Zef`s Definitive History Of The New Era Cap

SECTION
1
What is it to be studied?
I have chosen to study New Era baseball caps. The company dates back to 1920 when its founder
Ehrhardt Koch began production of hats in Ingenesee Street in buffalo, New York under the name of
New Era Cap Company.
I will be studying their current brand of baseball caps, specifically their famous 59FIFTY range, which
had become world renowned for its originality of style and great craftsmanship.
Why was the topic chosen?
I chose to study New Era baseball caps. I have worn them for a couple of years now, and I admire the
quality with which they are manufactured. The hats are sturdy and made with perfection. Also I respect
how they have become a cultural icon in the hip-hop community and in the American sports industry
also. I have been interested in what sets these hats apart from their competitors and I intend to find it
out.
What I hope to learn
During this project, I hope to learn about the design and production processes the company undergo. I
hope to learn step by step how the product is constructed, and from which materials. I also aim to learn
about the products history and how it has changed during the past 50 years. I plan to learn why the
caps are constructed form the materials used and what makes the 59FIFTY such a classic product.
What I hope the reader will learn
I hope to inform the reader of this project all about the history of new era caps, from when the company
was started right up until present day. I hope to illustrate the rigorous design process each hat goes
through from the preliminary sketches to the finished product. I hope to inform the reader of my project
exactly how the hats are manufactured and in what scale also.
Manufacturing Issues to be focused on
I plan to focus on the processes used and how they have changed. I also plan to research whether any
production methods have changed as technology has improved. I will find out what exact processes are
undergone from the start of production to the finish, how long it takes, and what amounts of
components and materials are used. I want to find out why they use the material they do for the hats
and what materials are used to create other parts such as the peak.
Design issues to be focused on
I would like to find out how the hats are designed, what processes designers go through when selecting
them, and whether or not they use computers, or prototypes in the design process.
2
SECTION
What I hope to gain from this: I aim to collectively display the various sources and avenues which I
could explore to gain as wide a range of information on my chosen product as possible.
Places
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•
Internet
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Museums
Factories
Shops
Exhibitions
Interviews
Product Website
Historical
resources
Supply chain
websites
Retailers’
•
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Interview Customers
Interview Employees
Magazines
•
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Sports Magazines
Design Magazines
Fashion Magazines
Components
•
E-mail
•
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Email
Company
Email
Distributors
Email
Stockists
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Product
•
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•
•
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Take the cap apart
Test product
Obtain Photographs
Handle the product
Obtain weight and
general feel of the
cap.
Materials
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Obtain information on
materials used
Test fabrics
Research materials
•
Research
components
Contact
manufacturers
Email Stockists
Detailed time plan
ACTIVITY
Section 1
Reasons for
choosing
topic
What I hope
to learn
Design
issues
What I hope
reader will
learn
Section 2
Primary
Sources
Secondary
Sources
Time Plan
Record
Section 3
Brief History
Analysis &
Synthesis
Moral,social
& ethical
issues
Section 4
What I have
learnt
Strengths of
the product
Weaknesses
of the product
Opportunities
for product
Threats from
rival products
How could
the study be
developed
Appendix
Bibliography
Selected
Internet
references
Draft
Draft
Final Copy
Final Copy
05/09/05
12/09/05
19/09/05
26/09/05
DATE
03/10/05
10/10/05
17/10/05
24/10/05
1/11/05
Primary Research
E-MAIL TO NEW ERA CAP NUMBER 1
What I hope to gain from this: I plan to find out information I couldn’t find elsewhere. I plan to find out
more about the planning and design side of the hats. Also I would like to find out what materials are
used and what tests they undergo to choose what materials are suitable for the caps. I also wanted to
discover what measures they are taking to stop counterfeit hats being made.
Here is a copy of the email I wrote to them:
“Hi for a few years now I have been a great fan of your products. I am in my second year of college in the UK. We're
currently doing projects on a product of our choice. I have decided to study New Era Caps, due to my love for them;
I'd love to find out more about the manufacturing processes and the history behind them. After scouring the Internet I
have managed to find a great deal out about New Era, however I'd still love to find any more information that I could.
Would it be possible for you to send me any information, be it on the products, design processes, history or
manufacturing processes behind these caps. I would be extremely grateful if I could receive any of this information
from you, be it electronically or through the mail. Thank you greatly for your time.
Yours faithfully,
Jozef Narkiewicz”
I promptly received this reply:
“Dear Jozef,
Would it be possible for you to e-mail me your exact questions. Then I could be able to forward them to the proper
people.
Thank you,”
I then replied providing them with more information.
“Hi you requested I asked more specific question about New Era caps for my college product study. Here is a brief
list of information I would be grateful for you to answer.
Firstly could I possibly have any information on how new hats are designed. Firstly the anthropometrics that have
to be considered and any surveys you may conduct to decide upon hat styles.
Secondly what processes do you go through in the process of designing new Cap designs, especially for the
59FIFTY.
Also I understand New Era are having trouble with fake hats being produced overseas, how do you plan to combat
this, I am aware of your holograms being a big help to this already.
Could I possibly receive any information on the testing the hats go through fro strength and durability, also the
safety and quality check made during the production process.
I understand this is great deal of information I have requested. Anything you could help me with would be greatly
appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Jozef Narkiewicz”
WHAT I HAVE LEARNT
Unfortunately New Era replied providing me with information I had already gathered from their website.
Consequentially I did not achieve to collect any information this time round. Therefore contacting the
company didn’t help me particularly with this project. As the company seemed reluctant to send me any
information at all in case I was a rival company trying to obtain information.
Therefore I learnt nothing from contacting New Era; however their website which was publicly available
did provide much information!
Primary Research
QUESTIONNAIRE
What I hope to gain from this: I aim to discover more about New Era’s market and customers. This
should give me an insight into why the hats are like they are. I will conduct this survey both in person
around where I live and possibly on the Internet, simply to gain a large amount of answers.
I created and distributed a specific questionnaire, designed for those who wear 59FIFTY baseball caps.
The questionnaire can be seen in the appendix.
RESULTS:
Age Range
0-10
11-16
16-20
21-35
36-45
46-55
60+
What made you purchase… Where did you purchase… How long…
1
16
2
0
0
1
0
Fashion
Price
Quality
Advertising
Liked it
No Idea
10
1
5
0
3
1
Sports Shop
Fashion Shop
Internet
Designer Store
Given
No Idea
1
1
17
0
1
0
For Ever
Below Month
Year
1-4 years
Until lose
Breaks
6
0
0
7
4
3
WHAT I HAVE LEARNT
From looking at the results I have gathered it is clear the results wont be too uninformative. I only
managed to ask 20 people, as I don’t know many people who wear these caps. This means the findings
won’t provide me with too much of an understanding into the reasons people choose New Era.
It seems reasonably clear that the main reason those interviewed wear 59FIFTY’s is due to their
appearance. The caps are fashionable. Coming closely behind was quality, so it seems those who are
aware of New Era see them as providing quality goods.
An overwhelming majority of people purchased their caps online, which could imply they are harder to
get hold of in shops in the UK, or possibly that they are cheaper online.
People seemed reasonably split on how long they keep their caps for. It doe seem generally form
speaking to people, that they keep their caps for as long as it takes for them to lose them or fro the
caps to wear away or be damaged.
SECTION
3
A brief history of New Era
The New Era Cap Company was founded by Ehrhardt Koch.
Erhardt Koch and his family migrated from Germany to the United States in the late 1800’s. His family
settled on Erb Street, Buffalo in western New York.
