Intro

Today, we are going to introduce a tie-dye baseball cap from Aung Crown – a professional hat masker founded in 1998.

Tie-dye hats are an all-season staple that’s as fun to wear as it is to create. “Tie-dye has been around forever, but people aren’t just looking at it as a… trend anymore,” said Rajni Kavula, who runs Adroit, a California-based Etsy shop specializing in eco-conscious tie-dyed textiles. Why did tie-dye fashion never fade since it officially got into fashion? Let’s learn more about the history of tie-dye and how we make tie-dye baseball hats.

1. What is the Tie-dye History?

If you think tie-dye originated in the 1960s, then you should dig further. People may know about tie-dye begins in the 1920s when the hippie culture was slamming the whole country. It did rise to popularity in America during the heyday of the hippies. But its roots go back to ancient Asia. The earliest written records found about tie-dye come from ancient Asia. The process was used during the Tang Dynasty in China.

Nara Period

It is also recorded in the Nara Period in Japan as far back as the 6th century. People used natural materials from berries, roots, flowers, and leaves to color all kinds of clothing and other cloth. These natural items were boiled, and the fabrics were then soaked in the hot, dyed water to take on a new color. Many people can’t imagine that its roots are so early.

But the truth is that the tie-dying technique was very mature at that time already.  As recorded, there were three main methods for tie-dyeing. The first one is Pinch dyeing. The second one is binding dyeing and the last method is stitching tie-dyeing.

The Orginal Tie-Dye Way

First, the pinch dyeing method is to use two chopsticks or clamps to clamp the material together, so that the sandwiched area will not be dyed to produce a designed pattern. The fabric is best folded in zigzag because the dyed area is larger and it can be dyed evenly. Otherwise, it won’t be dyed.  This is the way to create the tie-dye pattern.

The Binding Tie Dye Method

Second, the binding tie-dyeing method is more casual. It needs a technique to dye for this method. If it is tied too hard, the pattern will not come out with a big white circle in the gap area. You can put some coins in the middle of the cloth. Tie it together and dye it later to give the effect of a ring. You can also put little stones, other coins, or things with the shape in the middle of the cloth to make the effect you want.

The last method as well as the hardest: is the stitching tie-dye method. It is more complex because it can be made into concrete patterns. Because it is complex, it also takes a long time. The cloth or clothes it created will be much more precious.

2. Tie-dye History in the United States

Though the tie-dye history goes back to the 6th century. Tie-dye became popular in the United States.  Back in that time, the hippie era makes it more popular than ever and it has actually been a part of American culture since then.  In the United States, tie-dyeing first rose to popularity in the period known as the Roaring ’20s when the hippies started to be the big hit. The tie-dye trend remained popular during the Great Depression.

Because it is a cheap way for people to decorate their homes and clothing using tie-dyeing themselves.  While in the 1980s, it really hits its high point.  During that time, fashion designers add tie-dye to fashion design and make it become part of fashion shows.  The tie-dye fashion remains popular since then and tie-dye products seem to come back every other few years. There are more styles and colors of all kinds of items such as t-shirts, dresses, outwear, scarves, and hats.

3. Tie-dye Baseball Cap History

According to Wikipedia, baseball cap history goes back to the 1860s.  In 1860, the Brooklyn Excelsiors wore the ancestor of the modern rounded-top baseball cap, which featured a long peak and a button on top, and by 1900, the “Brooklyn style” cap became popular.

During the 1940s, latex rubber became the stiffening material inside the hat, and the modern baseball cap was born. The peak, also known in certain areas as the “bill” or “brim”, was designed to protect a player’s eyes from the sun. Typically, the peak was much shorter in the earlier days of the baseball hat. Also, the hat has become more structured, versus the overall “floppy” cap of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Baseball Cap & Game

Back in the late 1800s, baseball players were already wearing hats. But these types of hats are not the type you think they are. Players at popular baseball clubs often wore straw hats or pillbox-style hats. They wear it to protect their faces under the sun.

It was until around the 1890s when hats we’d know now as an early version of the baseball cap. It later started to evolve into the baseball caps we know today. As time went by, air holes were added to the cap. Logos also started appearing on the front of baseball caps.

