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Honestly, only a Few pieces in menswear can divide advocates and critics alike; however, the baseball cap is one of them. This athletic classic has had legions of admirers since it first appeared on the heads of the Brooklyn Excelsiors in 1860, garnering acclaim for both its practicality and good looks. Meanwhile, menswear purists have protested that it is immature, ignorant, and tacky. The baseball cap has been granted a new lease on life today. This is due to various reasons, including, though not limited to, the latest athleisure movement and mass fashion’s absorption/pilfering of streetwear.
As a result, this brimmed marvel has become even more broadly known. And, when styled correctly, it can be an easy way to up the accessories game.
Baseball Cap History
Except you’re completely uninterested in sports, it just won’t surprise you to know baseball caps were initially brought into limelight by a team of baseball players. That team was the Brooklyn Excelsiors, and the year was 1860. But it was another half a century before the concept entirely took off.
Since 1900, the baseball cap has become an essential method of identifying teams and providing the tactical advantage of keeping the sun out of players’ eyes as they pitched and hit their way around the park.
Baseball caps entered people’s homes and onto their heads as televised sports became more common in the twentieth century. Suddenly, the piqued curiosity in the peaked accessory saw it becoming a part of the informal uniform of the daily man. The concept of just wearing one on the field was already – pun intended – old fashion.
Today, it contributes to the more significant wave in sportswear infusing modern wardrobes. Combine this with the popularity of hip-hop personalities such as Jay-Z and his much-loved New York Yankees hat, celebrities wearing them incognito, and even Gucci, including upscale versions in recent catwalk shows. It’s clear why the baseball cap will still have a spot as a classic menswear accessory.
However, due to the wide variety of variations available, this classic essential is a notoriously tricky item to style. And, when it comes to selecting one, stick to these tried and true favourites to ensure a home run.
Here are five ways to rock the Baseball Cap
Transitional Topper
The two annual limbo cycles between the scorching temperatures of one season and the bitter cold of the next can be famously difficult to dress for. However, swapping your bare head or bobble hat for a baseball cap is a perfect way to begin.
From The Streets
The love story between luxury fashion and streetwear is only in its early stages. However, the style can be a bit too much for some folks. So, instead of showing up to the bar in a floor-length pair of Ozweegos and a Vetements anorak, try offering a more casual nod to the scene. Wear a 5-panel or dad cap with a hoodie or slogan T-shirt and cropped trousers or shorts. That way, you can adopt the streetwear aesthetic without posing like a fool in public.
Summer Ready
A baseball cap ranks alongside heated tins of malt, a sand-filled picnic, and sunscreen as absolute summer staples. However, the proper styling can do more than just save you from squinting at the light. It can even bring some personality to a dull short and T-shirt look.
On colder days at the beach or in the beer garden, use your cap to tie your wardrobe together by choosing one that matches another aspect of your outfits, such as your top or sandals. Just make sure your preferred topper coordinates with the other layers in your bag for when your day drinking session finally turns into a night session.
Luxe Minimalism
Generally, men owe a great deal to those trendy Scandinavians, so what better way to pay tribute to them than through understated, tidy, and minimal headwear? And, for that matter, anywhere else. Tactile fabrics like suede, velvet, and corduroy are all excellent choices for adding a touch of sophistication to your headgear, particularly when combined with classic wardrobe staples like a lightweight jacket and good looking chinos.
Tonal Tailoring
If you had informed someone in the 1990s that people would be sporting baseball caps with suits in two decades, they would have screamed on their 3D Doritos and lost their Walkman. Nonetheless, it is what it is today with suits and caps.
This style is as modern as they come, and it’s the ideal way to rock a hat without feeling like an angsty adolescent. You can combine a simple, high quality baseball cap with a ‘not –so-cool’ blazer worn over polo and a pair of clean sneakers. Even a person from the 1990s would agree that this does not look good.
Conclusion
When it comes to selecting the right topper for your outfit, you have two options: go for a classic baseball style and use it to balance a somewhat more innovative outfit, or go the other direction and choose a bright, structured cap that will help push your sweats up a notch.
For more on baseball, read.