He began working in headwear manufacturing in 1902 at only 16 years old. His first job was with Miller
Brothers’ Cap Company. He worked there for 18 years and worked his way up to Cutting Department
Manager. After years of no longer advancing or receiving further responsibilities he decided it was time
to launch his own headwear company.
In 1920 at the age of 34 Erhardt persuaded his aunt to take out a second mortgage on her house in
order to provide him with a loan of $5000. He gathered 14 employees and promised his aunt her
children would always have jobs. He then founded New Era Cap Company on Genesee Street in
Buffalo New York.
New Era entered the men’s headwear market
with the in-vogue eight panelled pacer style fitted
cap. It was constructed from 100% wool to match business men’s suites, and
was distributed to many of Buffalo’s leading fashion stores. They were sold
for $3.98 per dozen.
!The Ivy League or Gatsby
In 1925 Erhardt’s only son Harold Koch joined New Era. He was taught to
put care and devotion into his hats to keep the customers coming back for
more.
In the 1920s New Era underwent a change. The wool Gatsby fell out of fashion, so to keep with the
market New Era began manufacturing baseball caps. Koch believed they would never go out of style.
During the 1930s and 1940s New Era manufactured baseball caps for sports companies such as,
Wilson and Spaulding.
During the 1940s Erhardt decided it was time for New Era to stand alone and sell directly to both major
and minor baseball teams. Harold Koch began promoting New Era caps at universities and secondary
schools across America.
“Harold drove to the garment district in New York City to buy piece
goods to fill the orders he had sold in the previous week. To make
different colour caps, off white wool was purchased, and Marion Koch,
Harold's wife, would dye the material at home in her hand-cranked
washing machine. New Era was the first company to offer caps in
scarlet, kelly green and other colours.”
Taken from www.neweracap.com
In the early days New Era purchased second hand sewing machines and produced around
2,500 caps a week.
In 1954 Erhardt died aged just 68.
Harold Koch developed and marketed the “no roll stitch”, which is now known as the “pro” or
“top stitch”. He also developed the cotton cloth sweatband which became industry standard in all
baseball caps.
In 1954 New Era developed a revolutionary hat the New Era 59FIFTY.
“The 59FIFTY was developed as uniform headwear for Major League Baseball players and has
stood for authenticity, quality, allegiance, and identity. Familiarly referenced as a "Fitted," the 59FIFTY
set the benchmark by which baseball caps are made. Harold felt that there was a need for a carefully
crafted fitted cap made of high quality, 100% worsted wool - one that would give baseball teams and
players a distinct uniform look.”
Taken from www.neweracap.com
In the early 1960s New Era opened its second manufacturing location in Derby,
New York. This location became an exclusive manufacturing facility for the
59FIFTY. With the invention of the new plastic strap, the adjustable cap was
poised to take over the market, New Era continued producing strapless fitted
hats as they are more comfortable, and tailored to specific head sizes.
In 1994, New York filmmaker Spike Lee asked New Era to make him a fitted New York
Yankees cap in 'unofficial' colours. At first they thought it was a strange request – who’d want a New
Era cap that's not identical to the Pros? But Spike got the New Era cap he wanted, people noticed, and
demand for 'non-Authentic' New Era fitted caps like his took off making Spike Lee and New Era
founders of the fitted fashion cap.
“New Era expanded its corporate presence into Europe in June 2003, after a long standing
distribution presence and an increasing demand for New Era's quality licensed headwear in the region.
Led by division president Peter Lee, New Era Europe manages product development for many of New
Era's European licenses, including MLB [Major League Baseball], NBA [National basketball association]
and NHL [National hockey league], in addition to European Football teams the Celtics and the Rangers.
The company also designs, manufactures and distributes headwear for Gola, Borussia Dortmund,
Leeds United, Bolton Wanderers and Hibernian.”
For 84 years New Era has developed and introduced many innovative products and concepts
to the headwear market, setting the standard in product development and headwear manufacturing
today.
The Cap – Here are some images of the 59FIFTY baseball cap:
Standard 59FIFTY baseball cap
MLB Logo
New Era logo
Synthesis
Once the fabric is selected, all of the caps components are cut by machine. The exact required
measurements have previously been loaded into the computer aided cutting machine, and it then cuts
the various components precisely.
The segments then pass through various pairs of hands and undergo stitching on specialist sewing
machines. The six segments are stitched together creating the basic shape of the cap. Each seam is
especially folded and expertly joined creating ridge-less seams. Each eyelet is stitched on a machine
and hand trimmed by specialist working at this stage of the
construction process. The button is stretched with matching fabric
and punched in place at the top of the cap. The buckram is then
fused onto the underside of the front two panels.
Then begins one of the hardest and most important stages of the
process. A factory worker has to run a seam around the entire
circumference of the cap body to keep the lower edges from rolling
under. This process takes such skill that a machine cannot do this
and provide such a quality result. Some of New Eras’ rivals use
machines for this stage, resulting in an inferior product. The
sweatband is then similarly attached and folded.
Factory employee at work
The peak is then prepared and fused onto the body of the
cap. The seams on the underside of the cap body are then
precisely fitted with New Eras seam tape.
The caps then have the New Era logo the MLB logo and the
desired team logo embroidered onto the crown of the cap.
The logos are intricately stitched with a machine pinpointing
exact directions the stitching must go in. The stitching is over
a thin layer of hard foam, which is used to keep the shape of
the embroidery solid.
Finished Cap
Then begins the process of blocking, Each and every cap is
given a steam bath. The cap is placed on a wooden block and
shaped by hand to the perfect size and shape. This process
flattens the seams and raises the embroidery. It also works
with the buckram (see materials page) in stiffening the front of
the cap ensuring that it will keep its shape.
The lengthy process of making a cap ensures that every cap
passes through 22 pairs of hands. That is 22 expertly trained
individuals trained in stitching, folding, fusing, embroidering
and steaming. Due to this amount of people involved in the
manufacturing process, the quality of the caps is ensured.
Even when the cap is undergoing a machined stage there is
always a human operative present making sure everything is happening as it should. Each new stage
the cap undergoes means a new person ensuring the caps quality.
The caps are then dried off and have their authenticity stickers placed on the cap peak. And they’re
finally ready to be boxed and shipped.
Materials used in the 59FIFTY
What I hope to gain from this: In this section I will list the various materials used in the construction of
a 59FIFTY cap. I will look at these individual materials in depth and find out why they have been chosen
for their job.
Firstly the MAIN BODY OF THE CAP:
The 59FIFTY is available in and is generally constructed from:
100% Wool
Here is a list I have compiled of why a 100% wool body would be an ideal
choice for the cap.
Wool is tried and tested natural fabric
Wool, one of the oldest textile fibres known, has survived the test of time because of its unique natural
properties. The basic characteristics wool possessed in the Stone Age era, for instance, are still the
fundamental qualities that make wool unique in this 21st century. Today there are many other textile
fibres, but as yet science has not been able to produce another fibre containing all the natural
properties of wool.
Wool insulates against heat and cold
Because wool absorbs moisture, wool caps provide superior comfort in both hot and cold conditions.
When the weather is cold moisture on the skin can swiftly cool reducing body temperature, so as the
wool cap absorbs this moisture from sweat or the air there is a warm layer of air left between the head
and the hat keeping the head warm. Even when the weather is hot the insulating air pockets in a wool
cap block outdoor heat. This property makes wool caps ideal for the more practical 59FIFTY’s in use on
the baseball field. Wool can absorb up to 30 percent of its own weight in moisture e.g. sweat, before it
becomes really damp. So as you sweat, the cap actually traps air and warm moisture keeping the head
warm.
