No doubt you’re a bit of a history buff. That’s why you’re after a new newsboy cap. You know that, despite its name, newsboy caps were worn by men and boys of all ages — and not just newspaper workers — in the United States during the turn of the 20th century. You probably also know that newsboy hats are a variation of a flat cap style, which carries its own lengthy history.
In Northern England during the 16th century, parliament wanted to encourage its populace to purchase wool in order to drive the local economy. As a result, they issued a decree stating that every Sunday and holiday, any male older than six years old was to wear a wool hat or pay a fine. Those caps, originally called “bonnets,” carried the same shape as patterned, crocheted newsboy hats hold today.
A little more than a quarter century later, the bill would be repealed. The style, however, stuck. The hats became versatile headwear, used mainly by trade workers and in some styles of academic dress. Newsboy caps migrated to the U.S., where they became popular among a whole host of subcultures. It was there that the hat style found its place in just about any occasion: at school, with a suit, or with less formal attire.
Today, the newsboy hat has surpassed its original male-dominated beginnings and has been used as a sartorial device among chic designers and worn by females. No hat’s history would be complete without its time in the hipster spotlight. A popular choice among many of today’s latte-drinking urbanites, newsboy hats have emerged as wardrobe choices for a variety of people.
Stetson newsboy hats are popular selections, and everyone from the 1998 Canadian Olympic team to P. Diddy and Prince William have donned the remarkable, historical caps. And as the hipster culture that brought them into their modern existence has flourished so, too, have the hats. Popular among those who have taken to home crocheting and knitting, newsboy cap knitting patterns are available at the ready.
While most hats have historical underpinnings — they were more popular and ubiquitous ages ago than they are today — the newsboy cap is particularly rich in history. It has seen the ebbs and flows of humankind for centuries, moving from one culture to the next, one style of clothing to another. Yet it remains, classic, iconic. If you want a little bit of history to go along with you on your next walk or to accompany you during your next fireside conversation, look no further than a newsboy cap.
