{"id":243667,"date":"2010-07-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-07-09T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/hats-off-to-the-races-village-hat-shop-turns-heads-for-racetracks-opening-day\/"},"modified":"2010-07-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-07-09T07:00:00","slug":"hats-off-to-the-races-village-hat-shop-turns-heads-for-racetracks-opening-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/hats-off-to-the-races-village-hat-shop-turns-heads-for-racetracks-opening-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Hats off to the races: Village Hat Shop turns heads for racetrack\u2019s Opening Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Por Jessica Hudgins
\nReportero SDUN<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Hats<\/a>
In 1997, Fred Belinksy opened The Village Hat Shop on Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest, relocating it from Horton Plaza. A second store remains in Seaport Village downtown. (Louis Guzman\/SDUN) <\/figcaption><\/figure>Every sporting event has its proper attire. No one just throws on any old shirt when heading down to Petco Park. It has to be the right color, the right player, the right number. Same goes for tailgaters at Qualcomm\u2014serious time and consideration goes into the body paint designs seen on the sidelines. As for ladies preparing to flaunt their finest at the Del Mar Racetrack\u2019s Opening Day on July 21, it\u2019s all about one accessory\u2014the hat. <\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Fred Belinsky, owner and founder of The Village Hat Shop in Hillcrest, is an eager participant in that long-standing tradition. In fact, he said women should begin at the top when choosing their Opening Day outfit.<\/p>\n

\u201cStart with the hat,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

In his 30th year running the company\u2014which includes locations in Seaport Village, Long Beach and Sacramento as well as a bustling online store\u2014 Belinsky said his business booms when racing season is just around the turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hat event of the year in this town is Opening Day,\u201d Belinsky said. \u201cIt is Christmas, Easter and Hanukah all rolled into one.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he encourages shoppers to build their ensembles around a hat, Belinsky said his stores are prepared to assist last-minute shoppers. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of women will come in as late as the day of the race,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ll have their dress on and then go directly to Del Mar.\u201d <\/p>\n

Waiting until the stretch run could mean the merchandise has been picked over, and it might be harder to find a specific color to match the right shade of a dress, he said. But an in-store supply of ribbon, silk flowers and faux fruit allows staffers to customize a hat that\u2019s just right for a photo finish. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very much a customer-service oriented company,\u201d Belinsky said. \u201cThere\u2019s no way in the world we would have survived 30 years if we weren\u2019t good at responding to the needs of customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first Village Hat Shop opened May 2, 1980, in Seaport Village. Shortly after, the second store opened in Horton Plaza. In 1997 that store was relocated to its Fourth Avenue spot in Hillcrest. <\/p>\n

When the Internet took off in the \u201990s, Belinsky tentatively decided to tap into the e-commerce business. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t think it was a really good fit for our shop, as far as trying the hats on, seeing how they fit, how they look,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were wrong. People responded very nicely to our site.\u201d <\/p>\n

Online purchases at villagehatshop.com<\/a> generate a significant portion of the company\u2019s income, Belinsky said. Internet fulfillment is such a big part of what they do at the Hillcrest location that he is thinking of expanding his operation. Nothing is firm yet, but Belinsky is in the process of securing a new building solely for online purchases, freeing up space at the Hillcrest location for what could be a hat superstore. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere wouldn\u2019t be a bigger hat store in the country if we go through with this,\u201d Belinsky said.<\/p>\n

Until that happens, The Village Hat Shop continues to provide a wide variety of inventory. With more than 50 brands and 1,000 different styles from which to choose at price points starting at $15 and climbing to several hundred dollars, there\u2019s something for everyone. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe way we differentiate ourselves from a lot of other people who sell hats is the breadth of our selection,\u201d Belinsky said. \u201cAnything that goes on a head is fair game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spring marks the busy season for The Village Hat Shop. While foot traffic picks up around Easter, it is Del Mar Opening Day that captures the store\u2019s focus. This year, both San Diego stores are gearing up for the first race by hosting two major trunk shows featuring two of the nation\u2019s most innovative hat designers. <\/p>\n

On July 10, the Hillcrest store will host Arturo Rios\u2019 inaugural trunk show. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a head turner,\u201d Belinsky said. \u201cIf women want to look different at the races, they will have one of Arturo\u2019s pieces on.\u201d <\/p>\n