Wool is naturally water repellent
Even before any treatment wool repels liquids. The scales on the outside of the fibre cause liquid to roll
off the surface of the cap. Therefore if caught in the rain it will take some time before the rain penetrates
the woollen cap. However from my personal experience the 100% wool 59FIFTY will warp if in the rain
too long. If it gets wet at all it is likely to reshape to whatever form it dries in, this can be disastrous if the
cap is strewn on the floor after getting wet. For this reason I don’t recommend the 100% wool caps for
outdoor use when the weather is wet.
Wool is naturally elastic
Wool has a natural elasticity which is greater than that of any other fibre,
making it comfortable to wear, as it will stretch slightly to accommodate
hair or slightly larger head sizes. Also the elasticity of wool means the cap
can be worn at many angles and still is comfortable and tight fitting if the
need be. This is a particularly brilliant property as the 59FIFTY is a fashion
cap at times and can be worn at many angles and positions depending on
the style the wearer wishes to achieve. I find the cotton variations of the
hat stay stiffer and in shape even when left on a surface, whilst the 100%
wool caps are less stiff and bend or twist more readily.
Wool wears longer
Wool does indeed wear well. It lasts long and retains its good appearance and stays
fresh and new
in appearance for longer. Wool fibres are made up of millions of coiled springs which stretch rather than
break so wool is extremely durable. As wool gives, rather than tears, when the cap gets caught or
rubbed etc it will be more likely to survive these stresses.
Wool resists static
Because wool naturally absorbs moisture from the air; the tendency to collect static electricity is
reduced. Walking across a wool carpet, you are less likely to receive a shock when you touch a
grounded object. Wool garments are much less likely to "spark" or cling to the head.
Wool resists dirt
Wool resists dirt, retains its appearance, and stays cleaner longer. Its ability to absorb moisture
prevents a build-up of static electricity and therefore wool does not attract lint and dust from the air.
Wool is easy to sew
Wool cuts cleanly and does not fray, making it ideal to work with in the production process. Wool
responds instantly to shaping by iron and steaming, which again is perfect for the use on the curved
body of the 59IFFTY.
Wool dyes beautifully
Wool is easily dyed and can be dyed in any colour. Wool holds its colour well as the fibre easily absorbs
the dye.
Wool is comfortable
Wools elasticity means the caps will fit well and comfortably. Wool absorbs moisture as mentioned
previously which means the cap will allow your body to breathe whilst not feeling damp. Wool serves
well under a variety of conditions which all make it perfect as a material for the body of the 59FIFTY.
Next the FRONT TWO PANELS:
The 59FIFTY’s two front sections are supported by:
Herringbone Weave Buckram
Here is a list I have compiled of why herringbone weave buckram is the ideal
material for the two front sections of the cap body.
The herringbone weave buckram is visible on the underside of the cap located on the two front panels.
It is a white colour.
Buckram is stiff
Buckram is a strong and rigid material. Once heated or steamed to its
desired shape it will be firm and rigid in appearance, yet flexible enough to
withstand bending, denting, twisting etc. The application of herringbone
weave buckram to the underside of the front two panels helps keep the front
of the cap rigid yet comfortable. The rigidity is essential to this product for
two reasons: Firstly the 59FIFTY has a trade mark shape which needs to be
visible and obvious no matter how the cap is worn. The buckram ensures
that the front of the cap stay in this shape. Secondly the shape of the cap
needs to be maintained to provide a perfect canvas for the trademark New
Era raised embroidery. The embroidery would warp or be pulled apart if it
wasn’t on a rigid surface. The strength and rigidity of Buckram is ideal.
Buckram is light
Buckram is a lightweight material. As the cap is worn on the head at great lengths of time, all of the
components need to be as lightweight as possible to provide ultimate comfort. Buckram is an ideal
material for this use as it is lightweight and flexible.
Herringbone?
Herringbone is simply the weave of the buckram used. This particular weave is
strong and allows the flexibility which is needed due to its structure.
Next the PEAK:
The 59FIFTY’s peak is constructed from:
A DuPont Formulation Polymer
Here is a list I have compiled of why DuPont plastic is the ideal material for inner
visor.
DuPont plastic is strong
The particular formulation DuPont plastic used in the peaks of the 59FIFTY is incredibly tough. The
visor is strong enough to withstand any knocks or bangs it is bound to endure being on a cap. As the
visor protrudes from the rest of the design it is often the first point of the cap which will be struck if the
cap is thrown etc, this means it has to be particularly strong. DuPont have especially formulated this
plastic to be suitable for the visor. Also the plastic is strong enough to withstand being sewn by
machine, the plastic is pierced by the sewing machine needle many times, and will not shatter or buckle
under this prolonged pressure.
DuPont plastic is flexible
Being connected to a fabric body it is paramount that he visor is flexible. Firstly the flexibility of the
material ensures it is able to withstand bending and accidental damage and stress. Also it means the
cap peak can be bent according to the users preferred style, without damaging the peak. The peak of
the cap can be bent entirely without snapping, and then back to position, all of this with no prolonged
damage.
DuPont plastic is light
As it is needed to make the overall weight of the cap as light as possible, the DuPont formulation peak
is lightweight. It will not feel uncomfortable to wear or make the cap unbalanced.
Next the SWEATBAND:
The 59FIFTY’s sweatband is constructed from:
100% Cotton
Here is a list I have compiled of why 100% cotton is ideal for the sweatband of the
cap.
Cotton is soft
Cotton is a natural and soft fibre. Due to it being so easy on the skin this is an ideal fabric to be used for
the sweatband, as this is the part of the cap that is in constant contact with the skin. Cotton is not rough
and therefore will be easy on the skin, not causing rashes or discomfort from continual use when
perspiring.
Cotton is absorbent
Cotton is highly absorbent which is the most important quality of a sweatband. Cotton will retain 24 to
27 times its own weight in moisture i.e. sweat and is stronger when wet. This means as the head
perspires the sweatband absorbs the sweat keeping the skin free of sweat, and feeling uncomfortable.
Also as cotton is stronger when wet, this means the sweatband will continually be strong and will not
break when under stress.
Cotton is insulative
Cotton absorbs and releases perspiration quickly thus allowing the sweatband to breath. This keeps the
head cool during hot weather. Cotton can stand high temperatures and will perform equally as well in
changing climates.
Cotton is easily washable
As the sweatband is pressed tightly on the skin and endures prolonged contact with the head it gets
dirty quickly. This means it is imperative that the sweatband is easily cleaned. Boiling and sterilizing
temperatures can be used on cotton without any disintegration or loss of strength; therefore you can
clean the sweatband easily without fear of damaging it. However the wool in the body of the cap shrinks
and mishapes in water, therefore it is imparitive the caps carry washing instructions, (which they do),
and that you don’t ever put your cap in the washing machine!
Moral, social and ethical issues
What I hope to gain from this: In this section I aim to highlight any social, ethical or environmental
issues relating to the production of the caps.
Corporate Responsibility
New Era produce well made and reasonably priced caps. However these products aren’t produced in
sweatshops overseas. New Era pride themselves on being Category A members of the fair trade
association. This means they are dedicated to ensuring fair trade in their dealings and employment, and
they are stringently monitored by the relevant governing bodies to ensure continual focus on this.
“
In today's world, where companies do business with fewer contractors and factories but are expanding
into more countries both in the US and abroad, it requires a serious commitment to improve working
conditions. To that end, New Era is a member of the Fair Labour Association (FLA). As a member, we
are committed to a rigorous program of Code of Conduct implementation, internal and external
monitoring, and remediation in order to promote compliance with international labour standards in their
supply chains.
