Keeping stickers on hats or not? This trend somehow rages on regarding how you treat a brand-new hat.
It seems leaving size stickers, branding stickers, price tags – any sticker – has become a ubiquitous trend, especially with fitted caps and snapbacks.
Some argue it gives hats flair and proves authenticity. Others insist it’s tacky and break all hat etiquette.
How did this trend originate and take off? What’s the appeal of keeping vs. removing stickers? Does it come down to personal style?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the sticker trend from all angles:
- The history behind stickers on hats
- The reasoning and arguments on both sides
- How it became a widespread trend
- When stickers work – and when they don’t
- Why it comes down to personal preference
Whether pro-sticker or anti-sticker, you’ll walk away with an objective breakdown of this hotly debated hat trend.
Some food for thought next time you buy a new cap!
What Are the Stickers We Talk About?
We’re talking about those cardboard brim stickers, the shiny holographic stickers, and the little price tag and size stickers.
They’re usually on fitted caps and snapbacks right after you buy them new.
While any hat can have them, this trend is most common on New Era 59Fifty hats and flat-brim baseball caps.
To Keep or Not to Keep: The Debate Over Stickers on Hats
The great hat sticker debate has sparked quite a clash of fashion philosophies.
On one side, you’ve got the sticker purists – those who think a lid ain’t legit without its factory adornments intact. For them, stickers equal style.
Then there are the traditionalists – folks who see stickers as nothing more than bothersome clutter. They’ll tell you to peel those puppies off post haste.
Let’s examine the core arguments from both camps:
Team Sticker, they’re all about flaunting those fresh accents. Stickers keep that new hat shining, proving your brim has never felt the wind.
They show off real deals from brands like New Era, separating bonafide hats from knockoffs.
Stickers add flair to plain caps too, giving simple styles some extra oomph. They also let you rep your interests, from sports squads to music idols.
But for Team Traditionalist, stickers just equate to tacky excess. They clutter up a good lid, overwhelm logos, and scream “trying too hard!”
Stickers also fade and peel over time, leaving a grimy mess behind. Plus, they break classic hat rules – etiquette says peel ’em, don’t keep ’em.
Oh, and only tweens try to look cool with sticker ‘d-up caps.
So who’s right in this great sticker standoff? As with most trends, it comes down to personal preference. But it’s always good to know the reasoning behind each side.
How Does This Trend Appear and Become A Trend?
Most trace the origin back to the 90s counterfeit hat problem.
Bootleg snapbacks flooded the market, so people kept authenticity stickers on legit hats. It spread via hip-hop, skating, and streetwear culture.
Stickers really took off in the late 90s and 2000s as fitted caps rose in popularity.
People emulated rappers and celebs who left stickers on their sponsored hats. Stickers also made hats stand out as loud streetwear became trendy.
The trend peaked in the 2010s thanks to cap collectors chasing limited edition collabs.
The rarer the hat, the more collectors wanted the stickers to prove authenticity.
It’s now common to see people mix stickers with other embellishments like patches and pins for max flair.
So stickers moved from proof of authenticity to another way to accessorize and customize your cap.
Do Whatever You Want, Just Don’t Try Too Hard
At the end of the day, style your hat however you like. Rock the stickers if it’s your swag.
This trend is all about having fun with fashion. Just don’t go overboard and leave 20 stickers on a stockroom shelf.
The key is making deliberate stylistic choices instead of looking like you just bought the hat and walked out with every sticker on.
Peel the excess paper and size tags, but leave the branded decal stickers if you want to rep the collab.
There’s a tasteful way to integrate stickers into your outfit. But in formal settings or with certain sophisticated hat styles, it’s best to go sticker-free.
Final Words
The great hat sticker debate rages on. Some view it as showboating, while others see it as swag.
But like most trends, it comes down to personal style and preference. The best advice is to do you – just don’t try too hard!
At least now you know the history behind this hat trend and the arguments on both sides. Let the great sticker wars live on.
