The snapback is definitely a fashion accessory that you've seen before without necessarily knowing it had that name. It is simply a type of American cap with an adjustable strap at the back and a flat peak, unlike its cousin the baseball cap with a curved peak. A simple model with typically American-inspired patterns and logos! A men's cap, increasingly worn by women (discover all our women's cap models).
THE SNAPBACK: THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND
The snapback has become such a myth nowadays that a history of its various evolutions is necessary to really know what we are dealing with! For that, a little English lesson is necessary: indeed, the snapback cap gets its name from its closing system: "snap" means "snap" and "back" indicates that the tab with buttons is located at the back of the cap. The snapback cap is therefore an entity in its own right in the world of caps and many young and old alike would not exchange their accessory for a classic cap without a tab, the so-called "fitted cap". Here is a detail that is of major importance and manufacturers are well aware of it!
Back in fashion in 2012, the snapback cap has made a comeback on the heads of rap stars and has quickly become a symbol of the streetwear culture of recent years. However, its origins date back to the 1930s and the American baseball legend Babe Ruth, who never entered the field without his snapback on his head. Baseball fans naturally adopted this accessory, which then spread to the other team sports that the USA is famous for: basketball, ice hockey and American football. It then seduced urban music fans in the 80s and 90s, and many artists seized on this accessory to make it the symbol of their art inspired by street life and their respective communities. You may remember Will Smith wearing crazy coloured snapbacks in the series The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air!
A DECIDEDLY SPORTY CAP!
First appearing in the world of baseball, the snapback has been present for more than half a century in all American sports and finds its true identity in the personal and collective expression of an attachment and a passion for a sports team. Whether it's MLB (baseball), NHL (hockey) or NBA (basketball), each team in each league has its own design and logo that changes as the teams evolve. It is a matter of the teams defending their brand image as well as their values, as the sports logos present on the snapbacks often reveal a lot about the codes of a team. Nowadays, if designers and creators use the snapback as a fashion object, the sports characteristic of this cap remains very present. International brands such as Mitchell and Ness or New Era continue to create numerous collections and models that highlight the colours of national sports teams and even college teams whose championships excite America! Grey and black for the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, orange and blue for the New York Knicks basketball giants: the legendary colour codes have their place on the snapbacks! Official emblems and logos are also numerous: the famous Chicago Bulls cap with the unmistakable red and white bull, or the famous intertwined SF of the San Francisco Giants baseball team: it is essential for each team to have fashion accessories in their image!
THE SNAPBACK CONQUERS THE WORLD!
It's clear that the snapback loves sport, and sport loves the snapback. But if you are not at all sporty and baseball and American football do not arouse any emotion in you, there is nothing to stop you wearing the snapback cap and choosing a model that is out of the ordinary. Indeed, for several years now, brands have been playing the creativity card and drawing inspiration from a wide range of cultural elements to constantly reinvent the snapback. If your heroes are not LeBron James or Michael Jordan, but rather Iron Man or the Hulk, you should easily find the right snapback! This is also true for all fans of mythical characters such as Mickey who will appreciate the deliciously regressive but trendy side of a snapback dedicated to the most famous character of the Disney universe. Finally, for those who love shocking messages and well thought-out punchlines, whether they are taken from hip hop songs or simply reflect current society, caps that deliver messages with a strong claim are particularly topical. The German brand Cayler and Sons is a prime example of the tidal wave of message snapbacks. With their shocking formulas and the hijacking of world-famous symbols and logos, the brand is conquering those who claim an alternative culture that goes against the current codes imposed by today's society.
Whatever your style, you now know that every desire and every lifestyle can find the snapback that suits it. If they are queens in their own country, the United States, snapbacks have taken the rest of the world by storm in a few years and are now found on the shelves of all headwear and streetstyle shops that respect themselves. Japan, Europe, Latin America... Everyone is falling for the snapback as designers know how to put it at the centre of all fashion revolutions. And what's more, when they bank on textile innovations and surf on each local trend, there's no reason to be without one: tie and dye, corduroy visor or fake snakeskin, the play of materials and patterns is infinite!
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