In 1865, John Batterson Stetson invented and sold his first hat in Central City, Colorado, a wide-brimmed, high-crowned, design that he called “Boss of the Plains,” more commonly known as the "ten-gallon cowboy hat".
John Stetson was a hatmaker from New Jersey who moved west to seek his fortune during the gold rush. Stetson's cowboy hat was later renamed "Stetson" after the maker. The hats protected cowboy eyes from the sun and cowboy necks from the rain and could also double as a water bowl.




A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a long, stiffened and curved peak and it is worn by men, women and children. The back of the cap often has a plastic, Velcro, or elastic adjustor so that it can be quickly adjusted to fit any wearer, although fitted caps are also common. Those with long hair sometimes wear their hair in a ponytail which they pull through the gap in the cap above the adjustor. The cap is normally sewn in sections, and may be topped with a matching fabric-covered button on the crown. Traditionally the peak is worn over the eyes, but the cap is sometimes worn backwards, or at other angles. When worn in front, the peak can be functional for blocking the sun. The major athletic cap manufacturers include Nike and New Era.

It is most associated with those who play baseball. However, the baseball cap is far more than just a part of baseball players' uniforms; it is arguably the most popular style of hat in the United States and many Western nations, as well as in Japan.