The Production of Baseball Caps

Baseball caps have been one of the most widely worn pieces of headgear in the United States for several decades. They have become more than just a symbol of team pride for the many sports teams in America; they are a fashion statement and a multimillion dollar business for manufacturers. The production process for baseball caps is surprisingly simple and, compared to many other products, inexpensive.

  1. Gathering and Cutting Fabric

    • Baseball caps are made from cotton, wool, synthetic fabric or some combination of the three. The caps are cut from very long sheets of stiff fabric, which machines stack together in layers before cutting. Baseball caps usually have at least six fabric panels: two composing the front of the cap, two on the sides and two in back. The fabric comes in the colors of the final product, so red caps, for example, are not dyed after being sewn, but are cut from red fabric. On some caps, the back panels are mesh fabric, while the front is solid.

    Eyelets and Embroidering

    • After being cut, the cap panels travel to the eyelet department, where machines press in small openings -- eyelets -- that allow heat to escape for hot, sunny days. The front panels of the cap go to the embroidery station. There, machines stitch on logos, words or other images that appear on the front of the cap.

    Sewing and Binding

    • After receiving the eyelets and embroidery, all of the panels of the cap come together once again. Because the fabric is so stiff and difficult to work with, machines have trouble sewing the panels together. So, humans sew the panels together using industrial sewing machines. The caps, at this stage, do not have their visors, and go by the industry term "beanies." The beanies then receive a binder, often made of cotton, that seals the loose edges of the caps and gives them a finished look. Another machine attaches a fabric-covered steel button at the top of the hat where the panels converge.

    Visor and Finishing

    • The cap visors are made from paperboard covered with fabric. Machines stamp out the visors in large numbers and cover them with fabric matching the rest of the hat. Workers then sew the visors onto the front of the caps. Some companies also include a plastic stiffener inside the visor or behind the front panel. Lastly, workers sew in a sweatband directly behind the visor. For one-size-fits-all caps, the adjustable plastic piece is attached to the back of the cap. For "fitted" caps, machines cut the panels to the appropriate sizes.