Fashion loves nothing more than an “if you know, you know” reference. This summer, that comes on top of the head. The humble baseball cap has replaced the equally humble canvas tote as a way to signal a wearer’s cleverness and cultural prowess.
Recently, the cap has included a subtle statement. But unlike the infamous Maga hat, these are less political and more “in the know”. They might feature the logo of a highly rated restaurant, a podcast, author or even a fictional workplace. Elle Fanning wore a Waystar Royco cap in May, a hat tip to the media conglomerate in the TV show Succession. Another popular choice bears the name Pierpoint & Co, the investment company staffed by the characters in Industry.
Caps are also ways for celebrities to showcase their ordinariness. Kendall Jenner has made the extremely mainstream New York Yankees cap a signature, while Hailey Bieber wore a Porsche cap even though she could probably afford to buy several of the German brand’s sports cars.
In a slightly meta twist, their appearance on TV has been central to the rise of the performatively ordinary baseball cap. In Succession, Kendall Roy’s hat might look discreet but it is far from ordinary: made by luxury brand Loro Piana, these cashmere caps can cost more than £500.
Crucially, those without Roy-level cash can buy other styles for relatively little. John Lewis’s £15 navy one is a bestseller (pictured above), while versions by Barbour and Paul Smith – both less than £30 – have also found a following. Depop has seen a 72% rise in searches for baseball caps in 2023, and says that Carhartt and Gap caps (available for less than £20) are popular.
Merch & Company sell caps for small but rated restaurants, including Jack’s Wife Freda in New York, for about $35 (£28). “These brands are niche and can often create an instant connection with someone,” according to co-founder Bill Knutsen, who says wearing a hat is “more subtle than a branded T-shirt or hoodie – it’s not as in your face”.
Beka Gvishiani, founder of the popular news Instagram account Style Not Com, is known for wearing a custom-made bright blue baseball cap. He thinks the style has been taken up because it allows comfort and anonymity. “I feel secure when I wear the cap. Celebrities, and any people besides, share [this feeling],” he says. “All the fashion brands understand this and caps have became the new T-shirt.”
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