The real J. Peterman is looking to make an item that Seinfeld fans were introduced to 20 years ago (and when I say “The real J. Peterman”, I’m not talking about Cosmo Kramer).
Founder John Peterman and The (real) J. Peterman Company have started a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising $500,000 to fund the development of new clothing items, including the Urban Sombrero:
Peterman and his company have launched a Kickstarter to fund the development of new clothing items with thrilling, romantic backstories, and one of the items they’re looking to create is none other than the Urban Sombrero.
The campaign is looking to raise $500,000 before May 20, and in addition to funding the Urban Sombrero, the money will be used to recreate a classic flapper dress and ‘70s-style motorcycle jacket.
For those of you that aren’t Seinfeld fans or just understandably forgot about a plot line from a TV episode that aired in 1996, the Urban Sombrero was a major part of Elaine Benes’ storyline in the season-eight episode titled “The Foundation”.
Elaine is working for (the fake) J. Peterman in the show, and suggests an item for the company’s upcoming catalog:
Well, Mr. Peterman, I’ve got a really good idea for a hat. It combines the spirit of old Mexico with a little big city panache. I like to call it the Urban Sombrero.
Well, the eccentric Peterman isn’t really listening to Elaine, and the next thing we know, he’s in Burma (or Myanmar, or as Kramer thinks, the discount pharmacy). Over the phone, Peterman asks Elaine to take over the responsibilities of running the company catalog.
So, Elaine — feeling a bit too much self-confidence following some motivational words from Kramer — decides to go with her Urban Sombrero idea for the cover of the catalog, and it’s a colossal failure.
In this video for the Kickstarter campaign, the real J. Peterman explains why he’s now ready to make the Urban Sombrero a reality. Oh, and the video includes fake J. Peterman (John O’ Hurley) too:
Peterman refers to the hat as “a fun item” that he has “resisted for 20 years,” explaining on the page that he didn’t want to make it because it’s not “an authentic item” that people actually wear. After all this time, though, he thinks the Urban Sombrero has “served enough time in purgatory,” adding, “maybe it has earned its authenticity.”
The Urban Sombrero can be reserved with a pledge of $275, and with a $400 pledge, you can reserve the Urban Sombrero numbered and hand-signed by O’Hurley and Peterman.
The campaign began on April 11, and has raised about $20,000 (at the time of this post). They hope to raise $500,000 by May 20.
[AV Club]
