I recently recieved this email:
Hey,
I read your piece about washing hats and had a
question about hats that nobody can seem to answer. I
don’t know if I just have a small head or if I’m not
doing something right, but any hat that I wear that
has that plastic liner thing you talked about looks
funny on me. I mean the liner doesn’t form to my head,
it just stays kinda square like when I first nought
it. I just got into baseball, so I really want to wear
my team hat. Is there some kind of technique to
getting the hat to form to your head or look more
round? Or am I doomed with a small head? I tried to
ask the guy at the sports store, but he looked at me
like I was stupid (My guess is because I’m 27 and just
started getting into sports). Oh well, so much for
good customer service.
Thanks,
Pete
I’m a little stumped as to what to tell Pete. Can anyone offer some advice?
I hope some one has the answer as to where to get smaller baseball caps and hats in general. My head is also smaller than most. Finding a hat that fits is hard.
I once read that scientists were considering whether small head size might contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease. I never heard the conclusion. Oh God, did I give you something else to worry about? Sorry about that!
Sounds like Pete is saying the cap is too small. I think.
If a fitted cap is “gapping” in the front corners of the brim, there’s not much you can do but get a smaller one. I know that I buy fitted caps a bit small and stretch them, as my head is between sizes – buying the too-big one makes me look like a bubba.
Will this information help Pete? Only time will tell.
its a bit of a chore, and a possible risk of injury(to you or your hat),but the only method i know of is to cut the plastic threads out with an exacto knife, not the box cutter type, but the art class type. you could conceivably use scizors, but they would probably make for a clumsier job, assuming clumsier is even a word…
I have actually cut out the liner before to give the hat a more laid back worn look. If you don’t want to destroy the integrity of your Official MLB New Era 5950 cap by cutting into it then I would suggest running it through the washer a few times with a moderate load of clothes. Although this is discouraged by New Era, I’ve done it in the past with reasonable results and you don’t have to cut into the cap itself. What I have started doing is wearing a non official “easy fitted” cap. New Era also has a similar offering called the “slider”. Although it is not the exact same cap worn on the field, it is fitted and has none of the conehead tendencies of the New Era 5950. Furthermore, it is made of cotton instead of wool, comes with pre curved bill and is already broken in. I found that despite feeling like a bit of a poser it fits my lifestyle better.
Jho,
Thanks for the tip on the lower-crowned baseball caps. I like that look better than the traditional “mushroom cap.”
Not that I really need another Angels cap…
It seems to me that the cause of the problem is not a “too small head”, but rather a “too square head”.
Unfortunately, the only solution I can think of is that of the ancient Maya (binding boards to the skull to alter the shape.) Given Pete’s age (27) it’s far too late to affect the desired change.
On the bright side, there’s always a chance that sports-themed top-hats will make a comeback.
It’s worth a shot if you give the front of the hat a nice, good bend…
That tends to pull in the sides of the cap a bit, and might de-block it a bit…
Check out http://www.lids.com. They sell a little plastic doo-hickey that lets to put your cap in it and it will out a nice, even curve on the front of the cap, and may help it look a little more natural…
Take off those ballcaps!
And pull your pants up!
Damned young whippersnappers!
Something that has always worked for me is to soak the hat in hot to warm water then wear it untill it dries, it should form to your head.
(also works with boots and hockey skates)
yeah dawg i like to wear it flat dili o