What is the origin of the cap?

The origin of the cap is surprisingly simple.

A practical item to protect the eyes from the sun.

The direct ancestor of the baseball cap everyone wears today is the hat worn by 19th-century baseball players.

In America around the 1860s, they weren't the caps we know today, but rather soft hats.

From there, the brim grew larger and the crown (the top part) became more structured for reasons such as:
・The sun making it hard to see the ball
・Wanting to identify the team

Then, around the 1940s and 50s, the baseball cap as we know it today was perfected.

Most famous is the 59FIFTY created by New Era.

This became the prototype for today's sports caps.

However, the cap as a fashion item has a different history.

Workwear
Hats worn by railroad workers and farmers.
They were used as practical items to protect against dirt and sunlight.

Military
The military also adopted caps.
They developed as work hats for when helmets were not being worn.
This also connects to today's jet caps and camp caps.

Street Culture
Things changed in the 70s to 90s.
Run-D.M.C., N.W.A., and the subsequent hip-hop scene turned team caps into fashion.

For the first time,
“which team you wear”
became an identity.
A phenomenon emerged where wearing a Yankees cap didn't necessarily mean you were a baseball fan.

Thinking about it in modern fashion

In recent years, it is not uncommon to see styles that pair a cap with a suit.

At first glance, it looks like a contradictory combination, but the sporty lightness of the cap softens the tension of the formal wear.

This is a way of dressing down that you can only pull off if you know the rules.

It works because the cap is a casual item; it doesn't mean you can just pair anything with anything.

By understanding the history and background, you can see why that combination works.