TAKEN FROM NEWERACAP.COM
New Era has a strict code of conduct (see appendix) which includes rules such as:
•
•
•
•
There will be no forced labour
No person will be employed who is under the legal working age of 15
Employees will be treated with respect and there is to be no harassment or discrimination of
any kind
New Era keep a strict working environment keeping health and as safety top priorities
To see the full list view the appendix.
New Era receives goods and labour from some overseas companies as well as the ones on American
soil, however they ensure that all the companies working for them and providing goods or materials to
them are also stringently monitored for fair labour standards.
Asian Sourcing Co, Ltd. China Eter-Wind China Nanhai Lishui Mei Fai Hats China Senfair China Chung
San Knit South Korea 5 Bs United States New Era Cap Company - Buffalo United States New Era Cap
Company - Demopolis United States New Era Cap Company - Derby United States New Era Cap
Company - Jackson Unites Stat
Sustainability
After scouring the Internet I could find little out about New Eras policies on sustainability and the
environment. The fact that the company do not openly publicise their environmental policies implies
they give little if no thought towards the environmental consequences behind their production and
materials.
”
PLC – Product Life Cycle
What I hope to gain from this: To educate the reader of the products life cycle.
FIGURE 1
This is the introductory phase to the 59FIFTY’s product life.
The cap was created in the 1920s to keep The New Era Cap Company on the map, as their previous
range of wool Gatsby’s had fallen out of fashion. In the beginning New Era were producing caps for
other sports companies such as Wilson. Koch the owner of the company believed New Era Caps would
never fallout of fashion.
FIGURE 2
This is the growth of the product.
In the 1940s Erhardt Koch decided it was time to release New Era Caps as a solo company. Koch
worked hard on increasing the reputation of his caps and spreading their distribution to a wider area.
Koch promoted the caps at universities and secondary schools to aid in the growth of the produce. This
was free advertising and was hugely successful. Koch worked hard with his wife and began dying wool
to create different coloured designs this encouraged a growth of the company as they were the first cap
manufacturers to offer caps in these various bright colours.
Koch began to purchase new machinery to increase the numbers of caps he could produce, and their
quality. After the purchase of many new sewing machines and the hiring of new specialist staff, factory
product output increased dramatically and they were producing 2,500 caps every week.
FIGURE 3
This shows the Maturity of the 59FIFTY.
By 1954 The 59FIFTY had matured into the product we know today. Along with new forms of
specialised stitching and the revolutionary cotton sweatband, the 59FIFTY was an industry standard
baseball cap. By the 1960s New Era began expanding factories and opened its second manufacturing
location. Hat demand was increasing rapidly as 59FIFTY’s became the standard wear for baseball
players and fans alike.
New Era continued to keep their caps at the height of the market through the revolutionary use of new
materials, manufacturing techniques (specifically in embroidery) and they also began producing official
caps for minor league teams also.
FIGURE 4
This shows the slight decline in sales then the continual stability of the caps as they reached classic
status.
During the late 1960s the invention of the plastic strapped ONE SIZE FITS ALL caps threatened to
topple New Era’s lead in the cap industry. New Era suffered a decline in sales as fashion changed and
caps with straps began to takeover.
New Era refused to change their iconic design and slowly but surely the caps steadily came back into
fashion and demand grew. This was aided by the sport of Baseball becoming massively popular and
the world wide market of New Era Caps grew and grew.
The caps became even more popular as the music industry began indirectly promoting their products.
Hip Hop artists are seldom seen wearing anything else, and the 59FIFTY has spread to dominate the
hip-hop and rock cap-fashion market. New Era continue to develop new fabrics and variations of the
famous cap experimenting with metallic threads and winter themed caps.
BRIEF EXAMPLE OF THE RANGE OF CAPS
Above is just a small selection of the range of 59FIFTY’s available. New Era continues to develop new
and creative cap designs every season, and experimenting continually with colour ways, fabrics and hat
designs. However they always make sure the New Era logo is visible and the trademark shape and flat
brim are always present.
THE DESIGNING PROCESS
What I hope to gain from this: This section aims to educate the reader as to how the caps are
designed originally. What processes are undergone to design a 59FIFTY.
In New Era’s headquarters in Derby NY there is a
room where the “A Team” work. This is a room which
is a microcosm of the entire factory; with enough
computer aided design and manufacturing tools in it to
fully produce a 59FIFTY. This is the room where a
team of designers test out new fabrics, new types of
embroidery and custom designed logos. The
designers test things to the limit, learning from their
failures. Here is a brief example of what a designer
undergoes to create a new cap.
The designers look at their pre-existing products to
begin with. They will have brainstormed what sort of
cap they want to produce this time around and now
they will look at the caps already produced discussing their pros and cons. As a group they will jot down
the various features of pre-existing products that they like and dislike, and think up totally new ideas.
By trying on and interacting with various completed caps or cap
prototypes, the designers can be informed of the capabilities
lying in the design of a 59FIFTY. It is important to physically
interact with the caps, as pictures can only show so much.
Allowing the designers to pick the caps up ensures they can
effectively analyse the weight and feel of the caps and the exact
shapes and various stitching techniques they have undergone.
The designers will discuss every inch of the cap relating back to
numerous design factors. They analyse things such as various fabrics,
shape variations, components, embroidery techniques, and logo designs
and of course colour ways (see left). Using computer aided design, once
a designer has selected colour ways he likes etc they can be previewed
on a computer.
Once the design team have compiled a large enough list of the
components, colour ways etc that they would like to use they
can then sketch out combinations of these various ideas. They
then finally put them into computer aided design programs
creating 3d previews of what the caps will be like. They then
discuss the product and again make changes and edit as
necessary until they are perfectly happy with the product.
Using the room facilities they can also construct a prototype
and analyse this using similar methods. The design then has
to be approved and finally once the team are happy with the
cap and have tested it for strength, durability and various other
features it is ready to go into production.
Product Analysis + Synthesis
What I hope to gain from this: In this section I aim to carefully analyse one particular cap to educate
the reader about why everything is where it is, and made out of what it is.
Here is a close up photograph of an embroidered Logo on a
59FIFTY cap. This example is a Chicago White Sox logo. These
embroidered logos are stitched with precision. Every point the
needle of the machine enters the hat is logged on a computer.
Through the use of computer aided design and manufacture,
points are logged, and the machines perfectly embroider
complex logos taking up to an hour and a half on just one logo.
One logo can contain as many as 300 separate stitches. Sadly I
could not find out the exact process these logos undergo as it is
a well-kept trade secret, as no other companies can produce 3
dimensional precise logos such as New Era’s.
Embroidered Logo
Here is an under view of the hat.
On the underside of the peak of the cap
(point 1) the official MLB hologram can
be seen. This hologram has been
especially manufactured so it is not able
to be reproduced and is a certificate of
the hat’s authenticity to the Major
League Baseball Company.
At point 2 the 100% Polyester
trademark new era fabric tape is clearly
visible. It is placed over the seams of
the six panels that make up the body of
the hat. It covers the seams and adds
the comfort of no raised seams. It’s a
mark of craftsmanship and quality which
New Era is famed for.
9
2
8
7
1
5
9
6
4
Below
Point 3 shows an eyelet. There is one eyelet in the centre of all six panels. They allow the hat to
breathe and provide an outlet for heat and air as the hat is put on. 36 separate stitches trim each eyelet.
Point 4 shows the 100% pure cotton sweatband. It has been especially designed to absorb up to a
bathtubs worth of sweat over its lifetime. It is a fixed size, but if placed over the knee and pulled, it can
be altered in size. It has an extra row of stitching which prevents the cap from rolling under.