Rios, who describes himself as \u201can ordinary guy who designs out of the ordinary hats,\u201d began his millinery career in 2001. All of his hats are handcrafted in the United States one piece at a time. His work has been featured in high-fashion magazines and has been worn by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Daisy Fuentes, Jaime King and Lindsay Lohan. <\/p>\n

Rios will travel from his Los Angeles office for this trunk show, his first ever. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo get him down here was a real coup because he\u2019s one of those guys that doesn\u2019t leave his studio,\u201d Belinsky said. <\/p>\n

The Village Hat Shop has had a relationship with Rios since early in his career. <\/p>\n

\u201cI decided to have the trunk show [in Hillcrest] because The Village Hat Shop is one of my best customers,\u201d Rios said. <\/p>\n

Rios\u2019 line of couture pieces has always been among the top sellers during racing season, said Bernadette Ramirez, a buyer\u2019s assistant at The Village Hat Shop. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor Opening Day, women are leaning more toward the cocktail pieces with feathers, more colorful fabric and flower detail like on Arturo\u2019s hats,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are so honored that he is partnering up with us for his first trunk show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rios\u2019 hats aren\u2019t plain Jane, blend-in-the-crowd types of pieces. They exhibit everything from exotic feathers and butterflies to birds\u2019 nests and ice cream cones.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy signature is to be different,\u201d Rios said. \u201cI try to make different stuff for customers so they have a hat that nobody else has.\u201d <\/p>\n

Some of his creations are outrageous enough that a certain pop star might even find them a worthy crown.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the hats I\u2019m bringing to the trunk show was made for Lady Gaga\u2019s style,\u201d Rios said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to find a way she can wear it because, for her, it would be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

A week after the Rios show, The Village Hat Shop will team with one of the oldest and most popular millinery companies in the country\u2014Betmar Hats. On July 17, Betmar\u2019s head designer, Natalya Nikitina, will arrive from New York City to showcase the 75-year-old company\u2019s hats at the 6th Annual Pre-Race Day Trunk Show at The Village Hat Shop in Seaport Village. <\/p>\n

Just as Arturo Rios has had a relationship with The Village Hat Shop since he became a designer, Betmar has been supplying product to the store since it opened in 1980.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real honor,\u201d Nikitina said. \u201cIt\u2019s great to go to the trunk show and actually help the customers piece their outfit together.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Betmar trunk show will give customers the opportunity to see hats outside of The Village Hat Shop\u2019s stock and a chance to preview next year\u2019s spring line. And for a few lucky shoppers, perhaps even a one-of-a-kind chapeau.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of what she\u2019ll sell they\u2019ve decided not to include in their line,\u201d Belinsky said. \u201cSo someone might be buying a hat that is the only example of it that will ever exist.\u201d <\/p>\n

As with Belinsky\u2019s staff, Nikitina is eager to assist race-goers looking for an eye-catching hat. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the world of casual dressing, the races give women the opportunity to embrace her elegance, and the hat can provide a sense of individuality,\u201d she said. \u201cThe hat creates the whole outfit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fred Belinsky agrees. \u201cThere\u2019s something about the fact that you echo the past when you get dressed to the nines and go to the races,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd you can\u2019t dress to the nines without a hat.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Arturo Rios, he\u2019s confident his hats will shine bright in the winner\u2019s circle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be secure with yourself to wear my hats because you will be getting a lot of attention when you wear them,\u201d Rios said. <\/p>\n

For some, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the races might be Secretariat, Seabiscuit or Barbaro. But for others, it\u2019s not about placing the bet; it\u2019s all about wearing the hat. Move over, Zenyatta\u2014you won\u2019t be the only lady stealing the limelight at the track this year.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jessica Hudgins SDUN Reporter Every sporting event has its proper attire. No one just throws on any old shirt when heading down to Petco Park. It has to be the right color, the right player, the right number. Same goes for tailgaters at Qualcomm\u2014serious time and consideration goes into the body paint designs seen […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1317,"featured_media":243668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Hats off to the races: Village Hat Shop turns heads for racetrack\u2019s Opening Day","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1317"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}