Geneology of the baseball hat

Spalding Sporting Goods brand Cincinnati Red Stockings hat from 1890s. The Cincinnati Reds were baseball's first professional team, and sported these Boston-style short-brimmed 6-paneled pinwheel caps. The caps were made from wool, with stitched Old English"C" logo. Source link.








Classic baseball cap styles "as advertised in Spalding’s Base Ball Guide of 1888." Primarily variances of the Chicago-style pill-box or the Boston-style 6-panel pinwheel. Source link.















Mitchell & Ness brand "Cooperstown Collection" version of 1977 Pittsburgh Pirates pill-box hat. The pill-box (or "Chicago-style") was a popular alternative to the 6-paneled hats which would come to dominate the baseball hat world. The pill-box features 1-2 horizontal strips of fabric that travel around the circumference of the wearer's head; with a final circular piece forming the crown of the hat. The Pirates would be the last MLB team to wear this design. Source link.







New Era brand "5950" model baseball hat. The classic, 6-panel, high profile design -- originally referred to as the "Brooklyn style." New Era began in Buffalo, NY in the 1930s and would rise to prominence in 1954 after introducing their 5950 model to become the official hat supplier for the MLB team the Cleveland Indians. Advancements from the 1890s would feature increased use of acrylic in the fiber content (between 70-80% acrylic : 30-20% wool). This model is from the 2000s, which feature increased presence of branding stickers (available at purchase). These stickers themselves have become a fashion item, as individuals will keep the sales stickers in place to assure the cap's status as "new" or "mint." Source link.


Von Dutch brand "trucker hat." The trucker hat is a variance on the foam-front/mesh-back baseball hat which provides a less expensive option to full fabric 6-panel cap. The trucker hat is snap-adjustable and features 4 plastic mesh back panels as well as a single front foam/fabric crown piece. The single front piece allows images to be cheaply fixed to the front of the hat (either printed or in Von Dutch's case, sewn patches). The Von Dutch brand was begun in 1999, and rose to prominence following wear by celebrity Justin Timberlake. This spawned an unfortunate fad, which saw innumerable celebrities and poseurs-alike sporting the hats in solidarity with the "whitetrash/redneck" America-first movement following the 9/11 attacks. The primary designer for Von Dutch was Christian Audigier, who has since moved on to apply his trademark style to the Ed Hardy brand. Source link.


Adidas brand tennis-cap. A perennial player in the athletic market, Adidas has sought to consolidate its share in a diverse sporting market -- in this case, the company offers tennis players a lightweight cap that utilizes Adidas' extensive polyester fabric resources. The construction is divergent from the classic 6-panel pinwheel, instead featuring variable contrast pieces that travel the length of the hat (also, the hat is adjustable thanks to the Velcro strap at back) . These contrast fabrics include meshing, which would aid in cooling the head by allowing heat dissipation. The hat is from the 2000s. Source link.