Are you supposed to leave the sticker on your hat?
When it comes to the relationship between professional sports, fans, fashion and celebrities, the baseball cap is arguably the most common way to show support of a team. Certainly there are people who wear team shirts or replica jerseys. However, the baseball cap is a regular part of the fan wardrobe and has been around for some time.
People who are in the cap fashion business don’t need a history lesson by leaving the sticker on. Sticker on and mint shape means hat is fresh and worthy to wear to a club. Sticker off or tarnished means hat is not fresh and worthy of taking to the park of gym. Do we do that with shirts and pants? Keep the stickers on those?
Leaving the sticker on is a way to express the authenticity of the cap, in ghetto culture or low socio-economic communities, when a kid finally purchased or got as a gift a cap, a real one, the sticker was the only way for others to know that, it symbolizes that the cap is not only real but it’s brand new.
Why don’t people take off the stickers after buying a New Era cap? Yes, please take it off. With the popularity of New Era caps growing in the sports world (outfitting the NFL, MLB and occasionally other leagues), fans now have more access to these caps for their own collection.
Soak a paper towel in warm white vinegar or room temperature rubbing alcohol, then lay it over the sticker residue for about five minutes. This will soften the residue so you can scrape it away with a credit card. WD-40 is also effective for removing sticker residue.
Place a piece of wax paper over the sticker to protect it, and smooth down the sticker with a credit card. Press down firmly on the card, holding it perpendicular to the surface to push air bubbles out from underneath the sticker.
Fashion is largely reactionary, so the simplest answer to the question of “why” flat bills and sizing stickers became a thing is that it set them apart from snapbacks, which were traditionally curved, and had no need for sizing stickers.
Fashion is largely reactionary, so the simplest answer to the question of “why” flat bills and sizing stickers became a thing is that it set them apart from snapbacks, which were traditionally curved, and had no need for sizing stickers. A fitted cap is a status symbol as much as it’s a fashion staple.
You can always bend your bill to curve more, or work it out flatter if you need to. Aside from flat bills, most hats are sold with a slightly curved bill that can be molded to be more curved, if you want. Wrap it around a baseball with a rubber band, and you’ll get that perfect classic look.
It’s All About Personal Preference. It really is all about personal preference. If you choose to take off the New Era 59Fifty gold sticker, fine. You do not have to leave it on, but on the same token you should not judge others who decide to leave their gold sticker on.
Wet a paper towel or clean rag with rubbing alcohol, and rub the residue to lift it off. For stubborn stickers, lay an alcohol-soaked rag on the area, and let it sit for several minutes to soften the residue. Use the rag to rub off what’s left behind.
Unless you are doing a tribute to Minnie Pearl, the sticker needs to be removed before donning your cap. If you want to put the sticker on your bulletin board, place it on the three-ring binder that houses your notes from class, or put it on the front of your shirt, that is fine.
