The quirky Stormy Kromer hat made in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will soon be spotted on college campuses — specifically 18 universities across Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin as new wool caps bearing each school’s logo and colors.
The company, which manufactures hats in Ironwood, will offer a new Collegiate Collection — a line of licensed caps — starting Aug, 12 and sold exclusively at stormykromer.com/collegiate.
Crafted with the same time-tested durability and distinctive design Stormy Kromer has been known for since 1903, each winter cap features custom embroidery in the colors and logos of some of the country’s most beloved universities.
“From campus walks to snowy tailgates, these caps are designed to keep fans warm while showing their team spirit — with all the craftsmanship and character you’d expect from Stormy Kromer,” said Gina Thorsen, CEO of the company.
She added, “there’s something special about Midwestern pride — whether it’s pride in your team, your school, or your community.”
The launch includes caps for Michigan State, Oakland, Michigan, Central Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Wayne State and Western Michigan.
The hats will be made for Minnesota schools: Bemidji State and University of Minnesota Duluth, and Wisconsin schools: University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, UW–Green Bay, UW–La Crosse, UW–Milwaukee and UW-Stevens Point.
Thorsen, an alum of UW-Stevens Point, said the company worked with that school first in creating their new Collegiate Collection.
The Stormy Kromer cap was created in 1903 when George “Stormy” Kromer, a semiprofessional baseball player and railroad engineer, asked his wife, Ida, to modify his baseball cap for better warmth and wind resistance
Ida added a pull-down ear band and six-panel construction – a design the hat still features today.
Stormy Kromer also recently offered a limited-edition commemorative hat for the 50th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. Thorsen said they sold out of all 500 in little over a day. The hat was created, in part, to raise money — $20 per hat – for the Friends of the Fitz, a nonprofit group in Wisconsin trying to purchase a marker noting where the ship departed on its ill-fated voyage.
Those interested in the upcoming Collegiate Collection won’t have to worry about sellouts as Stormy Kromer intends to add those hats to its permanent collection.
Contact Carol Cain at clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 am Sundays on CW Detroit 50.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stormy Kromer goes to college: 18 universities to get customized hats