Point 5 shows the galvanised steel button. It is precision placed and holds the button on the top of the
hat firmly in place.
Point 6 shows the uniform number of 8 rows of lock stitching. This holds the peak together firmly. Lock
stitching is a perfect stitch for this purpose because even if some stitches are worn away or broken, the
peak will stay firmly secured.
7
Point 7 shows the herringbone weave buckram. The two front panels have peen supported
with buckram which is a coarse cotton fabric heavily sized with glue which adds a great
stiffness to the front panels. Along with keeping the hat’s shape, keeping the panels so stiff also
helps keep the embroidered logos on the panel to stay in shape and free from strain.
Point 8 simply shows the New Era label. There are generally 3 labels each providing the wearer
with validity that it is an official product, of both New Era and MLB, also it contains the fabric content.
These labels are stitched on both sides to prevent them from bending over and causing discomfort to
the wearer.
Point 9 is the DuPont formulation visor. The visor can be bent and twisted at many angles without
breaking or weakening.
Point 10 is one of the hat’s six panels. The caps were originally 8 panels, but in 1938 the design was
changed to six panels. On the 59FIFTY the panels are either constructed of 100% Worsted wool or
alternatively 100% cotton. Worsted wool is a yarn that is well twisted and combed so that the fibres lie
parallel.
At point 1 is the embroidered new
era logo. This logo features on the
second panel of every 59FIFTY.
The location of the logo never
alters, but the colours and thread
used often does to suite the varying
styles. It is a mark of authenticity.
2
1
Point 2 shows the second hologram
on New Era caps. This larger and
more obvious hologram is again a
mark of authenticity this time of the
New Era brand. It also provides
sizing information. The size of the
hat I have photographed is 7 ¼.
Side
Point 1 shows the triple lock number 401
seam, a specialized seam which provides
an extremely neat and tidy finish. The seam
has no raised edges on the outside which
means the embroidered logos can be
stitched straight on top of the seam.
Point 2 shows the above view of the
galvanised steel button. Whichever fabric
was used on the panels is tightly stretched
and secured over the button. The button is
there, as aesthetically it works having a
central point at the top of the cap, it also
holds firm all 6 of the sections.
Point 3 shows the eight rows of lock
stitching firmly holding the DuPont
formulation visor in shape and place. The
far edge of the visor is slightly raised to
provide a neat finish and covering for the
fabric seams.
1
3
Above
2
Point 1 is there to illustrate
the round shape of the cap.
59FIFTY’s are intentionally
designed to have a neat circular
shape thus allowing the hat to be
worn in many different styles. The
hat could be worn, forwards,
backwards, at and angle and
sideways etc, all comfortably.
1
2
Point 2 aids the comfort also.
59FIFTY’s are fitted caps they do
not have the one size fits all plastic
straps at the back. These plastic
adjustable straps were invented in
the 1960s, yet New Era continued
manufacturing strapless hats which
set them apart in the industry. The
lack of a strap means you have to
purchase a hat to you exact head
size, yet the advantage is that the
Back angle
hat will keep its shape better at all
times. Also the hat will be
comfortable to wear with no strap or seams in the way. The lack of a strap also leaves a space on the
back for logos or designs as the hat can be worn backwards also.
2
1
3
Back Close up
Point 1 shows a close-up of the worsted wool. The parallel grain of the cap can clearly be seen running
diagonally.
Point 2 illustrates the perfection of the triple lock number 401 seam. This seam is still flat and neat
when viewed closely. Also we can see how the MLB logo could be stitched straight over the top of the
seam, with no prior preparation or treatment, as it is that flat.
Point 3 simply shows the MLB logo. This is a globally recognisable logo that makes it clear that these
are official caps. The logo remains the same on all caps, however colour ways and stitching can
alternate. For instance this version has metallic stitching and a green and black colour way.
The Shape
Here is an image I drew
to illustrate how the
rounded shape of the
59FIFTY fits onto the
head. As it is evident
from this diagram the
hat could comfortably
be turned a full 360
degrees on the head
without a loss of shape
or comfort.
Consumer needs
Function, Purpose & Performance
FUNCTIONS
The 59FIFTY has numerous functions. One of
the cap’s main functions is comfort; the caps
are unique in the way that they are fitted. Each
cap is a specific size, (see sizing chart to the
right). Due to this each cap is specifically
shaped to cater for the exact size of the
customer’s head. This means the caps are more comfortable.
A factor which ties in with comfort is the caps ability to absorb perspiration and cope with changing
climates. 59FIFTY’s are far more than a standard ‘one size fits all’ baseball cap. When the weather is
hot the caps sweat band can absorb moisture keeping the head cool and free of sweat. The wool fibre
also allows the head to breathe thus keeping the user at a comfortable temperature. Furthermore when
it’s cold the cap traps heat in and keeps the head warm, a factor little known about these caps.
The cap has to be durable. The visor as previously mentioned, can be bashed and re shaped without
breaking. The sweatband can be intentionally enlarged by holding the cap against the knee and pulling.
The front of the cap is reinforced with buckram and every seem is stitched with a form of stitching
unique to New Era the triple lock number 401 seam. Also as previously mentioned the choice of wool or
cotton for the cap’s body again means the cap’s colour lasts longer and the fabric will be hardy to tough
treatment. These numerous features all add to why the 59FIFTY is so strong and durable. These caps
are created to last, and often outlive their usage life. The sweat band can absorb a bathtubs worth of
sweat before it stops functioning correctly, these features often mean you are more likely to lose your
cap than experience it deteriorating in quality. From the choice of seam down to the button at the top
being made of anti rusting galvanised steel, the 59FIFTY is made to last.
Let’s not forget these caps are designed to look good. The function of
the 59FIFTY is primarily fashion the caps were originally designed for
use on the baseball field, keeping people cool and keeping the sun out
of their eyes. They are still used for this purpose to this day however
their main function now is fashion. Caps are worn as accessories not
practicalities. Each cap is designed with exciting new materials,
components and colour ways. Sometimes celebrity designers will design
59FIFTYS; people such as Fabolous and Dizzee Rascal, Snowboarder
Marc Frank Montoya, Actor Danny Masterson and Fashion Designers
Marc Echo and Wale Adeyemi have all collaborated with New Era in
designing caps. These celebrity links help boost New Eras sales, and
add to the ever-increasing number of separate designs.
Shape
To the untrained eye the 59FIFTY could look like a normal baseball cap. However it has a
distinguishing shape which sets it apart from other caps.
Firstly it has a FLAT BRIM. As you can see from the image to the right the
peak of the cap is perfectly flat and does not curve horizontally like the
conventional baseball cap, (second image). This shape could be due to
improved visibility, with none of the peak blocking one’s peripheral vision. Also
speaking as a wearer of these caps, the fact that the brim is flat improves
usability. The cap looks good at various angles, and can be worn in way that most bent peaked caps
can’t, such as sideways.
The rounded shape, which was previously illustrated, is the key feature that
allows the cap to be worn at all angles on the head. A traditional baseball cap
cannot comfortably be worn sideways or diagonally to the head, due to its
oblong shape, however the 59FIFTY is rounded and therefore able to be
twisted and turned at will.
Ergonomics
The ergonomics of the 59FIFTY are reasonably simple. As the caps are not adjustable or One Size fits
all, they do not require large amounts of ergonomic research. Each cap is fitted, and by looking at a
sizing chart you can see which particular head size you are. This means New Era had to gather
themselves a range of head sizes that they believed would be most representative of the general
public. Considerations would have also had to be made to decide how far down the head the cap
should be. Generally the caps are worn so the rim of the cap is just over or just under the tip of the ear,
so they would have had to research general distances from the top of someone’s head to the top of
their ears. Likewise with the winter version of the cap New Era would have had to find out what the
ideal length for the earflaps is, to cover the ears and upper neck whilst allowing the head to be turned
and moved with ease.
