How the crumpled ‘dad hat’ morphed into a £400 catwalk phenomenon

Rihanna donned a cap at the Dior couture show in January along with a glamorous skirt suit, and Jennifer Lopez appeared in New York in February in a satin jumpsuit and baseball cap. But it was perhaps at Glastonbury at the end of June when a fashion trend was cemented – the cap seemed to replace the bucket hat as headwear of choice.

Caps have been favoured by the fashion crowd for a few years – particularly the “dad hat” trend for men to wear slightly crumpled versions, sometimes with an embroidered slogan. But in 2024 more and more women are wearing a baseball cap, using it to downplay even the most dressed-up of outfits.

“I think in many ways, whatever you’re wearing, if you add a baseball cap, it instantly feels a bit more casual,” said Hannah Banks-Walker, Grazia’s head of fashion commerce who has written about the trend. “[Lopez] bunging on a leather baseball cap [with this outfit] is quite a funny juxtaposition.”

Marks & Spencer reports that baseball cap sales are 30% higher than expected this summer. The £12.50 cap worn by Sienna Miller in a 2023 advertising campaign has sold 79% more than this time last year. Lisa Illis, the head of womenswear, described it as a “do-it-all kind of accessory”.

Demand for vintage versions has also risen. The resale app Depop reports that searches for baseball caps are up 22% since March. As an item with its roots in sport (the first caps were used by baseball players in the 1860s) it’s no surprise that vintage sports-themed designs are particularly popular. Kendall Jenner influenced the popularity of sports-themed hats last summer when she took to wearing a Yankees hat, while Taylor Russell’s cap is a piece of merchandise from the 1999 US Open. Depop says New York Knicks caps are currently highly prized.

The popularity of the baseball cap for women can also be traced to the catwalk – and the rise of the designer baseball cap, costing around £400. Miu Miu had caps in its Resort show in 2020, while at Celine’s show for spring/summer 2021 almost all the models wore baseball caps featuring the brand’s logo. Allyson Payer, senior editor of the fashion website Who What Wear, owns around 30 baseball caps. She said these catwalk collections have turned baseball caps into “covetable It items that people would actually be willing to spend $500 on”.

There are options to make a fashion statement without breaking the bank, though. French brand The Frankie Shop is a favourite of celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez. Their £30.50 cap, embroidered with their logo, was launched in 2021. Sales have doubled since last year.

Founder Gaëlle Drevet put this down to its understated feel. “We designed [it] with a very minimal design and the smallest logo, in classic colours to keep it chic and elevated,” she said. “It brings that instant cool factor to your everyday look.”

Caps embroidered with witty slogans are a trend subcategory. IDEA, the London cult fashion bookshop, sells caps featuring phrases including “Do you know who I am?”, “Intern” and the bestseller “I don’t work here”.

The baseball cap also works because it allows its wearer to avoid a cardinal sin of style right now – looking like you’re trying too hard. “I’ve found that it’s fun to style them with slightly dressier things like full skirts, trench coats and kitten heels,” said Payer. “Baseball caps make every outfit look a bit more effortless and cool.”

There is, of course, also a no-brainer factor: the undeniable and appealing practicality for many women when facing a bad hair day. “If you don’t have time, or you can’t be bothered to mess about with your hair, it is quite nice to just get up in the morning and stick something on your head,” said Banks-Walker.