uncle Don “Buck” was a big guy. Bigger than the other brothers in stature. Bigger in personality in some ways. All the brothers were funny, great storytellers, and family men, but something about Don always felt “solid” to me. Growing up, I knew we were gonna hear some tales from Don. I know now that they were all embellished for effect, but from him they felt like they may have happened just the way he told them. Try to imagine an Eastern Kentucky good ole boy version of John Goodman. That was Don. Don met his future wife Brigitte while stationed in Germany. He married her, brought her home, and they had two kids. Marrying someone from a totally different way of life seemed so exotic to me. I can’t tell you the joy that culture clash brought to our family. Don was an avid hunter and fisherman. Most of the brothers were, but he was the “Sportsman”. Don fought cancer valiantly and I think his spirit carried him far, but he did finally succumb to the illness. I know his family misses him terribly, as do all who knew him.
The "Don" cap is Deere Green with Hunter's Camo underbrim, contrasting off-white stitching, and metal eyelets. It also features a Deere Green snapback and black woven Company tags.
When it came down to it, the concept was simple, stop trying to figure out what people want and give them something they can make their own. These caps are the alternative to mainstream blanks. They are plainspoken caps for plainspoken people. They are not blank caps but base caps. There’s not something on them, but something in them. Something special.
This idea of a base cap for the masses as a blank slate is now available to the public. Happy Jack Cap Company offers complete customization. We have flexible minimums and offer the ability to split a run with different colors or decorations.
Reach out today and see what we can build together….