What I have learnt
4
Strengths of the product
The 59FIFTY is the leading product in its market for numerous reasons. And due to these it has
achieved a classic status and continues to be as popular as it has been for the past 50 years.
Here is a list of the numerous reasons as to why the New Era is the leading cap manufacturer over
opposition brands such as Reebok, Adidas, and Nike.
•
The 595FIFTY is a market veteran – New Era have been producing caps since 1920. They
have remained the soul providers of headwear to the major and minor league baseball teams in
America, throughout this time. Also they have continued to expand providing headwear for
more and more sports throughout America and the world. Due to the length of time New Era
have been manufacturing caps, they understand how the market works, they themselves have
developed many of the most revolutionary hat manufacture techniques and processes
throughout the years.
•
Cap Quality – Cap quality has been paramount in New Era’s success. Since day one New Era
have strived to produce perfect quality, durable caps. They have dedicated teams of
researches making sure cap technology is always up to date. The caps design as previously
mentioned is incredibly detailed for a simple baseball cap. Product quality is stringently insured
from the specialist seam tape inside the cap down to the cap receiving a steam bath before it is
shipped off to distributors. Even today the caps pass through 22 pairs of hands during the
manufacturing process, this ensures that each step of the manufacture is overviewed and
intervened by a fully trained specialist.
•
Advertising and Sponsorship – New Era have cleverly stayed the top of the market throughout
the years due to their marketing. Since the begging on the company when the caps were
advertised free of charge through promotion in colleges and universities, the company have
grown massively. New Era regularly advertise in cult magazines. They continue to sponsor
events and fund charities publicly. The main factor which has aided the commercial growth of
the product throughout the years is their continuing affiliation with the MLB. New Era have
ensured a dedicated customer base by being the sole headwear providers for All Major and
Minor baseball leagues, basketball leagues, sports across the globe even the football team
Celtic have official New Era connections. Guest and celebrity designers and interactive
websites have also aided to keep New Era on the top of their game.
•
Innovation – Constant product innovation has aided new Eras success. New Era have kept the
59FIFTY recognisable throughout the years which has resulted it in becoming a classic product,
however they also continue to develop new materials, colours, designs, variations, shapes,
embroidery techniques etc throughout the years. Design changes such as adding warming
flaps to caps for use in winter, or metallic threads and embossing of designs on the peak
ensure that the 59FIFTY is still the most individual baseball cap. With thousands of designs
these caps have become known fashion headwear leaders. New Era workers continue to churn
out brand new cap designs every season.
Weaknesses of the product and Threats from other products
All products have their weaknesses and flaws, here is a list of what I have found wrong with the
59FIFTY.
•
Desirability – Up until today 59FIFTY have been incredibly successful in the headwear market
due to their mentioned achievements and the more luck-driven fashion market. Baseball caps
have been fashionable for over 50 years. With help from celebrities such as Britney Spears and
George Bush wearing them, caps have continued to be accepted as fashionable. However
fashion trends can never last, and if the baseball cap was to fall out of fashion New Era would
have to re think their entire business and production line.
•
World Distribution – Although the distribution of the caps has increased dramatically throughout
the company’s life, there is still much to be done. Speaking as someone who purchases and
wears this product myself I understand how they can be hard to find. In larger cities such as
London and Birmingham there are far more shops which stock these caps. However in less
prominent areas of the country it is harder to come by the products. As the majority of caps are
still produced in America they have to be exported to their other target countries such as the
UK and Japan. This means these other countries often receive the season’s designs later than
America. I also find that even when I can find 59FIFTY’s for sale they often have a far smaller
range than American websites do. The Internet and online auction sites such as eBay have
helped resolve this problem, but there are still fewer caps available to those in countries other
than the USA.
•
Competitors – New Era continue to battle with the problem of competitors in the headwear
market. Reebok have recently become a small threat to the 59FIFTY’s success, through the
development of their own brand fitted baseball caps. Many hip hop followers have adopted the
Reebok fitted as their cap of choice, however this is still a minority and New Era continues to
lead the market. When people think of fitted baseball caps they think of New Era. However New
Era must continue to monitor the success of rival products and take step to retain the market
lead.
•
Fakes – Counterfeit hats have recently become an issue. Counterfeit hats try to entice
customers with visibly similar items at far lower prices. They have not been a massive threat to
the company however they still mean a loss of potential sales through low quality items.
Smaller companies such as Ethos have unscrupulously created copies of the famed 59FIFTY.
In response to Japanese companies creating replica fake copies of their caps and other
competitors adopting the successful style of the 59FIFTY, New Era introduced the Hologram
sticker found on the base of most peaks. And then later introduced the Golden metallic sticker.
Both of these ensure the product’s authenticity. However as you can see from the image below
competitors have even adopted to creating their own versions of the authenticity sticker. New
Era’s continuing developments to ensure that their caps remain recognizably authentic, through
the use of holograms etc, are beginng to work. However the main way of telling a fake from the
original is simply through quality. The counterfeit Japanese versions of the cap are produced
cheaply and with amateur production methods, stitching and embroidery is sloppy and the caps
themselves are weaker and of a lower standard. Fakes and competitors will continue to be a
threat to the success of New Era, however for now New Era is staying on top.
Authenticity Sticker
Fake reproduction by Ethos
Design inspired by the winter cap by CLH, available
at half the price of the new era version.
Opportunities for the product
Here is a list of the potential opportunities that lie in the future for the 59FIFTY.
•
Continuing sponsorship and endorsement– New Era have already thrived due to their
connections with the National Baseball Association, and later the Hip-Hop industry. If they
continue to develop these professional relationships and sponsor increasing numbers of sports
events they could increase their sales. New Era is yet to exploit other sports such as football,
rugby, tennis, cricket etc. Gaining sponsorship deals with teams or leagues helps advertise the
product effectively.
•
Customer Interaction – One area New Era has not exploited is a customer self- design. This
would be an incredibly complex and potentially costly move, however it has worked for some
companies. For instance Converse now have a specialised micro site where people can design
their own pair of shoes from lists of pre set colours etc. This personal touch is an incredibly
effective technique that greatly broadens customer satisfaction and increases numbers. If New
Era were to develop a website where you could have some freedom in designing your own
products, this could boost the company’s success. However I understand this would be costly
and difficult, as 59FIFTY’s are created via a mixture of hand and machine manufacture. This
could be off-set by a higher price which a niche market would be willing to pay.
•
Online Opportunities – Currently the UK website has no official online shop, so as I have
mentioned previously it is hard finding a single website with a large range of 59FIFTY’s to
purchase. If New Era were to improve their international sales opportunities, and find more
stockists this could boost their overseas sales.
•
The Product Itself – New Era pride themselves on keeping the 59FIFTY’s design recognisable
for over 50 years. Few modifications have been made other than practicalities such as
improved materials, components and production techniques. If New Era continue to develop
new variations of the cap such as the winter version, and experimenting with new materials and
slight variations they will continue to be successful in the urban headwear market.
Here a New Era
designer has
experimented with
embroidery on the
peak of the cap.
Here is the winter version of the
59FIFTY, especially developed
with earflaps that can be worn
up or down, keeping the wearer
warm in cold weather.
How could the study be further developed?
