The Cap Faction

[St. Valentine]

I have ordered my first cap from hepville and it should arrive any day now. I am not so sure how a Newsboy will look on me, so it´s kind of a test. I will come back with photos ASAP!

Frank

 

[Chepstow]

Thats great Frank. With an eight Panel Cap you cant go wrong! I look forward on the photos!

 

[St. Valentine]

You guys look all great with an eight panel but I am not sure about me. A normal flatcap didn´t cut it for me until now.

Frank

 

[Adnamira]

If you really like the cap and it's only $30 I hope you can afford to buy it. It's better to buy something you like and will wear then waste money on something you won't like, no matter how cheap it is. I've been liking the look of City Sport Caps on the web. Ordered one of these, because the price seemed reasonable and postage very good (no insurance or tracking though) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/220749245844?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 There are also a heap of small size caps going very cheap if you search for City Sport Caps in ebay

It will be interesting to see what they are like when mine turns up. They look in photos to be equivalent to Stetson and at least equivalent in quality, but seem to be $20 to $30 cheaper. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great to support individual makers like Hat People, Zasu, Hepville and B!wear ... but it's also helpful I think to review and show any good factory made caps too - they are different altogether, but let's face it, at least a few of us own a few of them, and they have their place. I'm very impressed with this Wigens I bought, and Stetson are great too, but they are both pretty dear brands. Much prefer them to those chinese made Kangols I bought early on though, and I reckon they are better value for money.

Found this video the other day taken by a US Retailer of the City Sport factory in Belgium. They must sell a lot of caps somewhere to employ that many people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMHAcW03xvk - the girl that roles the paper up for the inside of the caps has got skills!

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Great video on how caps are made in a modern
Factory

 

[DNO]

More luck at the thrift stores today. My third cap...made by Crown Caps of Winnipeg. The company was founded in 1934 basically to produce caps for the Western Canadian market.

This cap wouldn't date back that far...'80's or '90's I expect.

 

[wintergreen]

I've been liking the look of City Sport Caps on the web. Ordered one of these, because the price seemed reasonable and postage very good (no insurance or tracking though) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/220749245844?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 There are also a heap of small size caps going very cheap if you search for City Sport Caps in ebay

It will be interesting to see what they are like when mine turns up. They look in photos to be equivalent to Stetson and at least equivalent in quality, but seem to be $20 to $30 cheaper.

I have a few City Sport caps and much prefer them to the Stetson caps I used to have. The quality is about the same but the fabrics City Sport use make them far more interesting and I find the overall fit and shape of the caps more pleasing but of course its all personal choice - my dad was more than happy when I gave him a couple of Stetson caps
The Donegal tweed is nice and chunky, just perfect for cold winter days while the silks are nice and light and ideal for summer.

City Sports Donegal tweed:

City Sports 100% silk:

 

[Adnamira]

I have a few City Sport caps and much prefer them to the Stetson caps I used to have. The quality is about the same but the fabrics City Sport use make them far more interesting and I find the overall fit and shape of the caps more pleasing but of course its all personal choice - my dad was more than happy when I gave him a couple of Stetson caps
The Donegal tweed is nice and chunky, just perfect for cold winter days while the silks are nice and light and ideal for summer.

They are really nice! I like the look of them for the reason you stated - the fabrics they use look very vibrant. Donegal tweed has such a texturally pleasing look about it. Whether they are going to have enough volume for me, I'll have to wait to see. I'm hoping I can stop myself buying any more caps over the next six months (I'm actually selling all the Kangol and cheap caps I bought early on, at the moment), but I might get myself one of those silk City Sports next summer. I like the fact that I know these caps are made by hopefully reasonably well paid employees and not children or low paid workers in Asia. It's a necessity for us in the modern day and age with our wants for Xboxs Wii and plasma televisions and on-suites that we do have to buy cheap clothing made by some poor worker or child in Asia, but I think that it is a false economy that will eventually catch up with us.

 

[Adnamira]

That Crown Caps flat cap looks great DNO. It's got a bit more flair about it than the average flatcap. Nice colour too.

 

[Adnamira]

Great video on how caps are made in a modern
Factory

Surprising how much of it is still hands on. Except for the cut-out machine, most of it is still done by hand. Only thing it is a factory with one person doing the same thing over and over again. Main advantage I can see that factories have (because their caps are no cheaper than handmade ones) is they have a few more gadgets that the guys and girls doing everything on sowing machines don't have - like double stitching and blocking machines. I like the handmade look - love my hat people and zasu caps - but I am also liking the Stetson and Wigen cap I bought - the Wigens is built like a tank!

