About Genki Hats
According to GenkiGang.com, the Genki hats' company website, six animals belong to the Genki gang: Blossom the Possum, Jimjam the Wombat, Keisuke Bear, Rooby the Kangaroo and Penelope the Bunny, whose likenesses are all available in ear-protruding fleece hats, plushy stuffed animals and clothing such as sweatshirts and vests. Named for the Japanese word for energy or wellness, Genki hats are made with fleece and felt and are popular hats for adults, children and infants. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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According to the website GirlsEntertainmentNetwork, the Genki Company was started in 2000 by Lindze Merritt, who started out making snowboarding hats for herself and her husband. Handmade and inexpensive, Genki hats can be shipped anywhere in the United States and made an appearance at the Anime Expo in 2003.
Sizes and Colors
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Genki hats come in two sizes: "child," which fits children aged two to 12, and "adult," which is made of a stretchy fleece fabric designed for a one-size-fits-all shape. A baby size is being reworked and developed. Common colors are pastel-colored pinks, blues, greens and yellows; fluorescent greens and blues; and simple solid colors like black, brown, gray and white.
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Hat Styles
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Genki hat styles include "regular," which includes two protruding ears; "ear flaps with poms," which includes ear coverings and dangling pom-pom strings beneath each ear; and "ear flaps no poms." Ears can be long and floppy and hang to the edge of the cap, while others protrude in an upright fashion.
Types of Genki Hats
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Popular Genki hat designs include pandas, rabbits, mice, dogs, kangaroos, bears, possums and fish, as well as images with nonanimal creatures. The animal or creature's facial features, such as the eyes, nose and mouth, are often present on the hat's design or the hat may have only the ears up top.
Quirky Genki
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Unusual Genki hats, which are designed outside of the Genki company's usual ear flap and pom-pom style, include the "Dead Fish" hat, which comes with a unique fleece fish tail that swings behind the wearer's head; the "Gir" hat, which has a protruding tongue that hangs over the forehead; and the "Bow Kitty" hat, which comes with pink bows that hang under the ears.
Pricing
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As of June, 2010, prices for Genki hats, which do not include shipping, range from $8 to $25 per hat, depending on size, style and availability.
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