By Katie McFadden
“It’s kind of like Crocs for your head,” local resident Ryan Sirgiovanni said of the idea that came to the top of his head one day last summer while watching his young kids take their hats, meant to protect them from the sun, right off. It’s a common issue for young kids and parents trying to keep their kids safe. But Ryan and his brother Dylan Sirgiovanni have come up with a fun solution that brings the creativity out of kids and has them keeping their sun hats on—Patchy’s.
“My young kids, and I think most kids, don’t like to keep their hats on, which we want them to wear for sun protection,” Ryan Sirgiovanni said. “So, I had this idea of a hat with Velcro where you can stick on patches wherever on the hat. It’s a fun thing to wear and on those busy summer beach days where finding your kid can be a problem, if they have this colorful hat, it stands out in a crowd. So, we came up with something that’s fun for the kids, protects them from the sun and is something where you can spot them easily—Patchy’s.”
Patchy’s are bucket hats that come in bright neon colors like electric blue, fluorescent pink and highlighter and each hat comes with a “Patch Pack” of choice with a selection of five cartoon patches, each with a theme, like dinosaurs, beach, magic, cats, dogs and safari. The hats are one size and fit kids from ages 2 to 7 with an adjustable strap. The hats are made of a material that the Velcro patches can stick to, so kids can show their creative side and place their patches wherever they want on the hat, making it not only a wearable product, but an interactive experience. A hat with one Patch Pack goes for $22.99 and additional Patch Packs are $9 each.
Patchy’s is a product for families, made by a Rockaway family. The idea was inspired by wanting a solution for Ryan’s kids to keep their hats on. That idea came in part from his wife, Bridget, a schoolteacher whose kids participated in crazy hat day, and many kids opted to put stickers on their hats to decorate them. “This idea came from something that’s fun for kids and they enjoy, and we want our kids to be able to express their creativity,” Ryan Sirgiovanni said. So, brothers, Ryan and Dylan, set out to build the company but they needed some help coming up with the patches. That’s where their dad, Richard, came in. “Our plan was to build original Patchy’s characters, and our dad is an artist who’s worked on his own projects in the past, making cartoons for books and TV shows, so we thought it would be fun to involve him,” Ryan Sirgiovanni said. So Patchy’s is an idea built with the help of three generations of Sirgionvannis.
After coming up with the idea, finding a great product and designing the patches, the Sirgiovannis put the product to the test on Ryan’s kids. “His kids are the creative directors. They let us know if they don’t like something. We get a lot of feedback from them,” Dylan Sirgiovanni said. “They’re very honest,” Ryan Sirgiovanni added. And after quality control was done, the Sirgiovannis launched Patchy’s right before the holidays last year.
“At that point, we were taking it slow, trying to grow organically, getting to know the customers better, sharing it with friends and family and getting feedback,” Dylan Sirgiovanni said. But now they’re ready for their full launch as the weather starts to warm up again and it’s time to break out the sun hats. “Spring is our real launch and we’ll be on the ground at markets and up at Riis Park all summer,” Dylan Sirgiovanni said. “It’s going to be fun talking to people and getting a lot of on the ground feedback.” Ryan Sirgiovanni added, “We’re gonna give everything we got with this.”
This isn’t Ryan and Dylan’s first go as entrepreneurs, or even with retail products. Dylan and Ryan started the Rockaway Beach Local clothing company with a Whaleamina inspired RBNY logo, but they’ve since passed it along to Billy Buckley. After all, they’ve since put their focus on other endeavors. Dylan Sirgiovanni owns the Edible Island concession and is now a partner in Riis Beach, the collective that operates the concessions at Bay 9 and other areas in Riis Park. Ryan Sirgiovanni is busy catering to kids with a series of children’s books written and illustrated by himself and his wife, Bridget. The TODAY Show just did a spotlight last week on Ryan’s latest book with Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frasier called “Winning and Grinning: Walt Clyde Frazier Knicks Legend and New York City Icon.”
While Patchy’s currently offers bucket hats and six patch packs, the brothers already have more ideas in mind to expand. Later this spring, they’ll be launching snapback hats for those who want a different style, and there’s potential for other products like backpacks and more. “We have a lot of other ideas of products so the patches can be used across the board with any Patchy’s products,” Dylan Sirgiovanni said. They’re also working towards licensing collaborations to launch patches with some familiar looks. “We’d love to bring some of our kids’ favorite brands into patch form,” Dylan Sirgiovanni said. And maybe adults can get in on the fun. “We have people asking if there are adult hats,” Ryan Sirgiovanni said. “Not yet, but maybe soon.”
In the meantime, you can grab your kids hats at ThePatchys.com. As a special for Rockaway locals, Patchy’s is offering a discount code for a second Patch Pack for free. Use ROCKAWAY-LOCAL-SUMMER25 at checkout from now until Memorial Day. Orders ship nationwide. If you’d like to see the product in person, Patchy’s will be available at the Riis Beach concessions this summer, at Rockaplay Social Club in Arverne by the Sea and at local markets. To see more and for updates, follow @patchyskids on Instagram.
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