In short: Von Dutch trucker hats are so expensive because they’re designed to be sold at a luxury price point. Celebrities and social media influencers helped the cause by wearing them too.
A quick look at Von Dutch’s website and you’ll see that a world-famous trucker hat costs $89. The LA Times even reported that their infamous hats ranged between $42 to $125.
So what’s the deal with the expensive price? These are just simple trucker hats, after all. In this article, I’ll explain some of the reasons why Von Dutch trucker hats are so expensive.
1. Von Dutch trucker hats are designed to be luxury items
Von Dutch trucker hats are so expensive because they are designed to be sold at luxury price points. Since the beginning, Von Dutch trucker hats are already expensive.
Although Wikipedia claimed that Christian Audigier came up with the trucker hat, a recent Hulu docuseries about Von Dutch revealed that Tonny Sørensen, the CEO, came up with the idea.
He says he came across vintage pinstripe and herringbone fabrics in the offices and thought to make trucker hats out of them with the Von Dutch logo.
Tonny Sørensen saw a huge potential to sell the Von Dutch trucker hats at a luxury price point, even selling leather styles for as high as $85, and he was clearly onto something.
The first drop they launched in-store instantly sold out.
There’s something about the Von Dutch trucker hats that draws people to the design. Even though they are ridiculously expensive, people still love them and buy them.
“People didn’t know what [Von Dutch] meant, they just wanted to wear it.”
– Dennis Rodman, Von Dutch fan in the 2000s
“It was playful, cute, and iconic. [It was all about] standing out and a lot of bling. It was so much fun.”
– Paris Hilton
The Von Dutch brand wouldn’t have made it big in the early 2000s if it wasn’t for Tonny Sørensen’s genius idea of selling a simple trucker hat with a logo at an expensive price point.
Celebrities helped make the brand famous too, which brings me to my next point.
2. Worn by celebrities
A big reason why these Von Dutch trucker hats are so expensive is due to their notoriety. Plenty of celebrities have been seen wearing Von Dutch since the early 2000s.
The early 2000s were the prime years for Von Dutch as celebrities were spotted wearing a variety of the brand’s apparel such as jackets, t-shirts, and, most notably, trucker hats.
One incident that made a huge splash for the Von Dutch brand was the breakup between Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in the year 2002.
The couple happened to be wearing Von Dutch trucker hats on the cover of People magazine when they made national news with the breakup of their relationship.
The exposure helped grow the Von Dutch brand, and it began selling.
Other celebrities, including Ashton Kutcher, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Beyoncé were also seen wearing the notoriously expensive $100 Von Dutch trucker hat.
In the early 2000s, Ashton Kutcher was constantly wearing Von Dutch, especially on episodes of Punk’d. Von Dutch’s popularity peaked in 2003, with sales of over $33 million.
By the late 2000s, Von Dutch began to experience a rapid decline but made a comeback when Kylie Jenner was seen wearing the famous trucker hat, jackets, and two-piece sets.
Now, Von Dutch is back on the map and their trucker hats are pricier than ever.
Fashion is always about supply and demand. And with the demand as high as ever, there’s no way the price of Von Dutch trucker hats going down anytime soon.
3. Collaboration with rappers and influencers
Ever since their resurgence in 2016, Von Dutch made it their mission to put themselves back on the map. And thanks to social media, the brand is able to harness the power of influencers.
In 2019, Von Dutch hired Ed Goldman as its general manager, and he started to create connections with Los Angeles’ hip-hop community through rappers.
Travis Scott, Saweetie, and Megan Thee Stallion wore the Von Dutch brand on Instagram. The exposure helped grow the Von Dutch brand even further.
In 2021, Von Dutch partnered with Young Thug to create a line of streetwear. Von Dutch also became popular thanks to internet celebrities such as Emma Chamberlain and Addison Rae.
Due to collaboration with extremely famous celebrities and influential social media personalities, Von Dutch is able to sell its famous trucker hats at ridiculously expensive prices.
Related articles: