The Snapback Is Dead: Here Are the Caps You Need to Cop

In the ever-changing world of fashion there are sometimes difficult discussions that have to be confronted. In recent months, the steady decline of the snapback has become one of those debates. From stadium essential to celebrity street-cred endorsement, the classic ball cap design now seems to be falling out of favour - at least for the time being.

This isn’t necessarily a bad omen, however; when one style fades out it leaves fresh space for others to emerge, and there’s been an interesting shift of late towards other classic headwear styles. A special mention has to go out to the bucket hat and its rich '90s connotations, but another revival has been that of the low-top ball cap with its bent peak and scrunched back-strap.

The reign of the snapback and its box-fresh flat-peak are increasingly numbered, giving way once more to the low-top’s natural, casual style. Recent movements by brands like Palace, Nasir Mazhar and even Supreme have shed a whole new light on the raw simplicity of the adjustable ball cap, with many designers now elevating its status once more to the echelons of high fashion and the cutting edge.

Probably familiar to most as a mainstay piece of Polo Ralph Lauren or gym wear, the low-top cap is an oft-forgotten piece of casual clothing that will probably conjure fond memories with British streetwear heads as a street-level staple—albeit one that was relegated long ago.

Unlike the snapback’s more rigid anatomy of flat peak and high-top crown with the signature click strap, the low-top’s closer proximity to “sportswear proper” has offered a wider space for informal adaptation and innovation—such as technical fabrics, the use of buckle-straps, elastic pull-cords and toggle-adjustments at the rear, experimental paneling to create a more comfortable fit and unique decoration that veers away from the locked-in streetwear styles.

As for the return of the bent peak, aside from achieving a slightly more comfortable fit by adjusting the shape of the crown, it really comes down to personal taste, but its firm roots in British sportswear have given it a wealth of significance in many UK street subcultures over the years from football casuals to UK Garage.

Let’s be honest; for the near future it looks like the snapback is singing its Swan song, so it’s time to have a look at some of the offerings out there for those of us ready to walk a different path.

As its name suggests, Nasir’s Bully Cap riffs on hazy memories of London rudeboys with a distinctly modern twist. Boldly mixing the futuristic and the familiar, his signature piece blends classic sportswear elements like elastic cord fastenings with his notorious mold-breaking style to create a brand new take on LDN street style. Now a mainstay on the head of grime veteran Skepta, Nasir is clearly hitting the target.

Born from founder Jerry Cohen’s own passion for classic vintage sportswear, you couldn’t write an article like this without giving a mention to Ebbets. Committed to the craft of authentic 20th century sportswear, Ebbets’ selection offers melton wool strapbacks and fitteds in a rich array of designs with painstaking attention to detail, whilst Cohen’s genuine love of his product means they’ve done collabs with pretty much every hot brand out there. If you’re taking your first foray into classic sports caps, there’s no better place to start.

Since its emergence in early 2012, Japanese label C.E’s post-Internet aesthetic and genre-defying designs have proven popular across the board. British co-founder Toby Feltwell’s British street-style aesthetic has also leaked into many of the brand’s designs, and this low-top channels the 90s rave scene and UK Garage style in a simple rendition of the classic sports cap.

A new one from the Palace camp, this referential cap heavily channels UK streetwear – Nike TN cap, anyone? – adding some bold panel adjustments along the way. The ‘one size fits all’ scrunched elastic back should bring back fond memories to anyone who spent their teenage years on road. If you aren’t familiar, get to know.

There are too many words for this hat; simple, bold, beautiful, eternal, unforgettable. Everything about the classic Nike sports cap is spot on, from its bent peak and jewel swoosh to the unimposing cotton buckle at the back. You’ve probably walked past this cap more times than you know. Next time, don’t.

A premium take on rough and rugged headgear, AMI present a formidable selection of bent-peak ball caps in a variety of luxury materials and motifs. This one takes a modest route in wool with some simple rear embroidery, an unquestionably strong contribution to the new headgear game.

Norse Project’s interpretation is actually an interesting blend of a few styles, taking the buckle-adjuster from their classic camp caps, a shorter flat peak reminiscent of 1920s ball caps and a six-panel crown construction. I’ll be frank though, that peak needs bending. Consider it an opportunity for customization. Don’t be afraid.

A true sportswear heavyweight, the brand with the 3-stripes has produced plenty of its own interpretations of the bent-peak cap over the years, and with the addition of Climacool tech and the original adidas Equipment logo, this one is a goldmine for classic 90s street style. It’s also available in pink, so this is an opportunity for a co-ed #flex with your lady if you’ve both got the guts.

Classic cotton construction, asymmetrical branding embroidery, a head-turning white and silver colour combination. This is frankly the pinnacle of the bold bent-peak sports cap. If you wanted to identify the genesis of gymwear gone fashion, look no further.

Another progressive revision of the bent-peak, Cottweiler’s contribution brings several classic elements together under one roof; scrunch back, elastic toggle, bent peak, glossy nylon, parallel strip panels. This is luxury casual sportswear in its purest form and a faithful renewal of classic road style from the British label.

The archetypal brand for premium simplicity, A.P.C. brings a familiar and tasteful blend of understated luxury to the ball cap through a quilt-embroidered upper in synthetic nubuck, blacked out from the peak to the leather strap and offset with a silver buckle. Nothing more than is necessary, except perhaps a bit more peak-bending—come on, you should get this by now.