The History of Adjustable Baseball Caps

Baseball caps are as American as the sport of baseball itself, and they have a rich history that has had a rather profound impact on the worlds of both sports and fashion.  Adjustable baseball caps became the norm among baseball players, both amateur and professional, in the 1980’s.  These particular baseball caps are practically one-size-fits-all, as they have an adjustable strap in the back. 

When they were first introduced, the majority of these adjustable baseball caps were made with pliable plastic adjustable straps.  Chances are, you have seen one of these older-style baseball caps at least once, and would be able to easily identify them by seeing the rectangular adjuster straps.  These straps lie on either side of the back of the cap, with one side having holes and the other side having corresponding plastic tabs.  The circumference of these caps can be modified with ease by changing the number of plastic tabs that are secured in the holes. 

The widespread implementation of adjustable baseball caps among baseball teams allowed those footing the cost to save money and time, because they did not have to special order hats for each team member individually.  Of course, those in the major and minor baseball leagues generally utilize custom hats to allow for a better fit.   However, as major and minor league baseball players make up a miniscule percentage of those who wear baseball caps, the fact that those players stuck with traditional hats did nothing to slow the influx of new, cheaper, and more universally wearable caps.

In addition to the original plastic strapped adjustable baseball caps, nowadays there are also newer designs in which the straps resemble small belts in the back of the cap.  In these types of caps, the straps tend to be made of the same material that the rest of the cap is fashioned from, whether it is cotton, polyester, wool, or some blend thereof.  The strap is held in the correct position with a small metal or plastic clasp, which can be opened or closed with ease, allowing for simple adjustment of the cap.

In addition to being utilized by those who actually play the game, adjustable baseball caps have really become a fashion accessory in their own right.  They are available in virtually every color imaginable, with a variety of different bills, printing or custom sewn logos and other pictures and made from every conceivable material.  In many cases, these caps are used as promotional tools due to the fact that they are quite inexpensive to produce and because they are infinitely customizable.  Additionally, most novelty shops sell dozens of different types of these hats, featuring various slogans, sayings, pictures and logos.  They are wearable by virtually anyone, and actually started a new trend in women’s sporty-casual hair, as pony tails and braids can be pulled through the gap above the adjustable strap and allowed to hang down the back.  This was a big improvement over being forced to either wear your hair bunched under the cap or forgo the use of one altogether.