If my product study were to be extended I would look at the following:
•
Manufacture of the caps – Sadly I managed to find little out about the manufacture of the
59FIFTY cap. New Era was incredibly secretive of their production methods. Their
manufacturing locations are situated only in America, so this time I could not visit one of the
locations. I would have liked to visit a factory and see the production line of the 59FIFTY. I
would learn more about the machinery used and the processes, and how they have improved
over the years as technology has improved.
•
The design of the caps – Being interested in design myself I would greatly have liked to
discover more about the processes the cap designers undergo when designing a baseball cap.
I would like to have learnt what software they utilise and what initial work they undergo using
potential fabrics, shapes and components. Seeing new caps and ideas they have under
development would have been highly interesting.
•
The customer’s response – I would continue and conduct far more surveys and interviews to
establish exactly why customers of the 59FIFTY’s purchase these caps over alternative brands.
Also I would interview stockists of the caps as to why they feel the brand sells over other
products.
From conducting this in depth product study I feel I have successfully fulfilled my intentions and have
learnt a great deal about the 59FIFTY and have clearly illustrated my findings within this project. I have
found it interesting to not how incredibly secretive and protective of information New Era as a company
are. I assume this is because they are protecting their products from rival companies learning all of their
secrets, however when researching the product this proved to be an annoyance.
Appendix
I used the following programs to create this product study:
Macromedia Flash 8
Microsoft Office, including Word
And Excel
Mozilla Firefox
Adobe Photoshop
Please note, all information on materials and most of the information on the company hemselves was
gathered from sources other than the new era website.
th
Thankfully the 59FIFTY’s 50 anniversary has recently passed which has encouragesdf an increase of
information available on the product.
Here is a list of the websites that I used to gather information and the information I collected:
•
http://www.forrelease.com/D20040510/nym243.P2.05102004182844.06537.html
New Era Cap and HATWORLD/LIDS Rollout Exclusive National Retail Partnership Program for
59FIFTYat50 Campaign
HATWORLD/LIDS Launches New Era 'Fresh Goods Fridays' With Variation of Limited Edition Spike
Lee-Designed New York Yankee World Series All Over
DERBY, N.Y., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- New Era Cap Co., Inc., the premier, global headwear designer,
developer and manufacturer, announced the rollout of its exclusive national partnership with
HATWORLD/LIDS for the year-long 59FIFTYat50 campaign, which marks the 50th anniversary of its
signature cap, the New Era 59FIFTY. New Era, founded in 1920, first made the 59FIFTY in 1954.
The partnership between New Era and HATWORLD/LIDS represents exclusive product launch
opportunities during the 59FIFTYat50-campaign-year called "Fresh Goods Fridays." On the first Friday
of every month, through December 2004, New Era, exclusively at 28 HATWORLD/LIDS locations and
on http://www.lids.com/
•
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-012005/0004098317&EDATE=
Buffalo-Area Employees Prepare Relief Shipment for Alabama Co-Workers
Donations from Local Residence for Alabama Victims Requested
DERBY, N.Y., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- New Era Cap Co. Inc., the Buffalo-area headwear
manufacturer, announced that its local employees have rallied in support of the company's Alabamaarea employees affected by the devastating blow that Hurricane Katrina handed them. In an effort to
aid their Alabama co-workers, New Era's Buffalo-area employees are donating and collecting relief
products for shipment to Alabama, where New Era has facilities in Demopolis, Jackson, and Mobile.
The company has approximately 920 employees in Alabama. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all of
those affected by Hurricane Katrina," said New Era CEO Christopher H. Koch.
"It is too early to truly know the full impact of this disaster to our country, or even our own
employees and their families in that area, but we are greatly concerned about their well being
and feel the urgency to support."
Tomorrow, Friday, September 2nd, at 2:00 p.m., a truck donated by TMSI, will be loaded up with
collected non-perishables and toiletries will be driven to New Era's Jackson, Alabama facility, where the
much needed items will be distributed to employees there and in Demopolis and Mobile, Alabama.
New Era is also calling for Buffalo-area residents to take up the charge of helping victims of the
hurricane by donating items for the relief package being sent to Alabama. The company is prepared to
receive donations at its Derby location, 8061 Erie Rd., beginning immediately today, Thursday,
September 1 until 4:30 p.m., this afternoon, through tomorrow, Friday, September 2nd from 8:00 a.m. 12 noon. Appropriate donation items include bottled water and packaged beverages, powdered milk
and baby formula, jarred baby food, non-perishable meats (pouched & canned tuna, ham and dried
beef products), ready to eat foods (crackers and canned fruit), flash lights, batteries, paper products,
pampers, disinfectant and baby wipes, hand sanitizers and other personal hygiene items.
Although early inspections of New Era's Alabama facilities revealed that its facilities were relatively
unharmed, employees of the company were affected to varying degrees in the three locations; some
were unaffected while others lost their homes and cars due to the rain/flooding, fallen trees and debris.
New Era's facilities were closed late last week. The Demopolis and Jackson facilities were reopened on Tuesday evening for 3rd shift embroidery. Power was restored in Mobile yesterday and
employees were called to return to work for this morning's first shift.
New Era Cap is a Derby, NY-based sports headwear designer, developer and manufacturer, with
sales offices in Canada, Europe and Japan. Making more than 20 million licensed and non-licensed,
performance and fashion units per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Major
League Baseball's official uniform caps, worn on the field of play by every Major and Minor League
player; its other licenses include National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Arena
Football, NCAA Champions, College - Bowl Games and National Championships and Little League.
Founded in 1920, New Era is a privately owned company employing more than 1,500 people in New
York and Alabama and overseas. New Era is a Category A member of the Fair Labor Association.
•
http://www.apparelsearch.com/asap/_disc4/00000116.htm
Large amounts of information on fabrics and materials.
•
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3660333.stm
Happy 50th, baseball caps
It started as the official headwear of ball players and became a favourite with sports fans and
aging tourists. Now at 50, the baseball cap is ubiquitous.
Victoria Beckham dons one when she wants to dress-down and appear relaxed for the paparazzi.
Truckers and rap stars alike are fond of them.
And it is the favoured accessory of the politician keen to emphases their "man of the people"
credentials, among them George W Bush, Hilary Rodham Clinton or the former Tory leader William
Hague.
This versatile item of clothing is the baseball cap, which turns 50 this year. Up until 1954, players wore
many styles of headgear, such as sloughy caps and pillbox styles.
"It was up to the players what they wore, so there was no consistency among the teams or even among
the players on the field," says Crystal Howard, of the New Era Cap Company. "Some wore unstructured
caps, others chose snug-fitting styles. Some had long visors, others short."
So the company developed a fitted cap as the uniform headwear for Major League Baseball. Today this
style, known as the 59Fifty, remains the official cap of US ball players.
And its many variations have become a key part of the standard urban wardrobe, be it for an
American tourist, a footballer's wife or a young man aping a rap hero.
Hannah Spooner, the curator of the Hat Works museum of millinery in Stockport, says the popularity of
the baseball cap is down to the modern passion for comfort and practicality.
"The peaked and fitted cap is an enduring style. It's good for keeping the sun out of your eyes - and as
it's adjustable, it stays on your head. That's a winning combination.
"There are Victorian era sunbonnets that have a very similar shape to the baseball cap - except in those
days, it would have been to keep the sun off your pale complexion."
Posh Spice and Naomi Campbell wear baseball caps as an ironic statement, she says.
"It's a look that says 'I'm so unique that I can get away with wearing the same thing as the man in the
street and make it special'."
On the streets
It is a look epitomised by the young urbanites fond of Burberry accessories, flashy jewellery and
boxfresh trainers who have become known as Chavs, Scallies, Townies or Neds.
