A Quick Look at the History of Baseball Caps & Today's Headwear Trends
aseball is finally back, and seeing how much it's been missed, shows the huge impact it's had on our culture throughout the years. None of which have been more obvious than the introduction of the cornerstone accessory we know now as, "the baseball cap."
Not only is it used as a way for fans to showcase love for their favorite team, but it's also become a big part of making an impactful fashion statement. ut how did we get to the modern cap we know today? We thought it'd be fun to find out, so let's take a quick look.
Why the Baseball Cap?
Epic Sports points out that a big part of why the baseball cap is so dominant in American culture, is because of how versatile it can be. Caps can be worn forward, backward, or tipped to side. They show off the logos of our favorite teams and brands. They can become a billboard for a message we wanted to spread. And, with the right color combinations, they complete our fashion statements from top to bottom. ut even more importantly, they also help shield your eyes from the sun, which is arguably, why it was invented for baseball players in the first place.
The Cap’s History
There was a baseball team back in 1849, out of New York City called, the Knickerbockers. During the games, they would wear straw caps on their heads to give them cover from the sun, which became the first version of the cap we now know and love. Merino wool caps, which are a closer version of today’s cap, came onto the scene shortly afterwards.
Players then started to experiment with various versions of that, eventually leading to a uniform cap that showed up on the Detroit Tigers, in the early 1900's, sporting the team's logo. According to Epic Sports, the stitched bill we're used to seeing started around 1903, with the sporting goods company, Spaulding.
Then, the pillbox cap of 1905 came around, which has since been revived today in the form of throwback ML baseball hats, as well as a notable fashion accessory.
Finally, the headwear company, New Era, developed the “59Fifty” hat in 1954, which is perhaps the closest version we know of that led right into the modern-day cap we have now. Eventually, it became the official cap of Major League baseball, according to Epic Sports, and is still in production today.
Current Cap Trends
We’ve turned the corner on 2020, but for the past few decades, the baseball cap has made its way into hip-hop culture, arguably one of the main reasons for the fitted baseball cap’s visibility on the street. Additionally, Hat Heaven notes that there are four main trends in the cap category that have taken off, particularly in this past year’s fashion scene.
Richardson - Wool Blend Flat Bill Trucker - 511
Trucker caps are still really popular and when you add in premium fabrics, like wool, it gives them more of a high-end, yet nostalgic look.
Adidas - Performance Relaxed Cap - A605
The sports cap is a great look for ladies, who want a sporty cap to complete that athleisure look or for a casual run around town.
Champion - Washed-Twill Dad’s Cap - CS4000
Dads everywhere can recover from a lame joke by wearing a casual cap that shows they know how to be trendy.
Flexfit - 110® Flat Bill Snapback Cap - 110F
Finally, snapbacks have become the go-to cap for most people these days, especially those in the hip-hop community. They're simple, clean and can be found in almost any color you’ll need to complete your outfit.
The great thing about baseball caps is there's truly no one-style-fits-all. Young and old, men and women can pull off the cap look, turning any fashion statement into your very own personal field of dreams.
What’s your favorite cap style? Let us know in the comments below!