A Delco designer is re-creating Jason Kelce’s Mummers hat for hopeful Eagles fans and charity
Ahead of the Super Bowl, a Delco designer is selling replicas of the Mummers hat Jason Kelce wore to the Super Bowl parade in 2018. The proceeds are slated to go to charity.
Eagles fans won’t stop calling 80-year-old semiretired bridal-gown designer James May.
May, who also spent the last 50 years making Mummers costumes on the side at James May Costume Co. shop in Ridley Township, is crafting some 300 “fan hats” that resemble the gold-and-green Mummers headpiece Eagles center Jason Kelce wore to the Broad Street parade after the Birds’ 2018 Super Bowl win.
“My main thought was that I have a couple of months on my hands, I have the talent, and everybody’s Eagle, Eagle, Eagle, so I thought this is a good time to reintroduce the hat and offer it for charity,” said May, who plans to give the proceeds to Mummers Against Cancer.
The Delaware County designer knows the Mummers costume that Kelce wore to the Art Museum — he made it for the Avalon String Band more than 15 years ago. May said he didn’t expect his design to “blow up” as Philadelphians rejoiced seeing a beloved athlete show love for a local custom.
When he heard Kelce picked his design, May remembers being somewhat unfazed until fans started asking for copies.
By popular demand, May rolled out the fan hats months later at $125 each.
This time around the headgear is going for $75. May is doing all of the cutting, sewing, and sequin work himself — a 2½-hour effort. He’s only getting help from seamstress Lynn Gallagher for the pom-pom placement, cutting his overall costs. They’re not exact replicas; for example, they won’t have a chin strap, but May said they’re close to it and so sturdy, a person could sit on them and the hats will “bounce right back to shape.”
The meticulous designer started making gowns when he was in high school. He said he was already a “fussy” perfectionist then, getting frustrated when his creations didn’t meet his standards despite hours of sewing after school. May said his mother would often tell him his work would look better to him in the morning, after a night’s rest — she would secretly tweak his work overnight.
“Sure enough, I would get up in the morning and I’d say she’s really right, this looks really different,” he said.
May entered the bridal-gown industry in his 20s. The production time for Mummers costumes coincidentally took place during the slow season for bridal work, which helped May keep his seamstresses employed year-round.
May’s bridal work inspired his signature Mummers costume touch: a bell bottom.
“I copied it off like a lady’s skirt and when they walked, those pants would just like swish and sway, so they nicknamed it the Jimmy May sway,” he said.
At his peak, May said, he was making some 900 Mummers costumes a year for various string bands and brigades.
May retired several years ago, but he continues to take some gown orders and he makes about 65 Mummers costumes a year. Now he has his “fan hats” to keep him busy for the next few weeks.
May will be the first to joke about how he previously was more of a basketball fan but the events of 2018 left him with no choice.
“Since I met Jason and since I got involved with this, I watch every Eagles game,” May said.
Like practically all the people calling him for hats, which are still available, May is hoping the Birds take it all.