Mouse ears, meals and more
Disney fashion, holiday eats and a new Melissa McCarthy flick.
Production of ears remains in high gear for Walt Disney World. The trademark Disney headgear – a sartorial shout-out to Mickey Mouse since the 1950s -- is getting new variations, some of which can be seen at the revamped World of Disney store that officially debuted at Disney Springs last weekend.
That’s when I talked about the future of earwear and other merchandising trends with Stefanie Whitmore, director of merchandise strategy and product development.
The retro look remains on point, and Disney didn’t tinker with traditional too much. “We didn’t want to mess with a classic,” Whitmore said. Instead, a red liner was added with words from the theme song for the Mickey Mouse Club: “Who’s the leader of the club?” and more. Names can still be embroidered on the back.
A second style is a more straightforward ballcap with mouse ears on the side and a bill up front, topped by a Mickey Mouse Club patch. It’s black except for type on the back that says “Official Mousketeer.”
“The back of the merchandise has become almost as important as the front,” Whitmore said. (Another example: Spirit jerseys with big type across the shoulder blades.)
A third version falls into the headband category. Onto the strap is a tiny, shiny mouse-ear hat, attached at a jaunty angle.
“She’s a bit sparkly for your selfies,” Whitmore said.
These three pieces of headgear are part of the new Mickey Mouse Club Collection and tied to Mickey’s upcoming 90th birthday. The collection debuted at World of Disney stores and eventually will be available elsewhere. There’s a retro athletic feel to the collection, including a letterman jacket.
Now for the bad news. There’s a fanny pack in the mix.
“This has been a huge trend in retail for a while now,” Whitmore said. “So with the nostalgic, kind of vintage feel of this collection, it felt right to do a mini fanny pack.”
Meanwhile, back at the headband ranch, there are three holiday versions – one with an official Christmasy plaid, another with furry pompons. The elegant headband could be for upscale holiday parties.
There have been changes in headband design, with an eye on comfort, Whitmore said.
“We’ve changed the fit completely,” she said. “They’re a lot more comfortable. They have a lot more give.”
Another change for ear hats involves shelf life, she said.
“Historically, we might develop a pair of ears and you might see them for five, 10, 15 years. That isn’t the case anymore,” Whitmore said. “Now it’s get them while you can because they will not be here forever, particularly our big trend items.
“We’re going to celebrate the trend, we’re going to be on it, then we’re going to move on to the next,” she said.