History
In 1860, the Brooklyn Excelsiors wore the ancestor of the modern rounded-top baseball cap, which featured a long peak and a button on top, and by 1900, the “Brooklyn style” cap became popular. During the 1940s, latex rubber became the stiffening material inside the hat and the modern baseball cap was born. The peak, also known in certain areas as the “bill” or “brim”, was designed to protect a player’s eyes from the sun. Typically, the peak was much shorter in the earlier days of the baseball hat. Also, the hat has become more structured, versus the overall “floppy” cap of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The baseball cap was and still is an important means by which to identify a team. Often the logo, mascot, or team’s initial was placed on the cap. Usually, the cap was also fashioned in the official colors of a particular team.
(source: Wikipedia)
The Manufacturing Process
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- The cut – The fabric layers (wool, cotton…etc) are laid on top of each other and cut at once. Some designs need an extra inner layer, generally on the front panels. The mesh are then sewn to one another.
- The holes – The sections of the soft crown, generally of long triangular shaped gore, are sent to the eyelet department where a machine pierces each panel creating a small hole and binding the hole completely with thread.
- The embroidery – The two front panels that are to receive embroidery are then sent to the embroidery department. Your design is loaded into a computer-driven embroidery machine and embroidered on the front panels.
- The Sewing – The panels of the crown are then sent to the sewing department where they are stitched together.
- Top and Visor – A galvanised steel button cover in the same fabric and colour of the cap is applied at the dead centre of the cap. Visors are tinted and cut according to your design. The visor contains generally a stiffener such as plastic or carton in between.