Clothing > Accessories
11 Best Plain Baseball Caps for Men
Curating an ensemble on the daily really is a balancing act, literally: There’s a time to lean in and go big and bold, and there’s a time to keep things more subtle, yet no less stylish.
That’s often how I approach dressing: When in doubt, keep it simple, since simple style sometimes wins the day (OK, most of the time).
Here’s where the best simple baseball caps can add a bit of well-considered flair to your laidback looks, particularly if you – like me – gravitate toward casually rugged classics, like a chambray shirt or pocket tee and blue jeans (to name but one example).
- Streamlined style: Removing a logo from a baseball cap gives you much more versatility – it turns the cap from something you’d wear to the gym into a bonafide menswear move.
- Rugged and ready to go: Some of the best simple baseball caps are made from materials like waxed cotton canvas for a visually appealing, durable touch made to pair with other rugged staples.
- Mix and match: If you opt for a neutral color, the right simple ballcap can be styled with practically any other casual picks in your wardrobe, from Oxford shirting to T-shirts.
There’s a time and a place for baseball caps, and I tend to wear one plenty of days in the spring, summer and fall. Start with the ballpark for a summer baseball outing, for one, or a casual backyard BBQ–and there’s almost always a time for a plain, solid color baseball cap without a logo.
The kind of cap you can throw on in a pinch to work out or to run errands, and the kind that nicely complements more straightforward get-ups, like a throwback white tee and blue jeans, or a navy polo and olive-hued stretch chino shorts (to name but two options that I myself wear frequently).
For adding simple, straightforward style to casual situations, these are my favorite baseball caps.
What if the same material that goes into your favorite trucker jacket was turned into a jack-of-all-trades ballcap that gets better each time you wear it? That’s the idea behind the Huckberry Waxed Canvas 6-Panel Ballcap, which blends subtle style with rugged durability. It’ll prove useful to shield yourself from spring rain or summer breezes.
Huckberry Waxed Canvas 6-Panel Cap
When it comes to all things rugged and functional, Huckberry knows plenty, and that’s why I keep coming back to the famed San Francisco-based brand.
Huckberry dials things in quite nicely with this cap featuring durable waxed cotton canvas, the kind of material that works to repel wind and rain in a pinch.
The waxed canvas will even develop a nice patina over time (like your favorite Huckberry field jacket), and the color options on offer are as easy to mix and match with the rest of your wardrobe as any on the market.
And if you, like myself, try to wear your Flint and Tinder trucker jacket as often as possible, then you’ve found the perfect ballcap to pair with it.
Proof Rover Hat
If you haven’t yet tried Proof’s Rover Pants–a blend between a chino, a jean and a work pant, made with rugged stretch canvas fabric–then now’s as good a time as any.
Personally, I wear my Rover Pants as often as possible, and they’ve broken in wonderfully over time. If I had to guess, I’d say this adventure-ready hat will work in much the same way.
Better still is the fact that you can complement those versatile pants with the aptly named Proof Rover Hat, made from a blend of cotton, Sorbtek and lycra for stretch and breathability in equal measure.
Plus, the Dark Olive color is neutral enough to wear with shades of tan, grey, black or navy–give it a try and see for yourself.
Vuori Minimalist Hat
Wearing one of the best simple baseball caps doesn’t have to mean sacrificing performance or comfort.
In my experience, Vuori delivers reliable performance in each of its products, be it a tech tee or stretchy, moisture-wicking workout shorts, and they’ve turned that same performance polyester into a lightweight, easily packable hat with a foam bill.
To me, this looks like a ballcap you can wear to hit the links, hit the trail or head out on a weekend coffee run. To the founder of WERD, who tells me it’s his favorite go-to cap, it’s a simple, squashable, easy to pair with anything hat that shields from the rain and sun equally as well.
‘47 Classic MVP Cap
A streamlined ballcap very well might become the MVP of your own wardrobe, and that’s the type of fashion upgrade I can certainly get behind.
I’ve also tried out ‘47’s line of ballcaps, and found the headwear comfortable and easy to wear as I venture to my favorite sports bar – casual, classic, no-fuss.
It comes in more than 10 tried-and-true colors, and it’s priced more than affordably: If I were you, I might consider buying more than one, because it’s all about having options.
Todd Snyder x New Era Dad Cap
The classics get stylish upgrades in the hands of famed American menswear designer Todd Snyder, and in my experience, that’s the sort of style you need in your corner.
Take the timeless ballcap: Here, he worked with famed hatmaker New Era to give it a premium reboot, using Italian corduroy you might find more commonly in a shirt jacket or a blazer.
I can’t get enough of that sort of luxe design, and it turns the simple ballcap into an essential you can even dress up slightly with a navy cotton blazer and a soft pocket tee.
TOPO Tech Cap
The Topo Tech Cap is designed specifically for outdoorsmen, delivering technical performance, water-repellence, and reliability that will keep you active and enjoying life.
For me, that means I’m looking for a performance-focused cap I can throw on at a moment’s notice as I trek through the rolling hills of my favorite neighborhood park. And when I want to grab a cold beer afterwards, I can keep on wearing that same stylish, simple ballcap – like this Topo option.
Built with a tough stretch nylon taslan with a hint of flexible spandex, the minimal hat looks like your classic baseball cap but wears like your favorite long-distance running or hiking hat.
The fabric will shrug off rain to keep your head dry, and allow heat to escape so you won’t overheat on a long, hot day. The internal taped seams add extra durability to the traditional 6-panel design, and you’ll have no trouble fitting the cap to your head thanks to the adjustable webbing strap with its tough buckle.
Western Rise Versa Hat
When I venture out to explore the city or trek through a new neighborhood, I opt for dependable, stretchy performance pants from Western Rise. Knowing that I can get that same sense of performance in my headwear rotation is also plenty reassuring.
So, if you’re seeking a true performance ballcap, the sort of hat you can wear on the trail and back into town without missing a beat, this stretchy, packable ballcap is just the ticket. It’s made to fight wind, sweat and rain, all the while proving subtly stylish and easygoing.
Throw it in your backpack at a moment’s notice (again, it’s packable and can take a beating), and be sure you’re pairing it with stretchy, mobile Western Rise pants and a moisture-wicking shirt.
Buck Mason Franklin Herringbone Twill Baseball Cap
Trust Buck Mason to handle the classics the right way, using modern, hard-working fabric and time-honored silhouettes.
For instance, this baseball cap boasts a sturdy twill build fit for work or play, plus a minimal, versatile design that wears well with chambray shirting or a Buck Mason pocket tee.
Lululemon Classic Unisex Baseball Cap
A baseball cap isn’t just a useful style move: When designed the right way, the best simple baseball caps protect you from the sun and wick away moisture, which is precisely the end goal Lululemon had in mind with this cap.
The key is the mesh fabric sweatband, which keeps you cool on the links or during a trail run.
Lift Down Classic Cap
With your accessories, it’s sometimes best to not overdo, to keep it simple. That’s the laser focus of Lift Down, which draws from nostalgic, minimal hats of days gone by, then updates them in a vivid array of pleasingly faded, garment-washed styles in rich colors.
There are both performance and classic options available, so shop accordingly.
Lids Baseline Dad Cap
A major benefit to the best simple baseball caps for men? The ability to grab a hat and just “get out there” without overthinking it.
Particularly in a neutral, versatile color, the right simple, stylish baseball cap doesn’t take away from the rest of your casually cool look, and Lids hits the nail on the head with this streamlined number.
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