How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

In the expansive world of sports equipment, some pieces easily belong exclusively on the field, court, or ice. Someone walking down the street in an Allen Iverson–style compression sleeve or thick, garish hockey socks would look wildly out of place. But any sidewalk, coffee shop, or crowded mode of public transit is sure to be littered with dozens of baseball caps—despite the fact that none of those people will be playing a baseball game.

The baseball cap has become the lone on-field accessory to transcend its original use and become part of the civilian closet. Worn by everyone from grandparents running errands to mega celebrities with immeasurable influence, the baseball cap can be both unobtrusive and endlessly customizable. But it didn't start out that way.