Lake Ontario has a new name.

This morning the President signed an executive order renaming it Lake America, part of an escalating trade dispute with Canada. One signature, and a 200-mile-long body of water that has been called the same thing since the 1600s is called something else instead.

Whatever you make of it — and people are making plenty of it — a Great Lake changing its name overnight is a genuinely strange thing to watch happen on a Thursday.

We pay attention to this sort of thing more than most. We build hats on the shore of Lake Erie, about forty minutes west of Cleveland. The Great Lakes are not an abstraction here; they are the weather, the horizon, and half the reason anyone moves to this stretch of Ohio. When one of the five gets renamed by executive order, that lands differently in Avon Lake than it does in most places.

So we made the hat. Same day.

That is what Hot Off the Press is. When something happens, we design the patch, print it, press it and put it up — usually inside a day, while the thing is still the thing everyone is talking about. No committee, no minimum order, no waiting on a supplier in another time zone.

There are three Lake America designs. A circular patch with a lighthouse on the rocks and a single star overhead. A brushed-metal shield with the lighthouse engraved into it. And a carved wood-grain ribbon banner, for something a little quieter. All three come on five Richardson 112 colourways plus a ponytail-opening cap in Dusty Rose.

AND.....WHY CAN'T LAKE ERIE BE LAKE AMERICA?????! WHAT DID LAKE ERIE DO WRONG??? CAN'T WE HAVE A COOL NEW NAME TOO?

Browse the Lake America hats and the rest of Hot Off the Press →

Blog posts

View all

Lake America patch hat — white Richardson 112 trucker cap with a lighthouse patch

Lake Ontario Is Now Lake America. We Made the Hat.

A Great Lake was renamed by executive order this morning. We put it on a hat the same day — three designs, made on the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio.

Read moreabout Lake Ontario Is Now Lake America. We Made the Hat.

Officially Licensed America 250-Ohio Hats, Gifts and Collectibles.

Laser Focused Xpressions Is an Officially Licensed Seller of America 250-Ohio Products Ohio is preparing to celebrate a once-in-a-generation milestone—and Laser Focused Xpressions is proud to be part of it. We are excited to announce that Laser Focused Xpressions is...

Read moreabout Officially Licensed America 250-Ohio Hats, Gifts and Collectibles.

We’re Officially Live: The Happy on Monday Merch Store Has Launched!

We’re Officially Live: The Happy on Monday Merch Store Has Launched!

We’re celebrating the launch of the brand-new Happy on Monday merch shop — a tropical, feel-good collection of hats, shirts, and mugs created in partnership with Laser Focused Xpressions. Designed in vibrant teal and coral and featuring uplifting slogans like “Happy on Monday,” every item brings beach-day energy to your week. Launch deals include 10% off and free shipping over $50, and all commissions are donated to Compassion Connect. Start your Monday with sunshine!

Read moreabout We’re Officially Live: The Happy on Monday Merch Store Has Launched!