What are prosthetic masks made of and how are they manufactured?

Where do HUF, OnlyNY, and other brands with the "MADE IN U.S.A." tags get their snapback hats manufactured?

• I've been searching on and off for ~10 months trying to find the manufacturer of a specific 5-panel snapback hat, constantly getting discouraged with unsuccessful results. They are, in my opinion, the best fitting, most comfortable, durable, and affordable snapback hat I've come across. Many popular brands such as HUF and OnlyNY get their hats manufactured by this mystery company, but after emailing both companies, neither of them would reveal their manufacturer. Other smaller stores, like my local skateshop, Orchard Skateshop in Alston/Boston, MA, also have their hats manufactured by them. I recently asked them in person if they could help me out and let me know where they had their hats made, but they also kept their sources secret. The only information I have on these hats is that they all have a "MADE IN U.S.A." tag sewed to the inside of the sweatband as well as "MADE IN U.S.A." embossed on the inside of the plastic strap. Here are pictures of two different hats I own (one Orchard Skateshop hat, one HUF hat), showing those tags: OUTSIDE: http://i.imgur.com/k8P7N.jpg INSIDE : http://i.imgur.com/awNY9.jpg As a clothing company owner I am very eager and excited to have snapbacks made and would be thrilled to have them made by a manufacture that I personally wear and trust. Any information about this company would be extremely helpful. Any advice on how I could more effectively search/find this manufacture would be awesome as well. Thanks a ton!

• Answer:

  Try checking the RN numbers on tags: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rn/rnfaq.shtm But think about it... why would they give you the name of their contractor or patternmaker if you want to make the same or similar hat, in competition with them? If you want to be a clothing manufacturer (which is what the place that either makes clothes on their own behalf or farms out the actual sewing to a contractor), then you probably ought to be reading at http://www.fashion-incubator.com, which is a site run by a patternmaker for people starting small sewn products businesses. If you really want to do it, then get the book. Anyhow, start reading here with this group of posts: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/category/newbies/ and this one: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/category/contractors/ It's a strange, strange business... much of it is word of mouth recommendations. Just wait till you try to source something like those back adjusters: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/why-people-dont-return-your-calls/