NEW YORK, Feb 17, 2010 / FW/ — Working in partnership to implore the craftsmanship that established Stetson as a preeminent American sportswear and work wear label, Billy Reid has collaborated with Stetson on a limited edition range of men’s and women’s hats and accessories for Fall 2010.

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The heritage of functional field-tested sportswear is at the core of the nearly 200-year-old American hat brand, Stetson. Using touches of Nutria fur and English Army-inspired detailing coupled with the fabrics and fabric treatments that are Billy Reid staples such as distressed Cordovan Leather, wax cottons, and dead stock wools, the collaboration is in keeping with the rugged refinement of the Billy Reid man and woman, but stays true to the history and design practices of Stetson.

Each style in the collection is a distinct interpretation of outdoor headwear made with heritage-inspired work wear techniques. The dense British Army wool used to create a newsboy cap with distressed Cordovan tie attachments is the same wool that was culled from archival field-tested British Army uniforms. A wax cotton fisherman hat and Nutria fur lined flap winter hat provides a sense of protection from the elements. A Cordovan leather flap baseball hat is the casual option in the collection that can endure a hunting trip or a day in the city. Dapper fedoras that could befit a mid-century Southern law professor come in a variety of dead stock pillow ticking fabrics.

The softness of the Nutria fur is worked into the women’s collection in a classic pillbox hat shape. A borrowed from the boys-influenced engineer hat in dead stock Jean Wool with Cordovan leather trim is the definition of the Billy Reid woman, a modern balance between soft femininity and casual masculinity. The Nutria fur is also used to luxuriously line in a pair of heavy-duty wax cotton gloves.

The marriage of Stetson’s heritage with the modern Billy Reid prospective on functional outdoor accessories articulates the collaboration for Fall 2010.

Billy Reid shops include the following locations: Bond Street, New York; Court Street, Florence, AL; King Street, Charleston, SC; Northpark Center, Dallas, TX; The Hill Center, Nashville, TN; and Galleria 1 Houston, TX.

Photos courtesy of Billy Reid

New York Fashion Week Fall 2010