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Caps questions
How do you wash a baseball cap?
Read the care label first. For a cotton, canvas or denim cap, hand-wash in cool water with a little mild detergent, scrub the sweatband with a soft brush, rinse, then dry it on a bowl or a balled towel so the crown keeps its shape. Skip the dryer. Waxed canvas and leather caps are different animals: wipe them clean and don't soak them.
How should a baseball cap fit?
Snug around your head with no pressure line, sitting level with the bill about a finger above your eyebrows. You should be able to slide a fingertip under the band at the sides. If an adjustable strap is maxed out either way, the cap's the wrong size. A fitted cap should stay put when you nod hard.
How do you measure your head for a cap?
Same way as any hat. Wrap a soft tape around your head where the cap's band will sit, about a half inch above your ears and an inch above your brows, keep it level and read it. Match the number to the store's chart. Our size chart page has American Hat Makers' table, from XS at 20 inches to 3X at 25 5/8.
How do you clean a leather cap?
Wipe it with a soft, barely damp cloth and let it air-dry away from heat, which can stiffen and crack leather. Don't put a leather cap in water or a washing machine. A leather conditioner made for hats or jackets keeps it supple; test it on the inside first. Sweat marks on the band come off with a damp cloth after each sweaty day.
How do you shape the bill of a cap?
Curve it gently with your hands, a little at a time. Some people roll it around a coffee mug for a day. Don't force a crease into leather or a stiff bill, because it can crack. Flat brim or curved is a style call, and either one beats a bill folded into a taco.
Is a cap enough for sun protection?
No. MD Anderson points out that baseball caps protect only part of your face, so your ears and the back of your neck stay exposed. If you wear one outdoors, add sunscreen on your ears and neck and wear sunglasses. For long days outside, a sun hat with a brim of three inches or more all the way around does far more.
A ball cap has a six-panel dome crown and a bill at the front only, so it shades your eyes and nothing else. The caps in our feed are mostly leather, canvas, waxed canvas and denim. Most are one size with an adjustable back, and a few come in fitted sizes. Fabric caps can be hand-washed; leather caps get wiped, never soaked.
What kind of caps are these?
Western-leaning ball caps. American Hat Makers’ caps are mostly leather, canvas, waxed canvas and denim, built with a six-panel dome and a curved bill. They’re the hat for errands, truck days and anywhere a felt hat would get dinged. Most are listed as one size with an adjustable back. A few come in fitted sizes, MD to XL, and the size filter shows both.
Leather or fabric?
Leather caps hold their shape longest, shrug off a little rain and look better beat-up. They also run warmer and can’t go anywhere near a washing machine. Canvas and denim breathe more and wash easier, and the vented ones are the summer pick. Waxed canvas sits in the middle: it sheds light rain and gets wiped, not washed.
How do you wear a cap and still look grown up?
Bill forward, cap level, logo small or absent. A plain leather or waxed canvas cap goes with a work jacket, a flannel or a clean tee. Backwards is fine for the lake, not for the steakhouse. If you want western with less commitment than a cowboy hat, a brown leather cap with boots and a pearl-snap gets you most of the way there.
Does a cap count as a sun hat?
Not really. It shades your eyes and leaves your ears and neck on their own, which is MD Anderson’s main complaint about caps. For a long day outside, grab a sun hat or a bucket hat with a real brim. For fit, measure where the band sits and check the size chart, or pick a one-size cap with an adjustable strap.