The popularity of Baseball Caps

The quality of the caps was improved. Longer and firmer caps were introduced too. By the 1950s, baseball caps is almost the same as we know now. Different materials and logos have changed since then. Though the appearance of baseball caps hasn’t changed much since the 1950s and the way people wear baseball caps stayed the same as the recent society.

Baseball caps were everywhere by the 1970s! And they are unisex for women and men! People not only wear them when playing baseball but also daily styling staples.

There are no records on the internet of when was the first tie-dye hat created but if you match the history of tie-dye, tie-dye baseball caps can go back to the 1920s and might become popular in the 1980s.  Who would resist a colorful tie-dye baseball hat while tie-dye fashion is everywhere?

4. How to Make a Tie-dye Baseball Cap?

Take this gray tie-dye denim baseball cap as an example. The whole procedure would start with designing the cap, preparing the material, manufacturing, quality checking and packaging, and ending with shipping.  It looks simple but it takes a lot of work and details to make such a cute, wearable, and breathable tie-dye denim baseball hat.

5. Designing the Cap

In the very first step, our designer designs the cap on the computer using Photoshop.  Every detail is perfectly designed and measured.  From the front hem, the outer design, the inner part as well as the closure at the back.  The logo and the patchwork will be also designed in this step.  After the design, the full look and artwork of the hat will be revealed.  

6. Finding or Making the Material

If the fabric and other materials of the baseball cap exist in the market, it will be easy to just find them.  But if not, we will buy the fabric and make them in our factory.  For example, some tie-tye patterns are new and inspired by the designers or the customers, we will need to buy the material back to our factory and make the pattern ourselves. For this gray tie-dye denim baseball cap, there isn’t such tie-dye denim in the market, we need to buy the denim fabric from the fabric supplier.  Then tie-dye the cloth in our own factory.  

Sometimes we need to test a few times to get the right color of the tie-dye which needs the tie-dying artist’s professional knowledge.  The layman can’t make great tie-dye patterns.  Other than that, we will prepare the matching threads too.  As this color is on the market, so we don’t need to dye it or we will need to dye the threads too.

The denim fabric for this cap is 100% cotton.  It is very breathable and soft.  The tie dye is very natural and fashionable which is just perfect for a gray denim baseball cap.

7. Manufacturing the Baseball Hat

Firstly, we will cut the fabric into pieces according to the design. For the inner logo bands, we make them first in pieces too.  Secondly, we will sew the fabric, the brim, and the closure parts together and make it the cap without the LOGO.  

At last, we will use screen printing for the LOGO which makes it clear and exquisite.  It uses an adjustable t-slide closure to provide the perfect fit.  There is an interior band for comfortable wear. It is lightweight and versatile for all-day wear. This trendy denim tie-dye baseball cap is just perfect for men and women.  

8. Quality Checking and Packaging

After everything is all set for the cap. The journey does not end here.  We will need to do quality checking.  Any damage, defects, stains, or lack of full sewing will not pass the check. These caps will be removed from the order. After checking, these caps will be packaged into the packaging that the customers required. Some of them will be packaged in custom brand bags or boxes and some will be just packaged in a neutral plastic bag according to the customers.  We will package them in big boxes before shipping them out. The most important part here is to make sure each cap is in perfect condition from the manufacturing procedure to the shipping end.

9. Shipping

Deformed or dirty stains will not allow happening during the shipping to the customer’s hand.  So the packaging is super important or all of the work will be just in vain if customers receive broken caps. For these years of manufacturing hats, we are a professional hat manufacturer.  We make sure our customers get the right caps at the right time with the best quality. Our customers’ value goes first and will always be our first mission.

That will be the journey of making this gray tie-dye baseball cap.  But its journey just begins, in the end, customers’ hands and bring happiness and love to their owner.

The Ultimate Gray Denim Tie Dye Baseball Cap

With a trendy gray tie-dye print, this hat is a mix of bold and personality. It is beautifully unpredictable for any man or woman, kid or the elderly. It is made of 100% cotton. The material is moisture-wicking which is even perfect for summertime.  With this soft and lightweight material, it will be the ultimate cap ever. The color is so classic and it matches all of your clothes in the wardrobe.  With its unique tie-dye technique, this cap will not be any common baseball cap you see on the street.