adidas Miami Heat 2012 NBA Finals Champions Locker Room Hat

How To Buy A Cap

A cap is a statement you make to the world, about your team affiliation, about your hobbies, or about your style. There are hundreds of variations of caps on the market from which to choose.

• Types of caps
• Fitted
• Adjustable
• Unstructured
• Visors
• Bucket
• Cap terms
• Brim/Bill
• Buckram
• Closure systems
• Embroidery
• Eyelets
• Panels
• Choosing the right size fitted cap

Types of caps

Cap styles run the gamut from the traditional baseball cap to the Gilligan cap. Choosing the proper one for you depends on your style.

Fitted

• Fitted caps are the traditional caps like the Major League Baseball players wear
• They are usually made of 100% wool with a structured front and a higher profile
• Fitted caps are sized to your head

Adjustable

• Adjustable caps are the most popular caps today because they can be adjusted to fit any size head
• They are made with many different materials including wool, cotton, and mesh
• They also have many different types of closure systems including plastic snaps, leather straps with a buckle, and velcro

Unstructured

• Unstructured caps look like a traditional baseball cap, but with a soft front that sits lower on the head for a more casual look
• They are usually available as adjustable caps

Visors

• Visors are a cap minus the top, they look like a headband with a brim
• They are usually adjustable, with a rigid brim to shade your eyes
• They are also good for wearing in hot weather because the top of your head is open, but be careful of the sun's rays

Bucket

• Some people call this a Gilligan cap because it resembles the old cap worn by the title character on Gilligan's Island
• Bucket caps come in a variety of fabrics and general sizes which include small, medium, large, and extra large

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Cap terms

Caps are actually made up of a number of components.

Bill/Brim

• The brim protects your face from the sun
• They are usually made of PVC plastic, sewn inside some type of fabric

Buckram

• The buckram is the liner inside of the front of the cap that provides the structure and form
• Unstructured caps have no buckram, giving them the more casual, lower profile

Closure systems

• A closure system is the system on the back of adjustable caps that allows you to adjust the size
• Types of closures include plastic, Velcro, fabric snaps and leather bands

Embroidery

• Embroidery is the stitching that decorates the cap, usually in the front but can be anywhere

Eyelets

• Eyelets are the little holes scattered throughout the cap that allows your head to breathe
• They can either be metal or reinforced stitching

Panels

• Panels are the different pieces, usually six to eight, that make up the top of the cap

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Choosing the right size fitted cap

• Caps come in a variety of sizes and are usually measured in inches
• It is important to choose the right size cap in order to ensure a comfortable fit
• For the perfect fitting cap, see DetermineYour Hat Size before making your purchase decision

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