Has New Era changed their sizing?

[Moser316]

I only have two New Era hats in my collection (a Brewers authentic and a Nationals home), and I will never buy them online because you don't really know what you're getting unless you buy them in person. Personally, I prefer Zephyr's hats, they really do fit better the more you wear them (currently, I have a worn-out gold Georgia Tech, a black Long Beach State, and a green Vermont hat, I'll be getting another one before the summer), and the crown is a bit lower than New Era's.

[HatManTC]

I didn't see the post above. Sorry, how long have you worked at Lids. I do know for a fact that the stores for lids on the east coast are better than the ones on the west coast.

i have been with the company for going on 5 years now. been a manager for 3 years now. i had never heard of Hatclub until that kid came in talking about them the other day. i do think that life time membership is a good idea. but on a bussiness aspect i think LIDS does it right way they dont loose to much money being that it can be used at any of the 600+ stores and website.

[griffelh]

I agree with all of you. I am a 7 3/8 and most of the time they fit ok, but occasionally they are huge. I have one cap that I just bought, the 7 3/8 was gigantic and the 7 1/4 fit like a 7 1/4.

I completely agree that buying in person is best, however, the online selection is soooo much greater.

[NW980]

Glad to hear everyone has quit taking steoirds, and their heads are shrinking!

I recently bought a Brewers Alt/Throwback (ball-in-glove) that was WAY too big at my normal 7 3/8 size. The 7 1/4 was WAY too small. Same thing for the Nationals hat that I bought. The more I wore the Nats hat, the better it fit, just as everyone is saying.

I have a question about the batting practice hats. I wanted an orange D Tigers. I tried on the Med/Lrg, but it was too tight. The same size in the white D was fine. Everywhere I've gone to try on hats, the orange is too tight for my size. Why would that be? Bad lot?

P.S. A LIDS employee once told me that darker hats (Tigers, Yankees, etc....) shrink worse than lighter hats (Cubs, Royals, etc...). Can anyone confirm that?

Thanks!

[HatManTC]

P.S. A LIDS employee once told me that darker hats (Tigers, Yankees, etc....) shrink worse than lighter hats (Cubs, Royals, etc...). Can anyone confirm that?

Thanks!

i wouldnt think so being that they are made of the same materials and the only differences are the color dyes. i have troubles witht the BP hats, i cant find one to fit me. i just wear the authentics instead.

[Swiss]

P.S.  A LIDS employee once told me that darker hats (Tigers, Yankees, etc....) shrink worse than lighter hats (Cubs, Royals, etc...).  Can anyone confirm that?

In my personal case, that's true. I have alots of baseball caps... and those darker caps shrink too fast and often worsened... so I use them in dry days (I live in a place with frequent rains and high humidity).

I've three Red Sox dark blue caps (the official ones) so when the climate is humid, I use the Red Sox "franchise" cap (see below).

Yogi Berra on being asked his cap size at the beginning of spring training:

"I don't know, I'm not in shape."

[metsfan]

I stopped buying the New Era hats a while back ago, I really do not like the way that the crown sits on my head, it looks like a billboard. I only buy the Franchise hats now I like the way they just fit on my head and they are softer and lighter. However I do remember that when I did buy the NE hats I amost always had to buy different sizes. I could use any size from 7 1/4- 7 5/8 depending on where I purchased it, so i guess it is normal for NE.

[keynote]

Another issue is that today's urban style has kids wearing hats 3-4 sizes too big, to allow for cornrows, kerchiefs, an ear or two, etc. I live in Harlem, and all of the hats in my size (7 5/8 - 7 3/4) get bought up by pea-headed kids shopping well outside their appropriate size.

Not to mention that it's impossible to find a size "M" white tee around here, unless you're buying 'em in a pack of 3 in the underwear aisel. Stores on 125th St typically stock XL to XXXXL.

It's not completely relevant, but I just felt like sharing.

[Neon_Matrix]

P.S.  A LIDS employee once told me that darker hats (Tigers, Yankees, etc....) shrink worse than lighter hats (Cubs, Royals, etc...).  Can anyone confirm that?

In my personal case, that's true. I have alots of baseball caps... and those darker caps shrink too fast and often worsened... so I use them in dry days (I live in a place with frequent rains and high humidity).

I've three Red Sox dark blue caps (the official ones) so when the climate is humid, I use the Red Sox "franchise" cap (see below).

