Straight from the sports field
As the name itself indicates, timeless baseball cap comes from the baseball field. Before experienced players were given functional professional headgear, they used straw hats as a protection from sun.
The very first headwear, that not only had proper fit but also a visor that functioned as a shield against the sun, was launched in 1858 by the team of Brooklyn Excelsiors. Baseball outfits from Boston, Chicago or Philadelphia soon followed that trend by introducing their own interpretation of functional peaked hat.
Yet the true revolution in male headwear occurred thanks to New Era Company that designed in 1954 a ‘59Fifty’ woolen model with a moldable peak. It was brought into use not earlier than in the 70s though.
At first, baseball cap was just an essential piece of sports fans, who donned them as a support for their teams in the stands. 1996 was a crucial year, when film director Spike Lee showed up at the New York Yankees stadium wearing customized red (not classic blue) hat.
Types of baseball caps
There are several types of baseball caps. Full caps, snapback caps and trucker hats are among the most popular ones.
Full cap is a hat crafted from 6 triangular panels stitched together and its signature feature is a flat peak and full back with no adjustment.
Snapback is a hat that’s also made from textile panels and its signature feature is an adjustable tab made of plastic or nylon, enabling easy fit.
These models were embraced particularly by the demimonde of New York-based rappers and gangsters who decided not to bend the peak in order to distinguish themselves from the others.
The intact flat peak is a synonym of hip-hop promulgated by the celebrities like 50 Cent, Lil Wayne or Jay-Z.
Trucker hat - iconic Route 66 vanquisher boasts completely different subcultural associations. The favorite hat of truck drivers is made half of polyester and half of breathable, sheer mesh panel finished with plastic adjustment.
That hat was often used as a promotional item of several brands – from TV stations to cat food companies. That’s why people associated it with the working class. However, as it often happens especially in fashion industry, this slightly fussy article of apparel has found a new life in collections of top-rated designers.
Balenciaga, Philipp Plein or Palm Angels - choose your style from the runway
A.P.C in the Spring-Summer 2017 collection presents baseball cap in a classic aesthetic. That label favors monochromatic hues, incorporating baseball cap with curved peak into semi-elegant ensembles. Through that brave coup, it gives a dose of mystery and isolation from the world to the wearer – just like an undercover agent.
Demna Gvasalia, Georgian designer who joined Balenciaga in October 2015, has created completely new understanding of male silhouette - exaggerated, square shoulders and excessively high-rise pants create new proportions. Unicolored baseball caps with subtle, yet visible logotypes are juxtaposed with thickly braided slim-fit sweaters and trousers with high waist.
Baseball caps from A.P.C. and Balenciaga don’t stand out, they only make for a natural accent that puts a seal on a neat outfit.
On the other hand Philipp Plein pays tribute to NBA traditions by putting on his models’ heads full caps emblazoned with intrusive logos.
Francesco Ragazzi’s Palm Angels shows off mesh trucker hats and baseball caps as a reference to skateboard traditions from Venice Beach in sunlit LA.
