style hats
Cape Cod Style
04/05/10 06:27 AM Filed in: Inside the Book
With each passing year, styles and trends change as much as the erratic New England weather. When I was young, I felt comfortable in a pair of stone-washed jeans and a Champion “hoodie” sweatshirt. For a more formal appearance, I chose a Polo shirt with pegged Bugle Boy slacks and a fresh pair of Buckskin shoes, smooth like butter. Nevertheless, casual or conservative, I had something tucked into my back pocket; my baseball cap.
As far as I can remember I always wore a baseball hat. One reason was to hide my overgrown hair, but another was to imitate my childhood idols, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Mo Vaughn, etc. When baseball’s magnetism would emerge during the cold months of February and March, my older brother Ted and I would head down to Burt’s Sporting Goods to purchase new baseball gloves and hats. For the next several weeks, both hat and glove would endure lengthy and grueling break-in rituals.
Unfortunately, as I got older I didn’t produce into much of a baseball player, but my skills at breaking in a hat were unprecedented. My expertise rose to an all time high when the “master breaker” and high school friend, Matt Arnold, shared some of his secrets with me. Armed with this new found knowledge, I became sought after by friends and strangers alike to lend a hand breaking-in their hats. As you will read in The Running Waves, the sculpting of a hat is particularly significant.
So let’s take a ride back in time to the early nineties and relive the steps of properly breaking-in your hat. First thing was to soak your hat in warm water with a little detergent, this would loosen it up. I usually left it soaking for several days, but because I was also obsessive, I changed the water every twelve hours. After the soak session, I would throw it in the washer machine for a couple of cycles. This process was potentially dangerous. It’s very important to know how tough your washer machine is. I had some hats fall apart on me, thus, jeopardizing my “business.”
I soon learned an alternative way that would solve this problem- the dishwasher. Since there is no spin cycle, this process is gentler on the hat. For first-timers I would advise using this method. Repeat this procedure several times. Now it’s time to work the brim. Roll the hat between your hands over and over; shaping it. If the brim is plastic, go easier than if it were cardboard. The last thing you want to do is snap it in two pieces, then all you’re left with is a Salvation Army donation.
Let the hat air dry. Your enemy can be a machine dryer. I have melted many hats in my day. Once your hat is dry, rubber band the brim and shove it under your mattress on its side, just like a baseball glove. Leave it there for a couple of days. This will help mold your brim. Fortunately, for Cape Codders, there is one last thing you can do. Take your hat to the beach and sink it into the ocean, letting the saltwater work its natural magic.
Now, many years later, thankfully, I no longer dress in stone-washed jeans or Bugle Boy trousers, and the old Buckskin shoes have been replaced with Rockport and Timberland. However, when I’m not working, I still wear a baseball hat. And even though I’m not as compulsive and using a dishwasher or the weight of a mattress, I still break it in. I have to admit, I cringe when I see today’s youth sporting the straight off the shelf look, but just as the volatile New England weather, styles and trends do change.
As far as I can remember I always wore a baseball hat. One reason was to hide my overgrown hair, but another was to imitate my childhood idols, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Mo Vaughn, etc. When baseball’s magnetism would emerge during the cold months of February and March, my older brother Ted and I would head down to Burt’s Sporting Goods to purchase new baseball gloves and hats. For the next several weeks, both hat and glove would endure lengthy and grueling break-in rituals.
Unfortunately, as I got older I didn’t produce into much of a baseball player, but my skills at breaking in a hat were unprecedented. My expertise rose to an all time high when the “master breaker” and high school friend, Matt Arnold, shared some of his secrets with me. Armed with this new found knowledge, I became sought after by friends and strangers alike to lend a hand breaking-in their hats. As you will read in The Running Waves, the sculpting of a hat is particularly significant.
So let’s take a ride back in time to the early nineties and relive the steps of properly breaking-in your hat. First thing was to soak your hat in warm water with a little detergent, this would loosen it up. I usually left it soaking for several days, but because I was also obsessive, I changed the water every twelve hours. After the soak session, I would throw it in the washer machine for a couple of cycles. This process was potentially dangerous. It’s very important to know how tough your washer machine is. I had some hats fall apart on me, thus, jeopardizing my “business.”
I soon learned an alternative way that would solve this problem- the dishwasher. Since there is no spin cycle, this process is gentler on the hat. For first-timers I would advise using this method. Repeat this procedure several times. Now it’s time to work the brim. Roll the hat between your hands over and over; shaping it. If the brim is plastic, go easier than if it were cardboard. The last thing you want to do is snap it in two pieces, then all you’re left with is a Salvation Army donation.
Let the hat air dry. Your enemy can be a machine dryer. I have melted many hats in my day. Once your hat is dry, rubber band the brim and shove it under your mattress on its side, just like a baseball glove. Leave it there for a couple of days. This will help mold your brim. Fortunately, for Cape Codders, there is one last thing you can do. Take your hat to the beach and sink it into the ocean, letting the saltwater work its natural magic.
Now, many years later, thankfully, I no longer dress in stone-washed jeans or Bugle Boy trousers, and the old Buckskin shoes have been replaced with Rockport and Timberland. However, when I’m not working, I still wear a baseball hat. And even though I’m not as compulsive and using a dishwasher or the weight of a mattress, I still break it in. I have to admit, I cringe when I see today’s youth sporting the straight off the shelf look, but just as the volatile New England weather, styles and trends do change.
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