I've noticed that most of the vintage caps that are displayed in this thread look like factory made caps rather than the handmade at home variety. I think it may be a little unfair to compare a Zasu or Hat People Cap with a vintage factory made cap, because the home manufacturers are pretty much using one machine. Maybe we should have Cap Categories - Vintage Factory, Vintage Hand-made, Vintage Copy, Modern Handmade, & Modern Factory caps.

 

[Razzman]

The City Sport Caps look great. Vibrant colors. I would like to purchase at least one cap from potentially ten or twelve makers. City Sport, Zasu, Retro Sport and Hepville being on the my list. Mr. Freedom is currently out of my reach. I have caps from Hat People, B!Wear, Wigens and Stetson. I am happy with all of them. I've searched the local thrift stores and antique shops looking for a vintage cap with no luck.

 

[Razzman]

Got my Retro Sport cap today. It fits! BUT...the cap itself is HUGE. The circumferance crazy, and looks weird on me. Nothing like Johnny J's. I wonder if mine was an oddball or something.

Say flat-top can you show us a few pictures of the hat, including the interior. Did you use the Retro Sport size chart? What is your normal size and what size did you get? Looking forward to some pics.

 

[Razzman]

I heard hepville at Ebay Germany makes fantastic Caps. 49,95 EUR for an Handmade Cap is a very good price!

http://www.ebay.de/sch/hepville/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

The hats from hepville look quite nice, full with an ample brim. I wish he would try selling some on the USA ebay site. International shipping can be frustrating.

 

[Adnamira]

The City Sport Caps look great. Vibrant colors. I would like to purchase at least one cap from potentially ten or twelve makers. City Sport, Zasu, Retro Sport and Hepville being on the my list. Mr. Freedom is currently out of my reach. I have caps from Hat People, B!Wear, Wigens and Stetson. I am happy with all of them. I've searched the local thrift stores and antique shops looking for a vintage cap with no luck.

I reckon this is the best looking City Sport I've seen on the web http://www.hatsandcaps.co.uk/City-Sport-Donegal-Tweed-Marl-Newsboy-Cap--Multi-P175016/
The colours in that Donegal Tweed makes me think of a sugary breakfast cereal, and I might be tempted to put it in a bowl with milk and eat it. I fear the postage from this site precludes me buying one from them though. I have way over spent my cap budget and need to pull my horns in... or at least pace myself.

 

[St. Valentine]

:eeek: I still hope that a Newsboy cap doesn´t look good on me, otherwise I might start buying caps in an uncontrollable way....
Please stop posting those great online shops here! :eeek:

Frank

 

[flat-top]

I may be selling my Retro Sport cap.
This exact one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180686886556

Any interest?

 

[wintergreen]

I may be selling my Retro Sport cap.
This exact one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180686886556

Any interest?

Too big for me, which is unfortunate because I have been thinking about buying one one very similar but in a smaller size

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I may be selling my Retro Sport cap.
This exact one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180686886556

Any interest?

We need pics of ou wearing it first^^

PS: I have a even bigger head

 

[flat-top]

We need pics of ou wearing it first^^

PS: I have a even bigger head

Ha yes I know I haven't posted pics! I'm just not too sure about it this cap. My current haircut has the sides shaved down to skin, another factor in making this thing look gigantic! Like I said, it fits, but I truly think a size down would have done the trick.

 

[Adnamira]

Ha yes I know I haven't posted pics! I'm just not too sure about it this cap. My current haircut has the sides shaved down to skin, another factor in making this thing look gigantic! Like I said, it fits, but I truly think a size down would have done the trick.

Does the crown size change with the band size though? That 'how to make your own' showed calculations for different sized caps, but do most manufacturers do that, or do they share a crown size between two or three adjacent band sizes? There's not a big difference in head diameter of an increase or decrease of a cm in circumfrance. If it's the crown size you have an issue with, it mightn't help to go down a size. I think it is just a fact some caps and hats suit some people and not others. I have to admit that although I like the look of fedoras, they don't suit me - I need a wider brimmed hat. Small dimension caps also don't suit me. That's the trouble with buying online - it's a lot of trial and error - something might be a really good, great quality item, but it just might not suit you. Lucky we have ebay, and they are easy to post, so other caps wearers can pick up a deal from us, I suppose.