It's a style described as council estate chic, a UK-take on the trailer trash aesthetic. The webmaster of
Chavscum.co.uk, a site dedicated to charting the rise of this urban tribe, says it's inconceivable to
imagine a Chav without a baseball cap.
"The baseball cap is so much a part of the uniform of the Chav that I'm sure they are issued with one at
birth.
"It is amazing to think how a piece of apparel that started out 50 years ago as a genuine piece of
sportswear has now become so synonymous with Britain's underclass."
•
http://www.altigen.com/success_new-era-cap.html
Website down.
•
http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/123/123085.html
New Era Cap has all Major League bases covered -- or at least the heads above them. The company makes
the uniform caps of every Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball team and is also part and
parcel of the uniforms made for 8 million youth and high-school baseball players. New Era Cap, founded in
1920, makes more than 20 million licensed and non-licensed caps a year. The company operates
international divisions in Canada, Europe, and Japan. The Koch family (now in its fourth generation of
management), including CEO Chris Koch, own New Era Cap.
New Era Cap Co., Inc. Company Profile
•
http://travel.discovery.com/fansites/jrmia/goods/newera.html
New Era Cap Company Inc.
The Story:
In 1920, Ehrhardt Koch founded the New Era Cap Company with a $5,000 loan from his aunt. Koch
launched not only a fledging business but also a new trend for men to accessorize their suits with a cap
as a finishing touch.
Recipe for Success:
Twenty-two lengthy steps are involved in the careful process of creating a New Era cap. First the fabric
and color are selected, and the cap components are cut. Once the logos are determined, the
embroidery machines begin their work sewing through thick layers of foam and fabric. The visor is
attached, and the cap is then finally sized.
Ratz's Facts:
Based in Derby, N.Y., New Era employs over 1,700 people; that's over 400 American families.
If you wet a New Era cap, it will take on the shape as it dries; so if you want your cap to fit your head,
dry it on your head!
Never wash New Era's 59Fifty cap! It's made of wool, and water will ruin the shape.
•
http://www.neweracap.com
Numerous resources on company history and cap care.
•
http://www.neweracap.co.uk
Numerous resources on company history and cap care.
•
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/STREET-VIBEZ
Here I collected all my images of the caps.
•
http://www.fabrics.net/
I collected information on fabrics here.
Here are emails I sent to New Era:
EMAIL 1
Hi for a few years now I have been a great fan of your products. I am in my second year of college in
the uk. We're currently doing projects on a product of our choice. I have decided to study New Era
Caps, due to my love for them, I'd love to find out more about the manufacturing processes and the
history behind them. After scouring the Internet I have managed to find a great deal out about New Era,
however I'd still love to find any more information that I could. Would it be possible for you to send me
any information, be it on the products, design processes, history or manufacturing processes behind
these caps. I would be extremely grateful if I could receive any of this information from you, be it
electronically or through the mail. Thank you greatly for your time.
Yours faithfully,
Jozef Narkiewicz
REPLY 1
Dear Jozef,
Would it be possible for you to e-mail me your exact questions. Then I
could be able to forward them to the proper people.
Thank you,
Shannon Hadley
EMAIL 2
Hi you requested i asked more specific question about New Era caps for my college product study.
Here is a brief list of information i would be grateful for you to answer.
Firstly could i possibly have any information on how new hats are designed. Firstly the anthropometrics
that have to be considered and any surveys you may conduct to decide upon hat styles.
Secondly what processes do you go through in the process of designing new Cap designs, especially
for the 59FIFTY.
Also i understand New Era are having trouble with fake hats being produced overseas, how do you plan
to combat this, i am aware of your holograms being a big help to this already.
Could i possibly receive any information on the testing the hats go through fro strength and durability,
also the safety and quality check made during the production process.
I understand this is great deal of information I have requested. Anything you could help me with would
be greatly appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Jozef Narkiewicz
REPLY 2
Dear Jozef,
Here is some information from our website you may find useful.
ENCLOSED INFORMATION FROM WEBSITE
You can find further information about our caps on our website under Cap Info. If you have any other
questions please feel free to contact us.
Shannon Hadley
EMAIL 3
Thanks I should have mentioned i have scoured the web and your incredibly useful site for information
already.
Jozef
REPLY 3
Dear Zef,
I am sorry for the repeated information.
EMAIL 4
Hi, I am currently studying New Era Caps at college for a product study. I am e-mailing to see if you
could possibly provide me with a 59FIFTY that is broken or deficient in some way, so it has no value.
The reason is, for the product study I need to take my product apart and note down its construction, and
of course I really don't want to do this to one of my intact hats. If it is at all possible I would be incredibly
grateful.
I live in the UK if that makes a difference.
Yours faithfully,
Zef
REPLY 4
Hi Zef,
Unfortunately, we don't have access to any of the damaged caps. Any caps that are incorrectly made
in our plants would be destroyed on site.
We are sorry we can't be of any help to you at this time, but we do thank you for your interest in our
products.
Elaine
HERE IS THE NEW ERA FAIR TRADE CODE OF CONDUCT:
FLA Code of Conduct:
Forced Labour - There shall not be any use of forced labour, whether in the form of prison labour,
indentured labour, bonded labour or otherwise.
Child Labour No person shall be employed at an age younger than 15 (or 14 where the law of the
country of manufacture* allows) or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the
country of manufacture where such age is higher than 15.
Harassment or Abuse Every employee shall be treated with respect and dignity. No employee shall be
subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.
Non-discrimination No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring,
salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race,
religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin.
Health and Safety Employers shall provide a safe and healthy working environment to prevent
accidents and injury to health arising out of, linked with, or occurring in the course of work or as a result
of the operation of employer facilities.
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining Employers shall recognize and respect the right of
employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Wages and Benefits Employers recognize that wages are essential to meeting employees’ basic needs.
Employers shall pay employees, as a floor, at least the minimum wage required by local law or the
prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher, and shall provide legally mandated benefits.
Hours of Work Except in extraordinary business circumstances, employees shall (i) not be required to
work more than the lesser of (a) 48 hours per week and 12 hours overtime or (b) the limits on regular
and overtime hours allowed by the law of the country of manufacture or, where the laws of such country
do not limit the hours of work, the regular work week in such country plus 12 hours overtime and (ii) be
entitled to at least one day off in every seven day period.
Overtime Compensation In addition to their compensation for regular hours of work, employees shall be
compensated for overtime hours at such premium rate as is legally required in the country of
manufacture or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a rate at least equal to their regular
hourly compensation rate.
Any Company that determines to adopt the Workplace Code of Conduct shall, in addition to complying
with all applicable laws of the country of manufacture, comply with and support the Workplace Code of
Conduct in accordance with the attached Principles of Monitoring and shall apply the higher standard in
cases of differences or conflicts. Any Company that determines to adopt the Workplace Code of
Conduct also shall require its licensees and contractors and, in the case of a retailer, its suppliers to
comply with applicable local laws and with this Code in accordance with the Principles of Monitoring
and to apply the higher standard in cases of differences or conflicts.
Questionnaire
I have asked these specific questions
Gender?
Male
Female
Please select which age range you belong to
0-10
11-16
16-20
36-45
46-55
60+
21-35
What made you purchase the New Era hat over other brands such as Nike, Adidas, Quicksilver or
Reebok?
Fashion
Advertising
The price
Just liked it
Its quality
Don’t know
Where did you purchase your New Era Cap?
Sports Shop
Designer Shop
Fashion Store
Was given it
The Internet
Don’t know
How long on average do you keep a hat for?
For ever
1-4 years
Under 1 month
Until I lose it
Around a year
Until it breaks
I asked 10 male people and 10 female people to achieve a balanced consensus.