A Comprehensive Guide To Dad Hats

What is a Dad Hat?

A dad hat is a low profile baseball cap that has an unstructured crown, slightly curved brim, and a strapback closure. These caps are usually made from cotton but can also be made from alternative materials like polyester or nylon. Dad hats were traditionally associated with middle aged dads, hence the name, but this amazing unisex style is a fantastic choice for dads and non-dads alike! A wonderful option for any outing, the style’s unique features combine to make it one of the cornerstones of headwear fashion.

Keep reading to learn more about the common characteristics of these caps, or if you’re looking for style options visit our dad hats page.

Unstructured Fit

Dad hats are typically unstructured, meaning that they are loose and malleable everywhere except the bill. It makes the hat extremely comfortable and easy to wear, while being less maintenance than a structured hat. Since they are made to fold and flop, it’s easy to pack them away without having to worry about any permanent damage to the hat. Most of these styles are built using a primarily cotton blend, but there are options with cotton/poly and nylon/poly blends as well.

Relaxed Style

The Dad Hat is one of the oldest and long-lasting styles available, and often works well with both vintage and new age trends. These low profile hats have six panels and sport a curved bill, similar to most other trucker style hats and are often referred to as having an unstructured or relaxed fit.

The Closure: Snapback, Hook-and-loop, or Strapback

The closure is the portion of the hat located between the two back panels, which allows the wearer to adjust the size to the shape of their head. One of the most popular options is the snapback closure. This style consists of a plastic strap with notches that “snap” into its counterpart making it a one size fits all cap. This is the go to closure for most trucker hats, but is also seen on many dad hat styles. Although the snapback is more cost effective it is also considered lower-budget.

If you are looking for a cap that stands out you might consider one with a strapback closure, which often comes in the form of a metal brass clip or plastic buckle where an adjustable cloth strap is fed through and can be fit to any size. The metal clasp gives the cap an edge on quality, but the plastic buckle is also a nice option if you’re looking for a lightweight sport cap that an withstand the elements.

Another popular style that you might find on low budget dad hats is a classic hook-and-loop closure. This style can be fit to the exact size you need making it an ideal choice if you’re serving a wide range of customers.

How Did the Dad Hat Become Popular?

The Origin of the Dad Hat

Similar to most ball caps styles we know today, these hats were originally introduced for baseball players to keep the sun out of their eyes during play. Since most of the owners of these style hats were men in their middle-age at the time, they were nicknamed “dad-hats”. Dad hats were really popularized outside of baseball games in the 1970’s, and had the front lining removed on them, differentiating them from your standard baseball cap.

The Return of the Dad Hat

Dad hats dropped in popularity during the 1980’s, but had a glowing return in the 1990’s. This is because popular and rising hip-hop artists adopted these hats while performing or in their music videos. As any fan of anything knows, if you see someone you admire wearing something like a shirt or hat, you’re going to want to buy that shirt or hat too. And so many young boys and girls alike began buying and wearing dad hats in droves. Since the 1990’s, dad hats have found their spot amongst the more popular headwear styles. Even now, this hat can be worn universally by any age.

Popular Dad Hat Styles

Richardson 252

The Richardson 252 Premium Cotton Dad Hat is one of our best selling styles, and one of the most popular overall. Richardson hats are known for their quality of production and lasting durability. The Richardson 252 also has a lot of classic and pastel colors available making it an ideal choice for your brands unique colorway.

Yupoong 6245 CM

The Yupoong Classic Dad Cap is one of a few styles that does offer camo colorways. For those folks that want this comfortable style but are looking for a more dynamic color option, these Yupoong dad hats are a great option for you. Check out our Yupoong page to learn more about other styles we offer.

Decky 205

Decky’s Relaxed Cotton Dad Hat is unique compared to the other styles in this list because it comes in both solid and split colorway options. The solid color options are more saturated in color compared to other dad hat styles making them a great choice if you’re looking for a brighter color.

Richardson 326

The Richardson 326 Peached Cotton Twill Cap uses a brushed canvas material for its unstructured finish. While it also only carries solid colors similar to the Richardson 252, this hat style has a variety of other options that are not available in the 252 style like Powder Blue, Coral, and Stone.

Have More Questions?

Feel free to browse our How To Design A Custom Hat page if you are interested in placing an order of your own! If you have more questions, please give us a call or send us a formal quote request on our website. We’d love to help you pick the right hat for your project.