How New Era Fitteds & Y2K Snapbacks Became the Ultimate Streetwear Staples

Welcome to the 131st insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we trace the history behind New Era, documenting streetwear’s infatuation with all things baseball, embroidery and fitted caps.

While fashion retains broad and wildly diverse traits, certain silhouettes demand attention. From Chanel’s tweed blazers to Hedi Slimane’s suffocating denim, each niche offers an ‘it’ bag, cut, or style, defining the artisan’s craft with instantly recognizable attributes. Positioned in the grey area between the heights of luxury, streetwear is no different, rich with culture and stylistic icons.

Among the revived trends of baggy denim and tall tees, sits a staple of the streets. Known as the fitted cap, this piece of headwear was popularized through the early 1930s by E.Koch Cap Company, later known as New Era. Designing and producing the first iteration of the baseball hat, German-American craftsman Ehrhardt Koch would become the first exclusive league-licensed apparel manufacturer in 1993, acquiring a 28-team deal.

Fitting each player with their infamous ‘5950’ model, New Era would announce a general “off-field buildout” release of their hats just a few years prior. Making the gear accessible to consumers, enthusiasts were encouraged to sport their favourite team, in stride with basketball’s concurrent sneaker trend.

As hip-hop began to rise in a similar manner, rappers like NWA, Biggie and Tupac would use state-affiliated caps to rep their hometowns. Skaters would adapt the silhouette soon after, igniting a fury across Western culture plagued with athletic motifs. Through the 90’s and Y2K era, snapbacks and trucker hats would become a staple of streetwear culture, prompting an array of varying takes on the age-old classic.

Seen through labels like Vlone and Supreme, we’re invited to take a look at modern day interpretations of the fitted and snapback cap. Often utilizing the sports insignia to create alternative words, the symbols take on an entirely independent persona, removed from their origins.