Linen “T” Baseball Cap

The baseball cap has a deep-rooted history, dating back to the New York Knickerbockers in 1849. Considered the sport’s first organized team, the Knickerbockers’ uniform was “blue wool pantaloons, a white flannel shirt, a broad-brimmed straw hat,” The Times wrote. “The hat had nothing particularly to do with the fight against glare … The Knickerbockers were hatted simply because it was the 1800s, and they were respectable men in a public space.” Around 1858, the Brooklyn Excelsiors introduced the forerunner of the modern baseball cap, with its round crown and small brim.

The Times “T” cap is a contemporary take on the traditional baseball hat, with fabric milled in Japan. The linen component in the fabric gives the hat both substance and breathability.

The cap has an adjustable brass buckle and a herringbone cotton twill sweatband. The visor is lightweight to match up with the weight of the linen, yet strong enough to keep its shape. Our “T” logo on front is made on a 1950s needle-loom machine.

The navy’s 7-ounce fabric received a single rinse, giving it a nice texture. The heather gray has a corkscrew yarn, inspired by old baseball uniforms. Our linen caps are part of our Early Edition of vintage-style clothing. Each item in this collection links to The Times’s past and is produced in collaboration with Knickerbocker Manufacturing in Brooklyn.