Baseball Caps

Ah, the classically rugged yet refined feel of a brand new baseball cap.  After it's broken in, it can become man's best friend, woman's protection from the sun, or a great way to show your devotion to a baseball team.  Baseball caps aren't just designed in team colors anymore; they come in every color of the rainbow now and a multitude of styles, with just about anything written on them. Originally worn in 1860 to support the Brooklyn Excelsiors  amateur baseball team, these hats were initially designed with a shorter brim and a looser fit. Check out the caps that are available today.

Brim Styles

When you first see a cap, the most noticeable part is usually the brim. Brims can be flat, rounded, long or short.  Most people like to bend them so they curve above their eyes and allow for more visibility, but others like to wear flat caps as a fashion statement. See some styles below.

Rounded Brim Cap	Long Brim Cap	Flat Brim Cap	Short Brim Cap

Adjusters

Hats can be adjusted in a variety of ways for comfort and style. Velcro adjusters  may be less secure, but they usually let you tighten the hat as much as you need to.   Plastic adjusters  only give you a limited amount of ways to adjust, but the hat will stay the way you've fixed it. Cloth adjusters  are similarly more sturdy and also let you change the hat size as much as you want. Some hats are fitted and don't come with a way to adjust them in the back; if you are purchasing one of these, then make sure the hat fits you well (a little loose so it's not too tight on your head) so that you'll actually wear it.

Types

Check out the range of colors and choices you have when buying your hat. 

Team Cap  Wearing a hat to support your favorite baseball team is almost as big a pastime as the sport itself. Don't like your team's colors? Get your team hat in a different shade!	Company Cap  Many companies use hats as marketing tools to promote their products or their services. Chances are you have at least one of these in your closet.	Child's Cap  These hats are smaller and intended to fit a child sized head. If you find that regular caps are too large on you, maybe these sizes would work better.	Blank Caps  Some hats don't feature anything at all, just a solid color. They are great if you just want to keep the sun out of your eyes and are not trying to make a statement.	Two-Tone Cap  Some hats feature two different colors, one for the brim and another for the body of the cap. They can be a fun fashion statement to make.

Hat Wear

Now that you've picked out your hat, you want to keep it in good condition and looking cool. Here are a few tips for caring for your cap.

• Wash: Read the tag as it will have specific care instructions for washing. Keep in mind that cleaning instructions can differ depending on the fabric of the cap, so not all styles should be cleaned the same. Also, remember to never put your hat in the dryer--it will ruin that perfect fit. If you are concerned about placing it in the wash and ruining the brim, try using a washcloth  and detergent  to wash off the most soiled spots, and then rinsing it with cold water.

• Color: If you wear your hat in the sun a lot, then keep in mind that the color is going to fade, and will do so more quickly with specific styles. If you prefer that worn-in look, then it's fine, but otherwise if you know you're going to be in the sun all day, consider wearing an older cap that is already fading.

• Brim: Most people wear baseball caps with a folded brim, which means constantly folding and re-folding it to break it in. If you are growing impatient, then you can break it in more quickly by placing the folded up brim in a coffee mug  or drinking glass.  

Related Guides

Hats	Accessories	Baseball and Softball	Sports Memorabilia	NFL Merchandise

External Links

• Returntomanliness.com: How to break in and care for a baseball cap.