Aviate

Living in Atlanta, it's pretty par for the course that we refer to our town as ATL. Not only do we have the busiest airport in the world (literally), but the airport code ATL has worked its way into our culture in such a way that we use it often and refer to it lovingly. 

Apparently, though, we're not the only city referring to our hometown by those three little airport letters, and southern hat brand Aviate has noticed. Founded by Ben Lancaster in Birmingham, Alabama, Aviate is putting a new twist on hometown pride. The company puts airport codes on hats, and Ben notes that while wearers of his goods love representing their hometown, they also appreciate the world of travel and exploring new things.  Ben says, "Aviate allows any person, no matter who you are, take pride in the place(s) that they love the most. That is something that will never go away."

And even though it's an unfair question, I asked Ben to tell me a little bit about his favorite hat, he says, "Currently, other than my home city Birmingham (BHM), I would probably say Miami for a couple of reasons. 1) I have family in Miami, so it gives me a legit excuse to rep that city. 2) I love everything that Miami has to offer and allows you to experience. The food, the culture, the people you get to meet from all over the world, getting to use my Spanish in a realtime setting, the weather, salsa dancing...I could go on and on. Miami is truly one of my favorite American cities thus making it my favorite hat to wear." His answer made me smile and gave me a glimpse into his passion for his company. I love the idea of wearing different hats to represent cities that you love or dream about or can't wait to visit again; it's all about making the brand yours. 

Be on the lookout for Aviate hats coming in many different colors: black, green, charcoal, even silver. And don't think Ben is stopping there. He's got a ton of other ideas up his sleeve including apparel and travel gear.  

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of enjoying a staycation in Atlanta with a little help from my friends at Southeast Toyota. I drove a RAV4 around some of the best eats, landmarks, and haunts in Atlanta, and figured what better accessory to have with me than an ATL hat? Stay tuned for my series about my Atlanta staycation, and in the meantime, pick up your own Aviate airport code hat here.