Yogi Berra on being asked his cap size at the beginning of spring training:

"I don't know, I'm not in shape."

I have that exact hat that I picked up last year when I was in Boston and I LOVE IT. Only problem is when you sweat in it, it takes a LONG TIME to dry. I also own a Jays one and it got sun bleached very quickly...which kind of sucks...

[scootrdice]

Hatman TC,

Not true, the company has been around 2 years longer than Hatworld/Lids. Consider the mark up price on the hats, no one in the buisness is losing money at all. The hatclub is based in Arizona, with stores in all the malls, pluse the bay area,southern cali, and Texas. Phoenix is the only city that lids cant control. And ever mall that there are both, I know hatclub does double the sale, comes down to good product selection in the stores.

[HatManTC]

Hatman TC,

Not true, the company has been around 2 years longer than Hatworld/Lids. Consider the mark up price on the hats, no one in the buisness is losing money at all. The hatclub is based in Arizona, with stores in all the malls, pluse the bay area,southern cali, and Texas. Phoenix is the only city that lids cant control. And ever mall that there are both, I know hatclub does double the sale, comes down to good product selection in the stores.

when did they start? just curious.

[scootrdice]

In Arizona in 1992, it used to be owned by Danny Ainge. He started it a year and half earlier in portland, billings, and Sacamento. When he played for the suns, he closed the stores in those 3 towns, and started here in AZ.

[HatManTC]

In Arizona in 1992, it used to be owned by Danny Ainge. He started it a year and half earlier in portland, billings, and Sacamento. When he played for the suns, he closed the stores in those 3 towns, and started here in AZ.

lids was founded in 92 as well. Hatworld was founded in 95. in 2000 the two came together to be one company. so they are about the "age" as each other.

[wman]

Twins Enterprise is my hat of choice. I probably have 10 of them in different styles, some adjustable (cloth strap), others fitted. They are better than New Era's comparable line. Can't say much about Zeyphr, I have two of them and they're ok..

[jewbanpimp]

I posted this just about a year ago.

I cant really tell the difference. But, i will say its unbelievebale how unconsistant New Era hats are, but theyre still the best hat money can buy IMO.

No way is New Era the best hat that money can buy. I am personally a Zephyr fan, though it's too bad they primarily make college caps. But they make fitted caps for even smaller schools (I love my American University z-hat) and they all fit about the same way. They also haven't given in to the hip hop fashion trend and fit more like a traditional "college" baseball cap: lower crown, rounded bill. I love 'em.

[Gothamite]

I love the Twins Franchise caps - the best out there.

It really burns me that Arsenal has started selling New Era caps on its website. They finally got an American manufacturer to replace some of those shoddy caps they used to sell, and it's New Era?

[Avenger]

Zephyr is my hat of choice. I've got a Cal State Fullerton, a CSU, and an ASU that all look and fit great. The drum corps I used to march in is going to get some 'Z-fit' hats custom made. Even with raised embroidery on both sides of the hat, the price point is actually pretty reasonable. I think they'll sell like hot cakes.

I did get a New Era St.Patrick's BoSox hat that had a low-crown. I soaked it and let it dry on my head a couple times, and it broke in suprisingly well. More than I can say about my regular crown Sox hat that makes me feel like I've got a shallow head.

[Sodboy13]

I agree with those who say Zephyr makes the best hats. I bought an X-Line Coyotes hat a couple of years ago, and it fit me perfectly from the moment I first put it on. In fact, it's what I'm wearing now. Who cares if it's a wool/acrylic blend? It's the most comfortable (and one of the best-looking) hats I own.

[sacker12]

I own a Braves alternate New Era hat. I usually wear 7 3/8, but I usually order 7 5/8 in New Era. I learned that lesson after my Montgomery Biscuits alternate hat, which I bought in a 7 3/8, shrunk so bad that I couldn't wear it. For a wool blend hat, for example The Game, I usually order 7 1/2 because it doesn't shrink as bad.

[Shumway]

Anyone know if they still make New Era low profile caps?

I have an authentic Angels hat, but I hate how high it sits on my head. Not to mention it fits really awkwardly. I haven't worn any fitted(as in 7 1/4 etc.) in quite some time. I stick to franchise or flexfit hats now. I love my brown Angels franchise hat.